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The differences between research staff members and biology laboratory assistants 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 staff member and a biology laboratory assistant. Additionally, a research staff member has an average salary of $110,035, which is higher than the $34,240 average annual salary of a biology laboratory assistant.
The top three skills for a research staff member include python, machine learning and research projects. The most important skills for a biology laboratory assistant are lab equipment, biology laboratory, and chemistry.
| Research Staff Member | Biology Laboratory Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $110,035 | $34,240 |
| Hourly rate | $52.90 | $16.46 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 118,661 | 48,958 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 41 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Research Staff Member is a part of the research team who will assist in the entire research project. The staff member will work on various research stages and assist in collating information from different sources. One of the research staff members' responsibilities is to understand all facets of conducting research, get all government policies regarding the particular topic in research, and ensure that all procedures are legal and ethical. The research staff member is a broad term for a person part of a research team and is often given specific tasks when one is officially part of the team.
A biology laboratory assistant is in charge of assisting scientists or researchers and performing laboratory support tasks on a daily basis. Their responsibilities include setting up and sanitizing equipment, preparing samples, maintaining documentation of all experiments and procedures, writing laboratory reports, and running errands as needed. There are also instances where they must update databases, answer calls and correspondence, and grade student papers. Furthermore, a biology laboratory assistant must maintain the cleanliness of laboratories, all while implementing its policies and regulations.
Research staff members and biology laboratory assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Staff Member | Biology Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average salary | $110,035 | $34,240 |
| Salary range | Between $77,000 And $156,000 | Between $22,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Bridgewater, MA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | PARC | Massachusetts General Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between a research staff member and a biology laboratory assistant in terms of educational background:
| Research Staff Member | Biology Laboratory Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Biology |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between research staff members' and biology laboratory assistants' demographics:
| Research Staff Member | Biology Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average age | 41 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% | Male, 36.7% Female, 63.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 26.2% White, 53.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 14.9% White, 50.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |