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Social Science Research Assistants

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeLower pressure

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $61,990 Median per year · $29.81/hr Most earn $38,090–$102,070

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Recruit and schedule research participants.
  • Track laboratory supplies and expenses such as participant reimbursement.
  • Perform needs assessments or consult with clients to determine the types of research and information required.
  • Supervise the work of survey interviewers.
  • Obtain informed consent of research subjects or their guardians.
  • Design and create special programs for tasks such as statistical analysis and data entry and cleaning.

Job outlook

United States
5% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 4,900 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools46.3%
  • Research and development in the social sciences and humanities16.8%
  • Self-employed (their own business)7.7%
  • Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences7.5%
  • General medical and surgical hospitals4.5%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

This is usually not a job you start straight out of school. Most people earn a bachelor's degree and then spend about 1 to 2 years in entry-level research or data work before taking on this role, so plan on roughly 5 to 6 years from high school to here.

  1. Bachelor's degree in psychology, sociology, economics, or another social science

    4 years

    You learn research methods, statistics, and how to read and write about studies, which are the core skills this work depends on.

  2. Research Assistant

    1-2 years

    You help with data collection, interviews or surveys, data entry, and literature reviews in a university lab, nonprofit, or government office, building the hands-on experience employers look for.

  3. Social Science Research Assistant

    Ongoing

    You assist social scientists with lab, survey, and other research, help prepare findings for publication, and manage data and quality control.

Where it can lead

  1. Survey Researcher

    1-2 years in a research assistant role of experience first

    You design surveys, choose samples, and lead studies rather than mainly supporting them, which usually calls for a master's degree in survey research, statistics, or a related field.

  2. Statistician

    1-2 years in a related analyst or research role of experience first

    You build statistical models and guide how research is designed and analyzed, which usually requires a master's degree in statistics or a closely related field.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take statistics, math, and psychology or social studies classesStatistics and research-related classes give you a head start on the methods used in this career.
  • Join a debate, science fair, or research-focused clubWorking on projects where you gather evidence and present findings builds the thinking and communication skills researchers use.
  • Volunteer for a local survey, community health, or nonprofit projectHelping collect or organize information shows you how real research gets done and gives you something to talk about later.
  • Get a starter job that involves data or customer contactJobs like cashier, tutor, or front desk work build reliability and people skills that research teams value.

In college

  • Major in a social science and add a statistics or research methods courseA social science major gives you the subject knowledge, and stats and methods classes give you the technical skills this job needs.
  • Work as a research assistant for a professorPaid or for-credit lab work is one of the most common ways to get the 1 to 2 years of experience employers usually expect.
  • Learn spreadsheet, data analysis, or basic coding toolsSkills in data cleaning and analysis software are often listed in job ads and make you useful right away.
  • Seek a summer internship at a survey firm, government office, or research nonprofitAn internship shows you how research works outside of campus and can lead to a first job after graduation.
  • Join a research or psychology student organization and present at a campus research eventPresenting your work builds the writing and speaking skills needed to help prepare findings for publication.

Tips for getting started

  • Get research experience early. Volunteer or work as a paid assistant in a professor's lab, a survey firm, or a community research project, since 1 to 2 years of this kind of work is typically expected.
  • Learn data tools such as spreadsheets, statistical software, and basic coding. Many research assistant job ads ask for these skills, and they help you handle the data management side of the job.
  • Build good writing habits. Helping prepare findings for publication is part of the job, so clear reports and summaries will make you stand out.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

  • Psychology, General Bachelor's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $37,310 a year · typical debt $21,725
  • Political Science and Government Bachelor's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $43,207 a year · typical debt $19,653
  • Economics Bachelor's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $58,734 a year · typical debt $18,968
  • Sociology Bachelor's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $40,670 a year · typical debt $20,500
  • Research and Experimental Psychology Bachelor's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $39,658 a year · typical debt $19,500
  • Social Sciences, General Bachelor's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $43,530 a year · typical debt $19,934

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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