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The differences between teaching & research assistants and research scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a research scientist has an average salary of $89,998, which is higher than the $36,796 average annual salary of a teaching & research assistant.
The top three skills for a teaching & research assistant include lab reports, laboratory sessions and organic chemistry. The most important skills for a research scientist are python, data analysis, and patients.
| Teaching & Research Assistant | Research Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $36,796 | $89,998 |
| Hourly rate | $17.69 | $43.27 |
| Growth rate | - | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 48,936 | 93,013 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
The job of teaching and research assistants is to support faculty members in course material preparation and instruction. They often work in educational institutions such as universities and colleges. They perform varied duties and responsibilities that may include organizing visual aids and reference materials, conducting discussion groups, laboratory sessions, and seminars, and grading term papers, exams, and laboratory reports. Teaching and research assistants may also teach sections, conduct tutorials, and assist in overseeing study projects. The skills and qualifications required for this role may include being enrolled in a doctoral or master's study program and excellent communication skills.
The job of research scientists is to design, undertake, and analyze information from experiments, trials, and laboratory-based investigations. They usually perform experiments in different areas, including medical research, pharmacology, and geoscience. They have varied duties and responsibilities that include planning and carrying out experiments, conducting fieldwork, and overseeing junior staff members like the technicians. They are typically working for a government laboratory, an environmental agency, and other organizations. Many of these scientists also work in teams and support staff.
Teaching & research assistants and research scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Teaching & Research Assistant | Research Scientist | |
| Average salary | $36,796 | $89,998 |
| Salary range | Between $20,000 And $64,000 | Between $58,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Lyft |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a teaching & research assistant and a research scientist in terms of educational background:
| Teaching & Research Assistant | Research Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between teaching & research assistants' and research scientists' demographics:
| Teaching & Research Assistant | Research Scientist | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.0% Female, 44.0% | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 11.6% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 29.6% White, 50.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 8% |