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Volunteer research assistant vs biology laboratory assistant

The differences between volunteer research assistants and biology laboratory assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a volunteer research assistant, becoming a biology laboratory assistant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a volunteer research assistant has an average salary of $52,906, which is higher than the $34,240 average annual salary of a biology laboratory assistant.

The top three skills for a volunteer research assistant include lab equipment, DR and literature reviews. The most important skills for a biology laboratory assistant are lab equipment, biology laboratory, and chemistry.

Volunteer research assistant vs biology laboratory assistant overview

Volunteer Research AssistantBiology Laboratory Assistant
Yearly salary$52,906$34,240
Hourly rate$25.44$16.46
Growth rate19%9%
Number of jobs50,98348,958
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 75%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age3840
Years of experience24

Volunteer research assistant vs biology laboratory assistant salary

Volunteer research assistants and biology laboratory assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Volunteer Research AssistantBiology Laboratory Assistant
Average salary$52,906$34,240
Salary rangeBetween $34,000 And $81,000Between $22,000 And $52,000
Highest paying City-Bridgewater, MA
Highest paying state-Massachusetts
Best paying company-Massachusetts General Hospital
Best paying industry-Government

Differences between volunteer research assistant and biology laboratory assistant education

There are a few differences between a volunteer research assistant and a biology laboratory assistant in terms of educational background:

Volunteer Research AssistantBiology Laboratory Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 75%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common majorPsychologyBiology
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityDuke University

Volunteer research assistant vs biology laboratory assistant demographics

Here are the differences between volunteer research assistants' and biology laboratory assistants' demographics:

Volunteer Research AssistantBiology Laboratory Assistant
Average age3840
Gender ratioMale, 39.3% Female, 60.7%Male, 36.7% Female, 63.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 16.4% White, 53.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 14.9% White, 50.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5%
LGBT Percentage8%6%

Differences between volunteer research assistant and biology laboratory assistant duties and responsibilities

Volunteer research assistant example responsibilities.

  • Evaluate patients' study eligibility via medical history, obtain informed consent, enroll patients, and achieve enrollment quotas.
  • Compile subject questionnaires using SPSS data analysis software.
  • Perform DNA extraction and estimation.
  • Analyze isolated purity of RNA samples with Nanodrop machine.
  • Assist in procedures when need, such as isolating DNA.
  • Perform tissue homogenization, RNA isolation, and Qiagen RNA easy clean up.
  • Show more

Biology laboratory assistant example responsibilities.

  • Comfort frighten patients and maintain an exceptionally bright professional demeanor to accomplish a procedure that makes most people very uncomfortable.
  • Set up gel electrophoresis, clean slides, run experiments.
  • Prepare culture media and ELISA samples following standard procedures.
  • Prepare stock solutions, media for growing bacteria and yeast, electrophoresis gels and pouring agar plates.
  • Aid students independently with laboratory work regarding basic principles of evolution, genetics, ecology, and molecular and cellular biology.
  • Supervise and train fellow colleagues in GC, GC-MS, ATR-IR, FTIR, UV/Vis and DSC.
  • Show more

Volunteer research assistant vs biology laboratory assistant skills

Common volunteer research assistant skills
  • Lab Equipment, 14%
  • DR, 12%
  • Literature Reviews, 7%
  • Data Collection, 6%
  • Cell Culture, 5%
  • Research Projects, 5%
Common biology laboratory assistant skills
  • Lab Equipment, 38%
  • Biology Laboratory, 6%
  • Chemistry, 4%
  • Anatomy, 4%
  • Physiology, 3%
  • Lab Experiments, 3%

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