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The differences between volunteer research assistants and professional research assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a volunteer research assistant and a professional research assistant. Additionally, a professional research assistant has an average salary of $58,202, which is higher than the $52,906 average annual salary of a volunteer research assistant.
The top three skills for a volunteer research assistant include lab equipment, DR and literature reviews. The most important skills for a professional research assistant are research projects, data collection, and patients.
| Volunteer Research Assistant | Professional Research Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $52,906 | $58,202 |
| Hourly rate | $25.44 | $27.98 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 50,983 | 91,813 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Volunteer research assistants and professional research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Volunteer Research Assistant | Professional Research Assistant | |
| Average salary | $52,906 | $58,202 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $81,000 | Between $38,000 And $88,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | - | Siemens |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a volunteer research assistant and a professional research assistant in terms of educational background:
| Volunteer Research Assistant | Professional Research Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Biology |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between volunteer research assistants' and professional research assistants' demographics:
| Volunteer Research Assistant | Professional Research Assistant | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.3% Female, 60.7% | Male, 36.1% Female, 63.9% |
| 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, 9.5% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |