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The differences between research staff members and student 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 student 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 $27,475 average annual salary of a student research assistant.
The top three skills for a research staff member include python, machine learning and research projects. The most important skills for a student research assistant are lab equipment, student research, and data collection.
| Research Staff Member | Student Research Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $110,035 | $27,475 |
| Hourly rate | $52.90 | $13.21 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 118,661 | 59,758 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
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 student research assistant is responsible for supporting the school's research department on conducting various research tasks using the techniques and resources provided by the supervising faculty. Student research assistants collect and verify research data, interpret and document findings using research methodologies, organize and prepare research materials, write research reports, and provide recommendations to improve research strategies and techniques. A student research assistant must have excellent communication and organizational skills, as well as the ability to multitask and be a fast-learner to interpret data within a specific time.
Research staff members and student research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Staff Member | Student Research Assistant | |
| Average salary | $110,035 | $27,475 |
| Salary range | Between $77,000 And $156,000 | Between $19,000 And $37,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Fairbanks, AK |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | PARC | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Education |
There are a few differences between a research staff member and a student research assistant in terms of educational background:
| Research Staff Member | Student Research Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Biology |
| Most common college | Duke University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between research staff members' and student research assistants' demographics:
| Research Staff Member | Student Research Assistant | |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% | Male, 44.1% Female, 55.9% |
| 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, 16.7% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |