Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between researchers and research technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a researcher and a research technician. Additionally, a researcher has an average salary of $67,145, which is higher than the $43,034 average annual salary of a research technician.
The top three skills for a researcher include python, lab equipment and C++. The most important skills for a research technician are patients, data collection, and cell culture.
| Researcher | Research Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $67,145 | $43,034 |
| Hourly rate | $32.28 | $20.69 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 30,498 | 64,786 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 41 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 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 research technician is responsible for assisting in research studies and laboratory experiments. Research technicians operate laboratory tools and equipment, process data for experiments, collect samples for study, analyze existing research materials, analyze experiment results, manage inventories and stock supplies, record observations, and create reports for further examination. A research technician must have strong analytical and scientific knowledge, as well as a passion for research writing and investigations crucial for this kind of industry.
Researchers and research technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Researcher | Research Technician | |
| Average salary | $67,145 | $43,034 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $119,000 | Between $31,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, NJ | Pasadena, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Renaissance Learning | GCP Applied Technologies |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a researcher and a research technician in terms of educational background:
| Researcher | Research Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between researchers' and research technicians' demographics:
| Researcher | Research Technician | |
| Average age | 41 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1% | Male, 49.3% Female, 50.7% |
| 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, 12.0% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 16.5% White, 49.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |