Staff associate of research vs graduate research student

The differences between staff associate of research and graduate research students can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a staff associate of research has an average salary of $64,982, which is higher than the $34,658 average annual salary of a graduate research student.

The top three skills for a staff associate of research include patients, data collection and molecular biology. The most important skills for a graduate research student are lab equipment, laboratory equipment, and python.

Staff associate of research vs graduate research student overview

	Staff Associate Of Research	Graduate Research Student
Yearly salary	$64,982	$34,658
Hourly rate	$31.24	$16.66
Growth rate	17%	19%
Number of jobs	120,096	58,921
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age	41	44
Years of experience	4	-

What does a staff associate of research do?

A staff associate of research is responsible for performing and conducting research studies to support the research department of an organization or educational institution. Staff associates of research gather data from field investigation, verify its accuracy, and write reports of findings according to research requirements and methodologies. They also contribute significant areas of study according to market demands and public needs. A staff associate of research must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in coding information on the database and revising content as needed.

What does a graduate research student do?

Graduate research students are learners who conduct degree program-related research in a research unit or an academic department. These students manage themselves independently as well as their work. They make certain that they have familiarized the requirements of the university. Educators and other scholars expect them to develop enough research and skills. Their responsibilities include academic honesty, participation in supervisory meetings, and maintenance of effective supervisor communication. In terms of their research, they should have a research plan ahead.

Staff associate of research vs graduate research student salary

Staff associate of research and graduate research students have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Staff Associate Of Research	Graduate Research Student
Average salary	$64,982	$34,658
Salary range	Between $45,000 And $92,000	Between $19,000 And $60,000
Highest paying City	Oak Ridge, TN	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Pennsylvania
Best paying company	NVIDIA	Capgemini
Best paying industry	Technology	Education

Differences between staff associate of research and graduate research student education

There are a few differences between a staff associate of research and a graduate research student in terms of educational background:

	Staff Associate Of Research	Graduate Research Student
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	University of Southern California	Stanford University

Staff associate of research vs graduate research student demographics

Here are the differences between staff associate of research' and graduate research students' demographics:

	Staff Associate Of Research	Graduate Research Student
Average age	41	44
Gender ratio	Male, 48.1% Female, 51.9%	Male, 47.2% Female, 52.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 28.8% White, 50.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 11.8% White, 54.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	8%	6%

Differences between staff associate of research and graduate research student duties and responsibilities

Staff associate of research example responsibilities.

Manage a NIH grant study using MRI to determine relationship between bone and cartilage in osteoarthritic knees.
Manage a clinical pharmaceutical trial attempting to improve attention and behavior in Parkinson's disease patients with cognitive impairment.
Introduce new mutations into DNA vectors using PCR and other techniques, test the mutations with gel electrophoresis.
Complete data collection from various clinical populations including patients with traumatic brain injury and epilepsy.
Perform fermentation experiments, enzymatic assays, gel electrophoresis, RNA isolation and purification and HPLC testing.
Test samples for different studies using ELISA kits and NanoDrop spectrophotometer.

Graduate research student example responsibilities.

Evaluate patients' study eligibility via medical history, obtain informed consent, enroll patients, and achieve enrollment quotas.
Conduct molecular and cellular biology research techniques including DNA, RNA and protein isolation and analysis
Assist in organic chemistry laboratory on synthesis of molecule that behaves as fluorescent switch with cation binding properties
Perform Parkinson's psychological test on undergraduate students at UCLA and analyze data using statistical analysis software SPSS.
Analyze data using SAS statistical software, and map populations using GIS.
Summarize statistics from SAS outputs for USDA research grant investigating WIC and food insecurity.

Staff associate of research vs graduate research student skills

Common staff associate of research skills

Patients, 7%
Data Collection, 6%
Molecular Biology, 5%
Data Analysis, 5%
Laboratory Equipment, 5%
Data Entry, 4%

Common graduate research student skills

Lab Equipment, 11%
Laboratory Equipment, 6%
Python, 6%
C++, 5%
Chemistry, 5%
Cell Culture, 5%

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Staff Associate Of Research
Staff Associate Of Research vs Graduate Research Student

Updated January 8, 2025

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