Research assistant vs Research technician

[chillaxbro]

What's the difference? The responsibilities seem to be very similar based on what I've read

Which would be better for a gap year job?

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[Vans42]

I don't know the actual difference... but I think what matters more is who your PI will be. I am a research assistant (I am applying for this cycle, but I graduated in 2012) and my PI is fantastic and I am getting a lot out of it. I get to run my own experiments, have authorship on papers, and have a lot of independence. Then there are other research assistants that are strictly running assays and helping post docs. So, I don't think the title matters, what you will be doing and who you will be working for does.

 

[Amba]

General rule of thumb:

Research tech = do what you're told and do it well
Research assistant = conduct your own research

This isn't always how it is, but this is pretty typical.

 

[TotalDomination]

General rule of thumb:

Research tech = do what you're told and do it well
Research assistant = conduct your own research

This isn't always how it is, but this is pretty typical.

disagree. I agree with poster who said it depends on lab and PI. I say this as someone who has been in both positions and has had great independence as far as funds, projects, and collaborating with other groups in both positions. However, I think technicians are much more highly trained than assistants are and have specific things they excel at.

 

[TalinAagam]

a technician is a specialized person hired because they have a specific skill.
Ie. If I was a PI and I had to hire someone to use this amazing telescope that I just bought because I don't know how to use it, then that's a technician.
technicians imo are also those that do the behind the scene work to maintain a lab, (ie. keep the lab clean, make sure all chemicals are ordered, etc.

a research assistant imo is all else, a person who does independent research.

 

[Amba]

disagree. I agree with poster who said it depends on lab and PI. I say this as someone who has been in both positions and has had great independence as far as funds, projects, and collaborating with other groups in both positions. However, I think technicians are much more highly trained than assistants are and have specific things they excel at.

Like I said, this isn't always the case. Generally, technicians are hired because they are great at a particular skill or technique.

 

[chillaxbro]

a technician is a specialized person hired because they have a specific skill.
Ie. If I was a PI and I had to hire someone to use this amazing telescope that I just bought because I don't know how to use it, then that's a technician.
technicians imo are also those that do the behind the scene work to maintain a lab, (ie. keep the lab clean, make sure all chemicals are ordered, etc.

a research assistant imo is all else, a person who does independent research.

It sounds like to me a research assistant job would be more impressive
A research tech sounds like a lab slave

If I look through a telescope all day, would that be research experience? Even though I'm not contributing anything cognitively like analyzing and interpreting data and drawing conclusions? Because if I just do one task all day I might as well be washing dishes in a lab if that's the case.

 

[jonhamm]

Honestly, they're the same thing most of the time. I would consider them interchangable unless I read the job description and found out for sure. I'm a research technician right now but I'm doing most of what a PhD student would be doing, just with a little more guidance from my PI.

Sometimes, "technician" is a term used for someone that has a terminal bachelors/masters that's content as sort of a lab manager (ordering supplies, keeping up to safety standards) and doing routine work (organic synthesis or molecular bio stuff that really doesn't require understanding of the specific project). It really depends on the institution that you're working for.

 

[TotalDomination]

Honestly, they're the same thing most of the time. I would consider them interchangable unless I read the job description and found out for sure. I'm a research technician right now but I'm doing most of what a PhD student would be doing, just with a little more guidance from my PI.

Sometimes, "technician" is a term used for someone that has a terminal bachelors/masters that's content as sort of a lab manager (ordering supplies, keeping up to safety standards) and doing routine work (organic synthesis or molecular bio stuff that really doesn't require understanding of the specific project). It really depends on the institution that you're working for.

Yea idk in our lab none of the techs ever do anything routine/order supplies/make general reagents etc. we all have our own projects going and everyone including post docs and grad students have general lab things we are responsible for. We have a very experienced lab manager who takes care of that stuff. I would say that other than my basic lab training my lab experience has pretty much like being a grad student with unlimited funding. I got lucky in this way though. I know plenty of ppl who just do the same thing a million times. From what I understand, techs are graduated/have masters (as poster above said), and research assistants are usually undergrads. That's what I've seen happen so far. N=~40

 

[Ruminate]

Title is school-dependent, and the responsibilities are lab-dependent.

As a PI, they all want the most out of each and every dollar... which means even PhDs as "research assistants." So don't read in too much of the title. If you get an interview, just squeeze out as much information from the PI about your exact primary responsibilities and likelihood of getting independent projects.