Volunteer research assistant vs postdoctoral research associate

The differences between volunteer research assistants and postdoctoral research associates 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 postdoctoral research associate takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a volunteer research assistant has an average salary of $52,906, which is higher than the $52,785 average annual salary of a postdoctoral research associate.

The top three skills for a volunteer research assistant include lab equipment, DR and literature reviews. The most important skills for a postdoctoral research associate are python, research projects, and chemistry.

Volunteer research assistant vs postdoctoral research associate overview

	Volunteer Research Assistant	Postdoctoral Research Associate
Yearly salary	$52,906	$52,785
Hourly rate	$25.44	$25.38
Growth rate	19%	17%
Number of jobs	50,983	59,377
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Doctoral Degree, 47%
Average age	38	41
Years of experience	2	4

Volunteer research assistant vs postdoctoral research associate salary

Volunteer research assistants and postdoctoral research associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Volunteer Research Assistant	Postdoctoral Research Associate
Average salary	$52,906	$52,785
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $81,000	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

Differences between volunteer research assistant and postdoctoral research associate education

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

	Volunteer Research Assistant	Postdoctoral Research Associate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Doctoral Degree, 47%
Most common major	Psychology	Chemistry
Most common college	Harvard University	Duke University

Volunteer research assistant vs postdoctoral research associate demographics

Here are the differences between volunteer research assistants' and postdoctoral research associates' demographics:

	Volunteer Research Assistant	Postdoctoral Research Associate
Average age	38	41
Gender ratio	Male, 39.3% Female, 60.7%	Male, 65.7% Female, 34.3%
Race ratio	Black 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, 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	8%	8%

Differences between volunteer research assistant and postdoctoral research associate 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.

Postdoctoral research associate example responsibilities.

Process and manage GIS databases to contribute towards research in human transportation behavior.
Transfect 293-T cells with CRISPR constructs.
Execute parallel synthesis on both solution and solid phase to develop library of compounds.
Diagnose and resolve all instruments during breakdown (GC/MS/MS, GC/ECD, UV-Vis).
Develop python codes to efficiently handle multiple read/unread, flag/unflag, and delete operations on emails.
Characterize particles using DLS and UV-vis spectrophotometer to measure particle sizes and detect oxide layer, respectively.

Volunteer research assistant vs postdoctoral research associate skills

Common volunteer research assistant skills

Lab Equipment, 14%
DR, 12%
Literature Reviews, 7%
Data Collection, 6%
Cell Culture, 5%
Research Projects, 5%

Common postdoctoral research associate skills

Python, 6%
Research Projects, 6%
Chemistry, 6%
Data Analysis, 6%
Post-Doctoral, 5%
Cell Culture, 5%

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Volunteer Research Assistant
Volunteer Research Assistant vs Postdoctoral Research Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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