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The differences between research support specialists and research managers 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 manager. Additionally, a research manager has an average salary of $82,894, 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 manager are market research, analytics, and quantitative research.
| Research Support Specialist | Research Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $47,994 | $82,894 |
| Hourly rate | $23.07 | $39.85 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 123,353 | 48,867 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 Manager performs research, data collection, and economic, statistical, and demographic analysis. They also determine and implement research and development strategies, policies, and plans.
Research support specialists and research managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Support Specialist | Research Manager | |
| Average salary | $47,994 | $82,894 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $70,000 | Between $51,000 And $133,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | Sandia National Labs | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Education | Finance |
There are a few differences between a research support specialist and a research manager in terms of educational background:
| Research Support Specialist | Research Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between research support specialists' and research managers' demographics:
| Research Support Specialist | Research Manager | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.5% Female, 61.5% | Male, 47.9% Female, 52.1% |
| 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, 4.9% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 13.1% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |