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The differences between student assistants and research assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a research assistant has an average salary of $42,896, 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 research assistant are patients, lab equipment, and data collection.
| Student Assistant | Research Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $25,439 | $42,896 |
| Hourly rate | $12.23 | $20.62 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 29,093 | 51,080 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 44 | 38 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
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.
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.
Student assistants and research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Student Assistant | Research Assistant | |
| Average salary | $25,439 | $42,896 |
| Salary range | Between $17,000 And $37,000 | Between $28,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | Albany, NY | New Brunswick, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Ncar - The National Center For Atmospheric Research | JPMorgan Chase & Co. |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a student assistant and a research assistant in terms of educational background:
| Student Assistant | Research Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Business | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between student assistants' and research assistants' demographics:
| Student Assistant | Research Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.8% Female, 63.2% | Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7% |
| 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, 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 | 6% | 8% |