Staff associate of research vs research specialist

The differences between staff associate of research and research specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a staff associate of research, becoming a research specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a staff associate of research has an average salary of $64,982, which is higher than the $52,662 average annual salary of a research specialist.

The top three skills for a staff associate of research include patients, data collection and molecular biology. The most important skills for a research specialist are data collection, patients, and research projects.

Staff associate of research vs research specialist overview

	Staff Associate Of Research	Research Specialist
Yearly salary	$64,982	$52,662
Hourly rate	$31.24	$25.32
Growth rate	17%	19%
Number of jobs	120,096	79,341
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	41	37
Years of experience	4	6

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 research specialist do?

In a laboratory setting, a research specialist's responsibilities primarily revolve around conducting thorough research and analysis, producing extensive detailed reports, reviewing results, and coordinating with senior researchers and other laboratory personnel to ensure the accuracy of results. Furthermore, a research specialist may contribute their expertise to other publications and articles, train or supervise new researchers, and implement all laboratory guidelines and safety regulations at all times.

Staff associate of research vs research specialist salary

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

	Staff Associate Of Research	Research Specialist
Average salary	$64,982	$52,662
Salary range	Between $45,000 And $92,000	Between $35,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	Oak Ridge, TN	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Washington
Best paying company	NVIDIA	Novartis
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between staff associate of research and research specialist education

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

	Staff Associate Of Research	Research Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of Georgia

Staff associate of research vs research specialist demographics

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

	Staff Associate Of Research	Research Specialist
Average age	41	37
Gender ratio	Male, 48.1% Female, 51.9%	Male, 38.0% Female, 62.0%
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, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.1% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	8%	10%

Differences between staff associate of research and research specialist 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.

Research specialist example responsibilities.

Manage both GLP and non-GLP studies that are contracted to CROs.
Create weekly presentations using Microsoft PowerPoint and manage monthly board meetings.
Manage social media publications to spread awareness and notifications on Facebook.
Assist in surgical procedures on both rabbits and rats to obtain tissue specimens for RNA isolation for subsequent RT-PCR
Perform and supervise applied bench scale and pilot scale process research on extraction, distillation, and reaction processes.
Perform the timely and accurate execution of CESG protocols, procedures and results within the cloning and crystallography teams.

Staff associate of research vs research specialist 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 research specialist skills

Data Collection, 7%
Patients, 7%
Research Projects, 7%
Data Analysis, 5%
Molecular Biology, 5%
Cell Culture, 4%

Staff Associate Of Research vs. similar jobs

Staff Associate Of Research related careers

Staff Associate Of Research related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Life, Physical, and Social Science Industry
Staff Associate Of Research
Staff Associate Of Research vs Research Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse life, physical, and social science jobs