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The differences between volunteer research assistants and research technicians 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 research technician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a volunteer research assistant has an average salary of $52,906, which is higher than the $43,034 average annual salary of a research technician.
The top three skills for a volunteer research assistant include lab equipment, DR and literature reviews. The most important skills for a research technician are patients, data collection, and cell culture.
| Volunteer Research Assistant | Research Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $52,906 | $43,034 |
| Hourly rate | $25.44 | $20.69 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 50,983 | 64,786 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 38 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
Volunteer research assistants and research technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Volunteer Research Assistant | Research Technician | |
| Average salary | $52,906 | $43,034 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $81,000 | Between $31,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Pasadena, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | - | GCP Applied Technologies |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a volunteer research assistant and a research technician in terms of educational background:
| Volunteer Research Assistant | Research Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Biology |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between volunteer research assistants' and research technicians' demographics:
| Volunteer Research Assistant | Research Technician | |
| Average age | 38 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.3% Female, 60.7% | Male, 49.3% Female, 50.7% |
| 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, 12.0% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 16.5% White, 49.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |