Research staff member vs laboratory research assistant

The differences between research staff members and laboratory research assistants 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 staff member, becoming a laboratory research assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a research staff member has an average salary of $110,035, which is higher than the $36,537 average annual salary of a laboratory research assistant.

The top three skills for a research staff member include python, machine learning and research projects. The most important skills for a laboratory research assistant are data collection, patients, and laboratory equipment.

Research staff member vs laboratory research assistant overview

	Research Staff Member	Laboratory Research Assistant
Yearly salary	$110,035	$36,537
Hourly rate	$52.90	$17.57
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	118,661	87,343
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Average age	41	38
Years of experience	4	2

What does a research staff member do?

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.

What does a laboratory research assistant do?

A laboratory research assistant is an individual who performs lab experiments and carries out projects designed by senior lab staff members. Laboratory research assistants design and conduct experiments using biohazards and other dangerous materials to gain information and test scientific processes. They must write detailed reports of their research and experiments and then deliver these reports in written and verbal forms. Laboratory research assistants may also work in different settings such as medical facilities and pharmaceutical companies.

Research staff member vs laboratory research assistant salary

Research staff members and laboratory research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Research Staff Member	Laboratory Research Assistant
Average salary	$110,035	$36,537
Salary range	Between $77,000 And $156,000	Between $24,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Massachusetts
Best paying company	PARC	New York University
Best paying industry	Technology	Education

Differences between research staff member and laboratory research assistant education

There are a few differences between a research staff member and a laboratory research assistant in terms of educational background:

	Research Staff Member	Laboratory Research Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Biology
Most common college	Duke University	Harvard University

Research staff member vs laboratory research assistant demographics

Here are the differences between research staff members' and laboratory research assistants' demographics:

	Research Staff Member	Laboratory Research Assistant
Average age	41	38
Gender ratio	Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1%	Male, 46.2% Female, 53.8%
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, 8.5% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 16.6% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between research staff member and laboratory research assistant duties and responsibilities

Research staff member example responsibilities.

Invent and develop new (user) input technology then lead the design and prototyping of its applications.
Design, analyze, and oversee HIV relate research projects including IRB protocol.
Perform testing for urinalysis, blood sugar, EKG, eye examinations, and blood pressure.
Prove that single amino acid changes affect protein oligomerization as well as DNA / RNA - protein binding.
Develop advance visualization components and diagrams using C++ third party libraries.
Research chemistry and biology projects pertaining to the synthesis of gamma amino derivatives

Laboratory research assistant example responsibilities.

Manage participant records according to IRB guidelines to ensure confidentiality.
Lead experiments to assess survivor behavior differences in zebrafish contaminate with dietary mercury.
Maintain microbial culture and isolate and purify bacterial and viral DNA and RNA to study the genome of common pathogenic bacteria.
Perform protein extraction on larvae.
Perform biological assays, including ELISA and RT-PCR.
Gain extensive MLST, RT-PCR, conventional PCR, primer design and gel-electrophoresis experience.

Research staff member vs laboratory research assistant skills

Common research staff member skills

Python, 17%
Machine Learning, 14%
Research Projects, 6%
DOE, 6%
Data Analysis, 5%
Java, 4%

Common laboratory research assistant skills

Data Collection, 5%
Patients, 5%
Laboratory Equipment, 5%
Lab Procedures, 5%
Laboratory Techniques, 5%
Molecular Biology, 4%

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Research Staff Member vs Laboratory Research Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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