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The differences between research support specialists and senior 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 senior research analyst. Additionally, a senior research analyst has an average salary of $75,056, 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 senior research analyst are analytics, data analysis, and data collection.
| Research Support Specialist | Senior Research Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $47,994 | $75,056 |
| Hourly rate | $23.07 | $36.08 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 123,353 | 71,891 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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.
The duties of a senior research analyst depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around coordinating with different departments to gather necessary data, performing research and analysis to identify consumer and market needs, finding new business opportunities, and devising strategies to optimize workflow and workforce processes. Furthermore, as a senior research analyst, it is essential to lead and encourage the team members and serve as a mentor to junior analysts, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Research support specialists and senior research analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Support Specialist | Senior Research Analyst | |
| Average salary | $47,994 | $75,056 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $70,000 | Between $57,000 And $98,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | Olympia, WA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | Sandia National Labs | JPMorgan Chase & Co. |
| Best paying industry | Education | Finance |
There are a few differences between a research support specialist and a senior research analyst in terms of educational background:
| Research Support Specialist | Senior Research Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between research support specialists' and senior research analysts' demographics:
| Research Support Specialist | Senior Research Analyst | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.5% Female, 61.5% | Male, 54.1% Female, 45.9% |
| 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, 11.2% Asian, 14.1% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |