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The differences between research professors and assistant research scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a research professor, becoming an assistant research scientist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a research professor has an average salary of $119,503, which is higher than the $62,780 average annual salary of an assistant research scientist.
The top three skills for a research professor include research projects, public health and data collection. The most important skills for an assistant research scientist are research projects, data collection, and data analysis.
| Research Professor | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $119,503 | $62,780 |
| Hourly rate | $57.45 | $30.18 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 59,502 | 88,786 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
Research professors lead the research culture in their departments. In some cases, they will do less undergraduate teaching and focus more on teaching post-graduates. They also teach students at higher education institutions. They focus on their research activities that include presenting research findings at conferences worldwide. They are involved in initiatives working with private sectors and other public sector bodies. Part of their duties includes marking assessed work, attending planning meetings to ensure cross-departmental parity, and doing administrative tasks within the department.
An Assistant Research Scientist assists in planning, conducting, and analyzing various research projects. They also order and manage lab inventory, materials, and equipment.
Research professors and assistant research scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Professor | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Average salary | $119,503 | $62,780 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $212,000 | Between $43,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | Pasadena, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | New York University | University of California |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Education |
There are a few differences between a research professor and an assistant research scientist in terms of educational background:
| Research Professor | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Biology |
| Most common college | Duke University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between research professors' and assistant research scientists' demographics:
| Research Professor | Assistant Research Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.4% Female, 37.6% | Male, 55.6% Female, 44.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 26.4% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 16.7% White, 52.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |