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The differences between researchers and graduate researchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a researcher has an average salary of $67,145, which is higher than the $32,346 average annual salary of a graduate researcher.
The top three skills for a researcher include python, lab equipment and C++. The most important skills for a graduate researcher are R, cell culture, and research projects.
| Researcher | Graduate Researcher | |
| Yearly salary | $67,145 | $32,346 |
| Hourly rate | $32.28 | $15.55 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 30,498 | 17,313 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
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.
A graduate researcher is responsible for supporting an educational institution's academic research processes. Graduate researchers assist in data gathering and performing in-depth analysis using research methodologies under the supervision of a research professor. In some cases, graduate researchers also conduct field investigations and analyze other research publications to verify data accuracy. They prepare reports, share recommendations, and keep an organized database for research records. A graduate researcher must have excellent communication skills, both written and oral, as this task requires interaction with the researchers and writing duties.
Researchers and graduate researchers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Researcher | Graduate Researcher | |
| Average salary | $67,145 | $32,346 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $119,000 | Between $15,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, NJ | - |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | - |
| Best paying company | Renaissance Learning | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a researcher and a graduate researcher in terms of educational background:
| Researcher | Graduate Researcher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between researchers' and graduate researchers' demographics:
| Researcher | Graduate Researcher | |
| Average age | 41 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1% | Male, 57.3% Female, 42.7% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |