Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between student research assistants and research technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a student research assistant, becoming a research technician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a research technician has an average salary of $43,034, which is higher than the $27,475 average annual salary of a student research assistant.
The top three skills for a student research assistant include lab equipment, student research and data collection. The most important skills for a research technician are patients, data collection, and cell culture.
| Student Research Assistant | Research Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $27,475 | $43,034 |
| Hourly rate | $13.21 | $20.69 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 59,758 | 64,786 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 38 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A student research assistant is responsible for supporting the school's research department on conducting various research tasks using the techniques and resources provided by the supervising faculty. Student research assistants collect and verify research data, interpret and document findings using research methodologies, organize and prepare research materials, write research reports, and provide recommendations to improve research strategies and techniques. A student research assistant must have excellent communication and organizational skills, as well as the ability to multitask and be a fast-learner to interpret data within a specific time.
A research technician is responsible for assisting in research studies and laboratory experiments. Research technicians operate laboratory tools and equipment, process data for experiments, collect samples for study, analyze existing research materials, analyze experiment results, manage inventories and stock supplies, record observations, and create reports for further examination. A research technician must have strong analytical and scientific knowledge, as well as a passion for research writing and investigations crucial for this kind of industry.
Student research assistants and research technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Student Research Assistant | Research Technician | |
| Average salary | $27,475 | $43,034 |
| Salary range | Between $19,000 And $37,000 | Between $31,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fairbanks, AK | Pasadena, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | GCP Applied Technologies | |
| Best paying industry | Education | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a student research assistant and a research technician in terms of educational background:
| Student Research Assistant | Research Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between student research assistants' and research technicians' demographics:
| Student Research Assistant | Research Technician | |
| Average age | 38 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.1% Female, 55.9% | Male, 49.3% Female, 50.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 16.7% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 16.5% White, 49.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |