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The differences between research support specialists and research analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a research support specialist and a research analyst. Additionally, a research analyst has an average salary of $70,232, which is higher than the $47,994 average annual salary of a research support specialist.
The top three skills for a research support specialist include research support, data collection and research projects. The most important skills for a research analyst are data analysis, data collection, and research projects.
| Research Support Specialist | Research Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $47,994 | $70,232 |
| Hourly rate | $23.07 | $33.77 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 123,353 | 81,374 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A research support specialist is primarily in charge of performing administrative support and analytical tasks. Their responsibilities typically revolve around performing extensive research and analysis to gather necessary data, preparing and processing documentation on behalf of researchers, liaising with internal or external parties, troubleshooting problems, and maintaining records of all transactions. There are also instances when one must conduct studies, prepare manuscripts, develop strategies to optimize operations, and participate in implementing new research methods, all while adhering to the company or institution's policies and regulations.
A research analyst is responsible for providing a company with insights and advice concerning finance, investments, and expenditures. Utilizing their analytical skills and extensive expertise in marketing, they analyze the trends and significant factors to conclude which decision should be the best to make. They can also take part in conducting an in-depth analysis of a business and examine which areas require improvement or has potential. Furthermore, they may work with a company or independently as a freelance analyst.
Research support specialists and research analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Support Specialist | Research Analyst | |
| Average salary | $47,994 | $70,232 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $70,000 | Between $45,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | Sandia National Labs | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Education | Finance |
There are a few differences between a research support specialist and a research analyst in terms of educational background:
| Research Support Specialist | Research Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between research support specialists' and research analysts' demographics:
| Research Support Specialist | Research Analyst | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.5% Female, 61.5% | Male, 50.8% Female, 49.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 12.4% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.3% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |