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The differences between social research assistants and research assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a social research assistant and a research assistant. Additionally, a social research assistant has an average salary of $52,089, which is higher than the $42,896 average annual salary of a research assistant.
The top three skills for a social research assistant include social work, data entry and SPSS. The most important skills for a research assistant are patients, lab equipment, and data collection.
| Social Research Assistant | Research Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $52,089 | $42,896 |
| Hourly rate | $25.04 | $20.62 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 74,385 | 51,080 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Social Research Assistants are responsible for providing support to social scientists in the area of surveys, laboratory work, and other related social research. Their duties include editing and submitting research documentation, acquiring research subjects' consent, preparing reports, managing databases, designing survey instruments, filter subject suitability, track participant's progress, manage laboratory resources and conduct data entry work. They also assist in research findings presentation, administer surveys, collect specimens, perform statistical analyses, supervise standardized testing, manage scheduling and recruitment of participants, and participate in basic researching.
Research assistants give support to researchers or other professionals who need assistance as they conduct experiments, studies, or other research projects. Research assistants help in conducting experiments, surveys, or interviews under the supervision of the primary researcher. They also work on research activities such as literature reviews, collect data, assist in interpreting results, prepare designs or visuals for the presentation of the results, and even ensure that all the tools and documentation related to the study are properly organized. They also assist in fact-checking the output and ensure that the data presented are accurate. Research assistants usually possess an academic background that is related to the main research topic.
Social research assistants and research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Social Research Assistant | Research Assistant | |
| Average salary | $52,089 | $42,896 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $83,000 | Between $28,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | New Brunswick, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | New York University | JPMorgan Chase & Co. |
| Best paying industry | Education | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a social research assistant and a research assistant in terms of educational background:
| Social Research Assistant | Research Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between social research assistants' and research assistants' demographics:
| Social Research Assistant | Research Assistant | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.6% Female, 67.4% | Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 11.3% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 16.9% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |