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The differences between research staff members 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 staff member and a researcher. Additionally, a research staff member has an average salary of $110,035, which is higher than the $67,145 average annual salary of a researcher.
The top three skills for a research staff member include python, machine learning and research projects. The most important skills for a researcher are python, lab equipment, and C++.
| Research Staff Member | Researcher | |
| Yearly salary | $110,035 | $67,145 |
| Hourly rate | $52.90 | $32.28 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 118,661 | 30,498 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| 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 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 staff members and researchers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Staff Member | Researcher | |
| Average salary | $110,035 | $67,145 |
| Salary range | Between $77,000 And $156,000 | Between $37,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Newark, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | PARC | Renaissance Learning |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a research staff member and a researcher in terms of educational background:
| Research Staff Member | Researcher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Biology |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between research staff members' and researchers' demographics:
| Research Staff Member | Researcher | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% | Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1% |
| 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, 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% |