Social Science Research Assistants: Career Profile
Assist social scientists in laboratory, survey, and other social science research. May help prepare findings for publication and assist in laboratory analysis, quality control, or data management.
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What Tasks Do Social Science Research Assistants Take On?
The core tasks performed by social science research assistants cover:
- Design and create special programs for tasks such as statistical analysis and data entry and cleaning.
- Provide assistance with the preparation of project-related reports, manuscripts, and presentations.
- Prepare tables, graphs, fact sheets, and written reports summarizing research results.
- Perform descriptive and multivariate statistical analyses of data, using computer software.
- Verify the accuracy and validity of data entered in databases, correcting any errors.
- Develop and implement research quality control procedures.
- Prepare, manipulate, and manage extensive databases.
- Perform data entry and other clerical work as required for project completion.
Skills and Knowledge
Successful social science research assistants combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Bilingual Research Interviewer
- Clinical Research Assistant
- Data Analyst
- Economic Research Assistant
- Economist Research Assistant
- Graduate Assistant
- Graduate Research Assistant
- Historian Research Assistant
How Many Social Science Research Assistants Are There?
There are about 146,655 social science research assistants working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +4.7% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Social Science Research Assistants
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $41,630 |
| Hourly median | $20.01 |
| 10th percentile | $29,248 |
| 25th percentile | $35,439 |
| 75th percentile | $47,821 |
| 90th percentile | $54,012 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Ohio | $70,670 |
| South Carolina | $66,990 |
| Kansas | $64,080 |
| Georgia | $63,790 |
| District of Columbia | $63,630 |
| Kentucky | $62,800 |
| Maryland | $61,830 |
| New York | $60,110 |
| Massachusetts | $60,110 |
| Arizona | $59,130 |
| North Carolina | $58,410 |
| Oregon | $57,800 |
| Oklahoma | $56,790 |
| New Jersey | $56,350 |
| Florida | $55,980 |
| Texas | $55,430 |
| Pennsylvania | $54,940 |
| Illinois | $54,720 |
| Louisiana | $52,770 |
| New Hampshire | $52,650 |
| West Virginia | $52,630 |
| Nebraska | $51,860 |
| Michigan | $51,800 |
| Missouri | $51,520 |
| Idaho | $51,500 |
| Virginia | $50,160 |
| Indiana | $50,130 |
| Connecticut | $49,990 |
| Washington | $49,890 |
| Virgin Islands | $49,760 |
| California | $48,720 |
| Rhode Island | $48,710 |
| Colorado | $48,390 |
| Maine | $47,910 |
| Wisconsin | $47,380 |
| Montana | $46,810 |
| Minnesota | $46,630 |
| Vermont | $44,940 |
| New Mexico | $44,390 |
| Tennessee | $37,860 |
| Iowa | $31,150 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for social science research assistants vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $60,049 | 23.5% | 3.78 |
| Southeast | $59,453 | 32.8% | 2.25 |
| Southwest | $56,042 | 7.8% | 0.62 |
| Great Lakes | $53,819 | 4.5% | 0.45 |
| Other U.S. Territories | $49,760 | 0.1% | 4.66 |
| Plains States | $49,728 | 2.1% | 0.73 |
| New England | $49,257 | 1.8% | 1.17 |
| Far Western US | $49,058 | 21.0% | 1.36 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | KY | $80,870 | 470 |
| Bowling Green, KY | KY | $80,340 | 100 |
| Columbia, SC | SC | $69,110 | 150 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | SC | $65,700 | 210 |
| Tallahassee, FL | FL | $64,580 | 60 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | IL | $64,400 | 180 |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA | GA | $64,400 | 310 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | GA | $63,790 | 1,110 |
Top Industries Employing Social Science Research Assistants
The bulk of social science research assistants work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 15,460 | $52,630 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 12,950 | $62,330 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 1,980 | $50,240 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1,030 | $46,960 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 240 | $51,220 |
| Manufacturing | 190 | $84,480 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 150 | $62,750 |
| Information | 60 | $59,600 |
Social Science Research Assistants work in the following industries:
Tech Stack
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: C++ (hot technology)
- Geographic information system: ESRI ArcGIS software (hot technology)
- Enterprise application integration software: Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: JavaScript (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
Work Environment
Daily working conditions for social science research assistants reflects the following characteristics:
- Spend Time Sitting
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
How to Become Social Science Research Assistants
Most social science research assistants positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Education Administrators, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
- Clinical Research Coordinators (Primary-Short)
- Management Analysts (Supplemental)
- Health Informatics Specialists (Primary-Long)
- Statisticians (Primary-Short)
- Biostatisticians (Primary-Long)
- Data Scientists (Primary-Short)
- Clinical Data Managers (Primary-Short)
Where to Study
Aspiring social science research assistants often complete programs in:
Social Sciences
10 programs across 4 majors
Public Administration and Social Service Professions
4 programs across 1 majors
Psychology
2 programs across 2 majors
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
2 programs across 2 majors
Natural Resources and Conservation
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 19-4061.00 (Social Science Research Assistants).
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