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The differences between student assistants and graduate student assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a graduate student assistant has an average salary of $37,164, which is higher than the $25,439 average annual salary of a student assistant.
The top three skills for a student assistant include customer service, front desk and administrative assistance. The most important skills for a graduate student assistant are cell culture, R, and chemistry.
| Student Assistant | Graduate Student Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $25,439 | $37,164 |
| Hourly rate | $12.23 | $17.87 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 29,093 | 20,764 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Student assistants are university students who are working part-time for a staff member or department. They are usually assigned to do administrative or clerical activities to help ease the load of their supervisor. They may manage files and information dissemination channels of the department. They may extend assistance during the registration period by helping other students fill out forms, managing the department's enrollment procedure, or doing any other activity required by their supervisor. They may also be asked to mentor younger students. Student assistants should be organized and trustworthy.
Graduate student assistants are graduate students who are employed as support personnel in universities. They assist professors as teaching assistants, research assistants, or aides, depending on their assigned instructions. Their duties include assisting professors in administrative tasks, organizing undergraduate events, and conducting research as well as analyzing data. During the assistantship period, instead of wages, they are given a stipend as compensation to the service provided. This graduate assistantship gives graduate students relevant experience and more employment options in the future.
Student assistants and graduate student assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Student Assistant | Graduate Student Assistant | |
| Average salary | $25,439 | $37,164 |
| Salary range | Between $17,000 And $37,000 | Between $21,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | Albany, NY | Berkeley, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | Ncar - The National Center For Atmospheric Research | Los Alamos National Security LLC |
| Best paying industry | Government | Education |
There are a few differences between a student assistant and a graduate student assistant in terms of educational background:
| Student Assistant | Graduate Student Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Business | Biology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between student assistants' and graduate student assistants' demographics:
| Student Assistant | Graduate Student Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.8% Female, 63.2% | Male, 49.9% Female, 50.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 8.1% White, 56.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |