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Research psychologist vs psychologist

The differences between research psychologists and psychologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a psychologist has an average salary of $97,803, which is higher than the $90,440 average annual salary of a research psychologist.

The top three skills for a research psychologist include research projects, research studies and technical reports. The most important skills for a psychologist are patients, crisis intervention, and rehabilitation.

Research psychologist vs psychologist overview

Research PsychologistPsychologist
Yearly salary$90,440$97,803
Hourly rate$43.48$47.02
Growth rate14%6%
Number of jobs58,16312,516
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age4347
Years of experience2-

What does a research psychologist do?

Research psychologists are psychology professionals who examine questions and test hypotheses by using scientific methods to understand human thought and behavior. These psychologists must conduct experiments in controlled lab settings as well as out in the field to examine the social behavior of people living in a rural town. They must analyze data and prepare reports to be presented professionally to program managers and administrators. Research psychologists must also supervise staff and interns who are involved in treating and diagnosing mental health.

What does a psychologist do?

Sales managers are responsible for leading the organization's sales team. They oversee the progress and performance of the whole team, set area assignments to team members, and set weekly or monthly quotas. Sales managers oversee training team members during onboarding and providing further coaching to help them achieve their goals. They manage the challenges that team members may meet and help mitigate any problems that come along the way. Sales managers also set the strategic direction of the sales team and follow through by ensuring that the team's activities are in line with the goals.

Research psychologist vs psychologist salary

Research psychologists and psychologists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Research PsychologistPsychologist
Average salary$90,440$97,803
Salary rangeBetween $63,000 And $128,000Between $68,000 And $139,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyParexel InternationalSierra Corporation
Best paying industryTechnologyHealth Care

Differences between research psychologist and psychologist education

There are a few differences between a research psychologist and a psychologist in terms of educational background:

Research PsychologistPsychologist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorPsychologyPsychology
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University

Research psychologist vs psychologist demographics

Here are the differences between research psychologists' and psychologists' demographics:

Research PsychologistPsychologist
Average age4347
Gender ratioMale, 50.7% Female, 49.3%Male, 35.2% Female, 64.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 3.3% White, 76.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 4.2% White, 75.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage12%20%

Differences between research psychologist and psychologist duties and responsibilities

Research psychologist example responsibilities.

  • Manage investigator initiate and cooperative group correlative studies to identify biomarkers to ascertain tumor burden and clinical outcomes in lymphoma.
  • Maintain a leadership role in APA accredit internship and externship match program.
  • Facilitate therapy groups for children and adolescents.
  • Provide cognitive-behavioral supervision to 3rd and 4th year psychiatry residents.
  • Provide didactic presentations to psychiatry trainees, medical students and residents and faculty.
  • Identify relationships between plasma ion and radical chemistry and the chemical functionality of the deposited organic coatings.
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Psychologist example responsibilities.

  • Supervise mental health staff, including the overseeing of the provision of mental health services in a correctional facility.
  • Provide EMDR therapy for clients with trauma and anxiety.
  • Perform tests to diagnose autism in children or tests for the detection of autism at an early age.
  • Provide supervision and mentoring for APA Pre-Doctoral interns.
  • Supervise clinical activities of doctoral level psychology interns in APA accredit internship program.
  • Evaluate veterans for psychological disorders that may have resulted secondary to their military service for compensation purposes.
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Research psychologist vs psychologist skills

Common research psychologist skills
  • Research Projects, 14%
  • Research Studies, 9%
  • Technical Reports, 8%
  • Mental Health, 7%
  • Statistical Analyses, 7%
  • Human Subjects, 5%
Common psychologist skills
  • Patients, 18%
  • Crisis Intervention, 7%
  • Rehabilitation, 6%
  • Mental Illness, 5%
  • Clinical Supervision, 5%
  • APA, 4%

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