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The differences between summer research fellows and postdoctoral research associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a summer research fellow, becoming a postdoctoral research associate takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a postdoctoral research associate has an average salary of $52,785, which is higher than the $32,312 average annual salary of a summer research fellow.
The top three skills for a summer research fellow include summer research, R and cell culture. The most important skills for a postdoctoral research associate are python, research projects, and chemistry.
| Summer Research Fellow | Postdoctoral Research Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $32,312 | $52,785 |
| Hourly rate | $15.53 | $25.38 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 55,011 | 59,377 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Doctoral Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 37 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
Identifying the research problem is the main work of the summer research fellow. They have the huge responsibility of supervising Summer Research Fellow (SRF), providing the pupil with an electronic copy of the letter so that they can research the academic assignment
A postdoctoral research associate is responsible for assisting the educational institution's research department, writing research reports, analyzing research methods, and collecting information and related studies to support the research claims. Postdoctoral research associates must have excellent communication skills, both oral and written, reporting research updates to the research head, performing adjustments as needed, and gaining more expertise on the subject by brainstorming and discussing strategic procedures for the study. They may also conduct field investigation or coordinate with other institutions for additional reference, depending on the research's scope and limitation.
Summer research fellows and postdoctoral research associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Summer Research Fellow | Postdoctoral Research Associate | |
| Average salary | $32,312 | $52,785 |
| Salary range | Between $20,000 And $50,000 | Between $38,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Memphis, TN |
| Highest paying state | - | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | - | Argonne National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a summer research fellow and a postdoctoral research associate in terms of educational background:
| Summer Research Fellow | Postdoctoral Research Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Doctoral Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | Duke University |
Here are the differences between summer research fellows' and postdoctoral research associates' demographics:
| Summer Research Fellow | Postdoctoral Research Associate | |
| Average age | 37 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.2% Female, 51.8% | Male, 65.7% Female, 34.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.2% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 38.1% White, 43.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 8% |