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Sociology research assistant vs psychology research assistant

The differences between sociology research assistants and psychology 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 sociology research assistant and a psychology research assistant. Additionally, a sociology research assistant has an average salary of $59,218, which is higher than the $54,582 average annual salary of a psychology research assistant.

The top three skills for a sociology research assistant include SPSS, data analysis and research projects. The most important skills for a psychology research assistant are data collection, SPSS, and research projects.

Sociology research assistant vs psychology research assistant overview

Sociology Research AssistantPsychology Research Assistant
Yearly salary$59,218$54,582
Hourly rate$28.47$26.24
Growth rate-19%
Number of jobs46,72148,891
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Average age3838
Years of experience22

What does a sociology research assistant do?

A sociology research assistant is someone who performs administrative tasks for the success of a sociologist's research project. These tasks include management of databases, collection of data through the conduct of interviews or surveys, and assessment of research papers to make sure that the research is not just repeating existing findings. The requirements to qualify for the position include possessing a bachelor's degree in sociology or a related field and having practical experience as a program assistant.

What does a psychology research assistant do?

Psychologists are responsible for studying cognitive and social processes through observation and therapy. They typically focus on understanding and articulating the emotions, thoughts, behaviors, and feelings of their clients. Their typical day-to-day duties may include researching clients' behavior and brain functionality, identifying emotional and behavioral patterns of their clients, and diagnosing and treating emotional, mental, or behavioral disorders. Other duties include developing programs to address psychological issues and collaborating with other health care professionals or social workers in treating patients.

Sociology research assistant vs psychology research assistant salary

Sociology research assistants and psychology research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Sociology Research AssistantPsychology Research Assistant
Average salary$59,218$54,582
Salary rangeBetween $36,000 And $95,000Between $34,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City-Piscataway, NJ
Highest paying state-New Jersey
Best paying company-MassBay Community College
Best paying industry-Education

Differences between sociology research assistant and psychology research assistant education

There are a few differences between a sociology research assistant and a psychology research assistant in terms of educational background:

Sociology Research AssistantPsychology Research Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Most common majorSociologyPsychology
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityHarvard University

Sociology research assistant vs psychology research assistant demographics

Here are the differences between sociology research assistants' and psychology research assistants' demographics:

Sociology Research AssistantPsychology Research Assistant
Average age3838
Gender ratioMale, 30.6% Female, 69.4%Male, 27.2% Female, 72.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 11.7% White, 54.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 11.5% White, 54.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between sociology research assistant and psychology research assistant duties and responsibilities

Sociology research assistant example responsibilities.

  • Evaluate patients' study eligibility via medical history, obtain informed consent, enroll patients, and achieve enrollment quotas.
  • Compose and submit IRB proposal.
  • Train students how to use SPSS and NVivo software.
  • Collaborate on database creation utilizing SPSS.
  • Guide the technical implementation of an automate analysis system (electrophoresis station), with the enhancement of its operational efficiency.
  • Utilize GIS mapping to quantify and visually display various health reports for national policy briefs.
  • Show more

Psychology research assistant example responsibilities.

  • Accomplish electroencephalogram (EEG), MRI, and behavioral testing on research participants.
  • Evaluate patients' study eligibility via medical history, obtain informed consent, enroll patients, and achieve enrollment quotas.
  • Design computer-based surveys, perform data collection and analysis using SQL and STATA.
  • Conduct psychological research on the correlation between humility and romantic relationships before and after having children using survey methods and SPSS.
  • Train researchers in using SAS programs for processing and analyzing data.
  • Implement a web-crawler to track ideas spread across the Internet using search APIs.
  • Show more

Sociology research assistant vs psychology research assistant skills

Common sociology research assistant skills
  • SPSS, 21%
  • Data Analysis, 15%
  • Research Projects, 12%
  • Data Collection, 12%
  • Comprehensive Literature Review, 8%
  • Quantitative Data, 5%
Common psychology research assistant skills
  • Data Collection, 11%
  • SPSS, 9%
  • Research Projects, 7%
  • Data Analysis, 6%
  • Psychology Lab, 5%
  • Literature Reviews, 5%

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