Volunteer research assistant vs research assistant

The differences between volunteer research assistants and 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 research assistant. Additionally, a volunteer research assistant has an average salary of $52,906, which is higher than the $42,896 average annual salary of a research assistant.

The top three skills for a volunteer research assistant include lab equipment, DR and literature reviews. The most important skills for a research assistant are patients, lab equipment, and data collection.

Volunteer research assistant vs research assistant overview

	Volunteer Research Assistant	Research Assistant
Yearly salary	$52,906	$42,896
Hourly rate	$25.44	$20.62
Growth rate	19%	19%
Number of jobs	50,983	51,080
Job satisfaction	5	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	2	2

Volunteer research assistant vs research assistant salary

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

	Volunteer Research Assistant	Research Assistant
Average salary	$52,906	$42,896
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $81,000	Between $28,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	-	New Brunswick, NJ
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between volunteer research assistant and research assistant education

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

	Volunteer Research Assistant	Research Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	Harvard University	Harvard University

Volunteer research assistant vs research assistant demographics

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

	Volunteer Research Assistant	Research Assistant
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 39.3% Female, 60.7%	Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7%
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, 8.6% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 16.9% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between volunteer research assistant and research 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.

Research assistant example responsibilities.

Update twitter profile and manage social media campaign.
Manage social media publications to spread awareness and notifications on Facebook.
Evaluate patients' study eligibility via medical history, obtain informed consent, enroll patients, and achieve enrollment quotas.
Learned many laboratory techniques, assays, and protocols; western blot, real-time PCR, tick collection, DNA extraction.
Analyze the effects of estrogen on various tissues using molecular biology techniques such as RT-PCR, RNA and DNA extractions.
Gain familiarity with research terminology, development procedures, data collection and management, and IRB considerations.

Volunteer research assistant vs research 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 research assistant skills

Patients, 9%
Lab Equipment, 9%
Data Collection, 8%
Laboratory Equipment, 5%
Research Projects, 5%
Data Analysis, 5%

Volunteer Research Assistant vs. similar jobs

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Volunteer Research Assistant
Volunteer Research Assistant vs Research Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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