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The differences between research professors and researchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a research professor and a researcher. Additionally, a research professor has an average salary of $119,503, which is higher than the $67,145 average annual salary of a researcher.
The top three skills for a research professor include research projects, public health and data collection. The most important skills for a researcher are python, lab equipment, and C++.
| Research Professor | Researcher | |
| Yearly salary | $119,503 | $67,145 |
| Hourly rate | $57.45 | $32.28 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 59,502 | 30,498 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A researcher is responsible for collating, organizing, and verifying necessary information for a specific subject. Researchers' duties include analyzing data, gathering and comparing resources, ensuring facts, sharing findings with the whole research team, adhering to required methodologies, performing fieldwork as needed, and keeping critical information confidential. Researchers must be knowledgeable about the current market trends and align findings with the research goals. A researcher must show strong communication skills, as well as strong attention to detail and time-management skills to meet deadlines under minimal supervision.
Research professors and researchers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Professor | Researcher | |
| Average salary | $119,503 | $67,145 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $212,000 | Between $37,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | Pasadena, CA | Newark, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | New York University | Renaissance Learning |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between a research professor and a researcher in terms of educational background:
| Research Professor | Researcher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Biology |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between research professors' and researchers' demographics:
| Research Professor | Researcher | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.4% Female, 37.6% | Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1% |
| 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, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 26.4% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |