As a research technician, your job is to assist scientists with research in a variety of settings. Your duties include setting up experiments, performing research, operating scientific equipment, collecting data, and analyzing the results. You might also be required to order inventory, ship samples, and perform other basic administrative functions. Though most of the job is performed in a lab, some research technicians also conduct field research. Positions exist throughout every scientific field, including food science, pharmaceutical industries, nuclear power, geology, and biological science.