Research specialist vs specialist

The differences between research specialists and specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a research specialist, becoming a specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a specialist has an average salary of $58,013, which is higher than the $52,662 average annual salary of a research specialist.

The top three skills for a research specialist include data collection, patients and research projects. The most important skills for a specialist are patients, customer service, and work ethic.

Research specialist vs specialist overview

	Research Specialist	Specialist
Yearly salary	$52,662	$58,013
Hourly rate	$25.32	$27.89
Growth rate	19%	10%
Number of jobs	79,341	358,433
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	37	42
Years of experience	6	2

What does a research specialist do?

In a laboratory setting, a research specialist's responsibilities primarily revolve around conducting thorough research and analysis, producing extensive detailed reports, reviewing results, and coordinating with senior researchers and other laboratory personnel to ensure the accuracy of results. Furthermore, a research specialist may contribute their expertise to other publications and articles, train or supervise new researchers, and implement all laboratory guidelines and safety regulations at all times.

What does a specialist do?

Specialists are employees who are responsible for specific tasks or activities in the department they are assigned to. The actions or tasks they work on are related to their educational background or work experiences. They are usually highly skilled in specializations related to the work they are assigned to. Specialists are also highly trained on the competencies that are required of their specialty. As such, they are focused on the skills and competencies that are needed to enhance their experience in their specific field further.

Research specialist vs specialist salary

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

	Research Specialist	Specialist
Average salary	$52,662	$58,013
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $77,000	Between $32,000 And $104,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Jersey City, NJ
Highest paying state	Washington	New Jersey
Best paying company	Novartis	The Citadel
Best paying industry	Technology	-

Differences between research specialist and specialist education

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

	Research Specialist	Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Biology	Business
Most common college	University of Georgia	Stanford University

Research specialist vs specialist demographics

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

	Research Specialist	Specialist
Average age	37	42
Gender ratio	Male, 38.0% Female, 62.0%	Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.1% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	10%	11%

Differences between research specialist and specialist duties and responsibilities

Research specialist example responsibilities.

Manage both GLP and non-GLP studies that are contracted to CROs.
Create weekly presentations using Microsoft PowerPoint and manage monthly board meetings.
Manage social media publications to spread awareness and notifications on Facebook.
Assist in surgical procedures on both rabbits and rats to obtain tissue specimens for RNA isolation for subsequent RT-PCR
Perform and supervise applied bench scale and pilot scale process research on extraction, distillation, and reaction processes.
Perform the timely and accurate execution of CESG protocols, procedures and results within the cloning and crystallography teams.

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Specialist example responsibilities.

Create, manage, and assist users with SharePoint sites.
Manage an on-site IRB and company good clinical practice (GCP) inspection.
Manage SharePoint sites by creating, editing, and customizing company sites, libraries and security.
Manage the building of accounts, assigning of static IP's, and scheduling of business class installations.
Convert servers from UNIX to Linux, all hardware diagnostics and repair including printers/plotters/desktops etc.
Follow safety procedures such as maintenance of all equipment (Telxon scanners, terminals and ladders).

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Research specialist vs specialist skills

Common research specialist skills

Data Collection, 7%
Patients, 7%
Research Projects, 7%
Data Analysis, 5%
Molecular Biology, 5%
Cell Culture, 4%

Common specialist skills

Patients, 15%
Customer Service, 11%
Work Ethic, 5%
Patient Care, 4%
Exceptional Client, 4%
Troubleshoot, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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