Research Positions..How much do you get paid?

[Brown429]

Just started a basic science research project as a senior and am getting paid $15 an hour. Is that average, I know some people get like 7-8 an hour. Science in general pays pretty low, I am considering doing this full time throughout the year and would like to get paid 20-21/hr.

[hanky1982]

I would keep it. I did research on pediatric versions of Coccidioidomycosis and I only got 10 and hour and I did the research for over two years.

[ClockworkDoc]

I got $20/hr out of college at a pharmaceutical company.

[Depakote]

Originally Posted by Brown429

Just started a basic science research project as a senior and am getting paid $15 an hour. Is that average, I know some people get like 7-8 an hour. Science in general pays pretty low, I am considering doing this full time throughout the year and would like to get paid 20-21/hr.

I'm salaried at 33K with amazing benefits (obviously full time). Cost of living is low in my city so this is great.

[byong_soo]

oooo while we are at it. i have a similar question myself.
not hijacking i swear, it's really similar and relevant!!

i'm looking around to get a full-time research positions. a couple labs have contacted me, but i don't know how i should respond to them. obviously, initially there will be a discussion on science and what i will be doing. after that, i told the labs politely that i will contact them back after i consider some options.

once i decide to take a job what are the general procedures?
do i call the PI up and just bluntly ask for the salary?
Are salaries usually compromisable?
thanks much for your help!

Oh and what's the difference between RAII and RAIII?

[Brown429]

Does clincal research pay more? I kind of like that more than basic science(benchwork). I think at the end of the summer i am going to ask for a raise...to $20 but I do not see a $5 raise in my future.

Business pays soo much more...

[Depakote]

Originally Posted by Brown429

Does clincal research pay more? I kind of like that more than basic science(benchwork). I think at the end of the summer i am going to ask for a raise...to $20 but I do not see a $5 raise in my future.

Business pays soo much more...

I don't know specifically... I do clinical research and the real perk is the benefits. Health/Dental/Life insurance, free classes at the university I work for, free mass transit pass to name a few. I don't believe these are available to hourly employees but our clinical research associates are all salaried.

[Shpamme]

Hey guys,
When I was working part time I was getting paid $12/hour during school to research. When I took a full-time research job I was getting 33K/year, plus benefits.

Byongsoo, try this thread I started in the allopathic forums--there is some really good advice, especially about how to find out which professors have NIH grants and how to assess which will give you the greatest change of getting published. Also talks about how to approach professors.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=408925

Originally Posted by byong_soo

oooo while we are at it. i have a similar question myself.
not hijacking i swear, it's really similar and relevant!!

i'm looking around to get a full-time research positions. a couple labs have contacted me, but i don't know how i should respond to them. obviously, initially there will be a discussion on science and what i will be doing. after that, i told the labs politely that i will contact them back after i consider some options.

once i decide to take a job what are the general procedures?
do i call the PI up and just bluntly ask for the salary?
Are salaries usually compromisable?
thanks much for your help!

Oh and what's the difference between RAII and RAIII?

[dochoov]

Originally Posted by byong_soo

oooo while we are at it. i have a similar question myself.
not hijacking i swear, it's really similar and relevant!!

i'm looking around to get a full-time research positions. a couple labs have contacted me, but i don't know how i should respond to them. obviously, initially there will be a discussion on science and what i will be doing. after that, i told the labs politely that i will contact them back after i consider some options.

once i decide to take a job what are the general procedures?
do i call the PI up and just bluntly ask for the salary?
Are salaries usually compromisable?
thanks much for your help!

Oh and what's the difference between RAII and RAIII?

This is seriously the gnarliest hijack attempt I've ever seen.

[ecnerwalc3321]

I get paid 10/hour during school semesters. stick with it.

[corbis11]

min. wage...just one of many reasons why I hated it

[Renovatio]

Originally Posted by corbis11

min. wage...just one of many reasons why I hated it

I work as a research associate for a University of California. They pay $35K a year for Level 1, with very good benefits.

[trichomoniasis]

Originally Posted by Renovatio

I work as a research associate for a University of California. They pay $35K a year for Level 1, with very good benefits.

word. I got 10.24/hr as an undergrad, when I started full time I got like 33k/yr plus insane benefits for practically peanuts.

[SpartanBlueJay2]

Originally Posted by Brown429

Just started a basic science research project as a senior and am getting paid $15 an hour. Is that average, I know some people get like 7-8 an hour. Science in general pays pretty low, I am considering doing this full time throughout the year and would like to get paid 20-21/hr.

My senior year of undergrad I got minimum for the summer, then school credit instead of pay during the school year. You'll be hard pressed to find a research position in academia that will pay more than 35,000/yr (~17.50/hr), especially with only a bachelor's degree. I have a Master's degree with 4 years' lab experience and make only 30,000 (~ 15/hr) at a top research university (in an East Coast city, so that doesn't go far). If you're interested in making more, you could try industry but available positions are not too prevalent.

[armybound]

Originally Posted by Renovatio

I work as a research associate for a University of California. They pay $35K a year for Level 1, with very good benefits.

isn't $35k in CA as bad as minimum wage anyway

[Parfee]

Well, I've been working at this lab for 3 years in a private school in LA. And my PI is hiring me full-time for 26K (with good benefits), which is really little. But he's cheap.....what can I say...

[maestro1625]

Originally Posted by Parfee

Well, I've been working at this lab for 3 years in a private school in LA. And my PI is hiring me full-time for 26K (with good benefits), which is really little. But he's cheap.....what can I say...

I get paid 10 per hour...

[DocInProgress]

Where is a good source to look for decent salary (~30k) research positions?

[Depakote]

Originally Posted by DocInProgress

Where is a good source to look for decent salary (~30k) research positions?

Research oriented medical schools usually have Clincal Research Coordinator positions that cover that range.

You'll actually be working more in the hospital than the medical school.

[Brown429]

im guessing 15 is being generous than...

[armybound]

Originally Posted by Depakote

Research oriented medical schools usually have Clincal Research Coordinator positions that cover that range.

You'll actually be working more in the hospital than the medical school.

is that what the coordinator positions are? i thought they sounded like management and out of my league

did you have any prior experience with this type of work?

i'm afraid to apply for research positions since I have such little experience in a lab.

[Rud42]

I have started a research assistant position this summer and get paid $8/hr. It would be nice to get paid more, but that is just unrealistic. With no laboratory experience, a lower salary should be expected.

[MahlerROCKS]

Does anyone know how much more research technicians make in biotech instead of academia

[LUCPM]

In my area (North suburb Chicago), starting wage is $13-14/hour. But it is a fairly small biotech co. in the area.

[Davjc2009]

Fulltime. 10/hr over the summer, free housing (utilities, cable, wireless internet, etc.). So it's all money in the bank.

[DreamyKid]

how in the world do you guys do research and get paid? The only paid position I found were lab assistant jobs, while the researches are like basically u asking a professor to do research with him, which doesn't seem like "hey, I'll work with you got 15 bucks an hr" type of thing...

[orrghead16]

I stared at $9 the first summer in the lab. But now get $15. However, summers require 40 hours a week and at least 10 hours a week during the school year.

I would never volunteer to do research. I just seems that the PIs expectations will be much lower because you are free labor. Seems like a great ticket to cleaning dishes and lowly projects. There are so many ways to get funded to do undergrad research that if you are volunteering, I would drop it and go find another way to volunteer. Moreover, I would find a lab where my work would be viewed with some value.

[Depakote]

Originally Posted by armybound

is that what the coordinator positions are? i thought they sounded like management and out of my league

did you have any prior experience with this type of work?

i'm afraid to apply for research positions since I have such little experience in a lab.

I had no prior bench experience... which was fine, b/c the work I do is with clinical trials. I have patient exposure and manage data. It's great.

It did help to have a LOR from a physician I had done some work with previously, but it wasn't required.

My current position requires a BA or BS, but we do hire part-time people that haven't graduated.

[Habibti]

I have worked for my current lab for 3 years (2 of which were during undergrad). I started making $6.75/hr and then got a raise to $9.00. I now work full-time, $11/hr, no benefits.

[armybound]

Originally Posted by Depakote

I had no prior bench experience... which was fine, b/c the work I do is with clinical trials. I have patient exposure and manage data. It's great.

It did help to have a LOR from a physician I had done some work with previously, but it wasn't required.

My current position requires a BA or BS, but we do hire part-time people that haven't graduated.

thanks, I will look into those now that I know "coordinator" is not beyond my scope.

[MDrunner]

I work as a research assistant and get 12.50/hr...but there is very little competition here since EVMS is pretty much the only place to get a research job here. But the doctor I work for is really flexible and I have lots of vacation and excellent benefits. I guess it depends on where you are at!

[DreamyKid]

wait, am I having a terminology misunderstanding? Lab assistant=research assistant=doing research???????

[trichomoniasis]

Originally Posted by DreamyKid

wait, am I having a terminology misunderstanding? Lab assistant=research assistant=doing research???????

most universities have job titles with matching descriptions.

Lab Assistant is a part time position, assisting in...wait for it... a lab.

Research Assistant (or Research Associate or Staff Research Associate/SRA) is the same thing basically but full time and has different "levels" I, II, and III that basically determine pay-grade and responsibility.

Generally pre-meds are Lab Assistants while they're in school and after they graduate work as an SRA for the money, cash, and hoes.

[DreamyKid]

Originally Posted by trichomoniasis

most universities have job titles with matching descriptions.

Lab Assistant is a part time position, assisting in...wait for it... a lab.

Research Assistant (or Research Associate or Staff Research Associate/SRA) is the same thing basically but full time and has different "levels" I, II, and III that basically determine pay-grade and responsibility.

Generally pre-meds are Lab Assistants while they're in school and after they graduate work as an SRA for the money, cash, and hoes.

So then most people claim they did research in college, meaning they worked in a lab as an assistant, and not really with the official paying research title? Otherwise how do people get these research positions if they're for graduate students?

[trichomoniasis]

Originally Posted by DreamyKid

So then most people claim they did research in college, meaning they worked in a lab as an assistant, and not really with the official paying research title? Otherwise how do people get these research positions if they're for graduate students?

you can also get research experience by working in a lab on a volunteer basis. I'm fairly certain this is what the majority of students who "did research" are talking about. They essentially do the same things as a "Lab Assistant" would do but less of it and they don't get paid for it.

SRA (research assistant, associate, whatever) is not for Grad students, it's a job, like, a career job, it's full time generally with benefits and the only requirement (for SRA I) is a Bachelor's degree (generally BS or a BA + prior experience)

Some SRAs do the same work (or more) than a Grad student, some do the same (or more) than a post-doc, but they don't get academic credit for it, just money and experience.

The easiest thing to do is offer your service on a volunteer basis, spend a SOLID amount of time in lab, ask for $$ to work over the summer and see if they'll keep paying you during the next school year. Then after you graduate, if you're taking a year off before applying to med school or other graduate school, you can sign on full time as an SRA/RA/"tech" if the lab can afford you.

My advice is to not work in a lab that doesn't pay you money unless you're getting publications out of it (and that means multiple publications per year). Otherwise you're being used and being under appreciated. Time spent in lab is time you don't have to study, drink, or bone.

[DreamyKid]

loll. funny stuff

[nokaliho]

Hi All,

I've been working in the biotech arena for a little more than a year. (Graduated undergrad in the end of March 06 and landed a research technician position three weeks after.) I live in the Bay Area in CA and as a research technician for a large medical device conglomerate I made 54K. (This was in the R&D group of one of the subsidiaries.) I was able to publish an abstract as first-author, present a poster, attend conferences...it was really a great entry-level just-out-of-college position.

Ten months later, I changed careers and now work for another public medical device company as a clinical research associate (CRA) and make 65K and have excellent benefits. Although I've only worked in the industry for a year, I've gained valuable experience and I will tell you that you are settling if you get a job that pays less than 50K. Seriously, don't take the first thing that comes along. Unemployment is low right now and you can definitely strive for a higher salary. Make sure to gear your resume towards the exact position of the company and research the company's mission before you interview.

Plus, I travel frequently to hospitals, including medical school-affiliated ones, and have been able to work with doctors on a daily basis. It's great exposure as a pre-med!

All the best,
nokaliho

[armybound]

Originally Posted by nokaliho

Hi All,

I've been working in the biotech arena for a little more than a year. (Graduated undergrad in the end of March 06 and landed a research technician position three weeks after.) I live in the Bay Area in CA and as a research technician for a large medical device conglomerate I made 54K. (This was in the R&D group of one of the subsidiaries.) I was able to publish an abstract as first-author, present a poster, attend conferences...it was really a great entry-level just-out-of-college position.

Ten months later, I changed careers and now work for another public medical device company as a clinical research associate (CRA) and make 65K and have excellent benefits. Although I've only worked in the industry for a year, I've gained valuable experience and I will tell you that you are settling if you get a job that pays less than 50K. Seriously, don't take the first thing that comes along. Unemployment is low right now and you can definitely strive for a higher salary. Make sure to gear your resume towards the exact position of the company and research the company's mission before you interview.

Plus, I travel frequently to hospitals, including medical school-affiliated ones, and have been able to work with doctors on a daily basis. It's great exposure as a pre-med!

All the best,
nokaliho

did you have lab/research experience as an undergraduate or were you prepared for the job just by having a bachelors?

[Questionairre]

Bump

[0Complications]

I started as a Student Research Assistant on a volunteer for credit basis during the first 6 months, then went to $10 hr for the next year and now have been making $12 hr for the last year. I'm pressing for a raise now though, so we'll see. But in all honesty, I work at my job for the experience not the pay. I could find a hundred other jobs tomorrow that pay better than mine, but they aren't going to give me the experience I need. So even if I made half of what I make I would still keep the job.

[ChubbyChaser]

Ok this thread makes me realize how cheap my school is. Everyone makes minimum wage thats why I am doing it for a grade

[Samus Aran]

$14/hour + full benefits at a top research univ. i started at $12/hour 2 years ago w/2 years prior research experience. keep the $15/hour job!

[batman1983]

Originally Posted by trichomoniasis

word. I got 10.24/hr as an undergrad, when I started full time I got like 33k/yr plus insane benefits for practically peanuts.

Like what?

[xcgirl]

I hate all of you! I started doing research for credit a year and a half ago, switched to getting paid $8.50/hour second semester of last year and I'm STILL getting that little. Gotta love going to a school filled with so many eager science majors that we'll all work for almost minimum wage and a promise of a publication...some day.

[go lakers]

clincial research coordinator. around $17/hour. helps pay for those secondaries.

but i did work for free for ~1 year.

[ucsdhibiscus]

I started as a volunteer for 3 months, then got paid $8/hour for 1 year, then $10 and hour for another year, then $15 an hour for full time without benefits. Friends not in science make so much more (even though I do love my job).

[DocInProgress]

i got paid GARBAGE.. probably the lowest on SDN. 2500 for 3 months.

[yellowumbrella]

Originally Posted by nokaliho

Hi All,

I've been working in the biotech arena for a little more than a year. (Graduated undergrad in the end of March 06 and landed a research technician position three weeks after.) I live in the Bay Area in CA and as a research technician for a large medical device conglomerate I made 54K. (This was in the R&D group of one of the subsidiaries.) I was able to publish an abstract as first-author, present a poster, attend conferences...it was really a great entry-level just-out-of-college position.

Ten months later, I changed careers and now work for another public medical device company as a clinical research associate (CRA) and make 65K and have excellent benefits. Although I've only worked in the industry for a year, I've gained valuable experience and I will tell you that you are settling if you get a job that pays less than 50K. Seriously, don't take the first thing that comes along. Unemployment is low right now and you can definitely strive for a higher salary. Make sure to gear your resume towards the exact position of the company and research the company's mission before you interview.

Plus, I travel frequently to hospitals, including medical school-affiliated ones, and have been able to work with doctors on a daily basis. It's great exposure as a pre-med!

All the best,
nokaliho

from my experience (working in both), industry and academia pay very differently-- which is probably why you're so well compensated. people can only hope to be as fortunate

[LGamble]

I do medical research at the NIH. the pay scale is pretty sad. $25,000 with just a BA or BS. $30,000 if you have a master's degree. i'm not sure about PhD.

[koko_eats]

Originally Posted by trichomoniasis

word. I got 10.24/hr as an undergrad, when I started full time I got like 33k/yr plus insane benefits for practically peanuts.

Damn. Should've stayed at my research position at UCD. Working in clinical research at a private practice only gets me $12/hr and it's totally not worth it.