Social Science Research Assistants
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.Salary by State
| State Name | Employment | Annual Salary | Hourly Salary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 1,230 | $54,200 | $26.06 | |
| Arkansas | 70 | $51,410 | $24.71 | |
| California | 5,740 | $59,140 | $28.43 | |
| Colorado | 380 | $56,070 | $26.96 | |
| Connecticut | 160 | $52,990 | $25.48 | |
| Delaware | 50 | $64,550 | $31.03 | |
| District of Columbia | 2,290 | $66,720 | $32.08 | |
| Florida | 570 | $53,470 | $25.71 | |
| Georgia | 1,540 | $72,610 | $34.91 | |
| Illinois | 590 | $51,410 | $24.72 | |
| Indiana | 700 | $45,180 | $21.72 | |
| Iowa | 100 | $47,480 | $22.83 | |
| Kansas | 130 | $53,440 | $25.69 | |
| Louisiana | 100 | $34,600 | $16.64 | |
| Maine | 130 | $48,560 | $23.34 | |
| Maryland | 690 | $54,350 | $26.13 | |
| Massachusetts | 1,550 | $67,810 | $32.60 | |
| Michigan | 290 | $42,320 | $20.35 | |
| Minnesota | 170 | $46,210 | $22.22 | |
| Missouri | 800 | $55,160 | $26.52 | |
| Montana | 40 | $45,830 | $22.04 | |
| Nebraska | 270 | $48,940 | $23.53 | |
| New Jersey | 270 | $46,760 | $22.48 | |
| New York | 2,860 | $56,330 | $27.08 | |
| North Carolina | 2,630 | $53,360 | $25.66 | |
| Ohio | 300 | $48,730 | $23.43 | |
| Oklahoma | $40,030 | $19.24 | ||
| Oregon | 70 | $57,860 | $27.82 | |
| Pennsylvania | 700 | $48,680 | $23.41 | |
| South Carolina | 290 | $61,020 | $29.34 | |
| Tennessee | 240 | $44,170 | $21.24 | |
| Texas | 1,420 | $42,310 | $20.34 | |
| Utah | 340 | $53,310 | $25.63 | |
| Vermont | 70 | $40,610 | $19.52 | |
| Virginia | 660 | $51,730 | $24.87 | |
| Washington | 510 | $49,360 | $23.73 | |
| West Virginia | 110 | $54,180 | $26.05 | |
| Wisconsin | 80 | $62,010 | $29.81 |
Education
The programs listed below are typically the education paths that can land you this kind of job.
A program that focuses on the application of economic concepts and methods to the analysis of issues such as air and water pollution, land use planning, waste disposal, invasive species and pest control, conservation policies, and related environmental problems. Includes instruction in cost-benefit analysis, environmental impact assessment, evaluation and assessment of alternative resource management strategies, policy evaluation and monitoring, and descriptive and analytic tools for studying how environmental developments affect the economic system.
A program with a combined or undifferentiated focus on the social sciences, psychology, and biomedical sciences to study complex problems of human individual and social growth and behavior.
A program with a general synthesis of history and political science or a specialization which draws from history and political science. Includes instruction in comparative government and politics, historiography, historical research methods, political science, political theory, records administration, and systematic study of political institutions and behavior.
A general program that focuses on the scientific study of individual and collective behavior, the physical and environmental bases of behavior, and the analysis and treatment of behavior problems and disorders. Includes instruction in the principles of the various subfields of psychology, research methods, and psychological assessment and testing methods.
A program that focuses on the mathematical and statistical procedures used in psychological test construction and validation; the general problems of the measurement of behavior; and the application of quantitative methods to research design and other methodological topics.
A program that focuses on the systematic analysis of public policy issues and decision processes. Includes instruction in the role of economic and political factors in public decision-making and policy formulation, microeconomic analysis of policy issues, resource allocation and decision modeling, cost/benefit analysis, statistical methods, and applications to specific public policy topics.
A program that focuses on the systematic analysis of public policy issues related to education and educational systems at the local, state, national, and international levels. Includes instruction in social and cultural issues in education, contemporary educational policies, history of education, economics of education, international and comparative education, education and social change, educational research and evaluation methods, and applications to specific public policy topics.
A program that focuses on the systematic analysis of public policy issues related to domestic and international health and health care systems. Includes instruction in contemporary health issues and policies, politics and economics of health care delivery, epidemiology, public health, comparative and global health, medical law and ethics, statistical methods, and applications to specific public policy topics.
A program that focuses on the systematic analysis of public policy issues related to relationships among nations and among governments and non-governmental entities. Includes instruction in international politics, governance, financial policy, and security affairs; globalization; economic and social policies of developing nations; and applications to specific public policy topics such as labor and employment, immigration, and human rights.
A program that focuses on the general study of human social behavior and social institutions using any of the methodologies common to the social sciences and/or history, or an undifferentiated program of study in the social sciences.
A general program that focuses on the systematic study of the production, conservation and allocation of resources in conditions of scarcity, together with the organizational frameworks related to these processes. Includes instruction in economic theory, micro- and macroeconomics, comparative economic systems, money and banking systems, international economics, quantitative analytical methods, and applications to specific industries and public policy issues.
A program that focuses on the application of economic principles and analytical techniques to the study of particular industries, activities, or the exploitation of particular resources. Includes instruction in economic theory; microeconomic analysis and modeling of specific industries, commodities; the economic consequences of resource allocation decisions; regulatory and consumer factors; and the technical aspects of specific subjects as they relate to economic analysis.
A program that focuses on the systematic study of mathematical and statistical analysis of economic phenomena and problems. Includes instruction in economic statistics, optimization theory, cost/benefit analysis, price theory, economic modeling, and economic forecasting and evaluation.
A program that focuses on the systematic study of the economic development process and its application to the problems of specific countries and regions. Includes instruction in economic development theory, industrialization, land reform, infrastructural development, investment policy, the role of governments and business in development, international development organizations, and the study of social, health, and environmental influences on economic development.
A general program that focuses on the systematic study of political institutions and behavior. Includes instruction in political philosophy, political theory, comparative government and politics, political parties and interest groups, public opinion, political research methods, studies of the government and politics of specific countries, and studies of specific political institutions and processes.
A program that focuses on the interaction between politics and economics in the formation of public policy. Includes instruction in microeconomics; macroeconomics; political theory; American, comparative, and international political economy; and quantitative methods.
A program that focuses on the systematic study of human social institutions and social relationships. Includes instruction in social theory, sociological research methods, social organization and structure, social stratification and hierarchies, dynamics of social change, family structures, social deviance and control, and applications to the study of specific social groups, social institutions, and social problems.
A program that focuses on the application of sociological theory, methods, skills, and research to resolve particular issues in real-world settings. Includes instruction in data collection, group and organizational dynamics, participatory action research, program evaluation, sociological research methods, and sociological theory.
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$56,430 per yearNational average salaryVery HighJob growth rate
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Bachelor's degreeTypical education requirement
Educational Attainment
The following chart shows the highest education level completed by those working as social science research assistants.
- Less than high school 3%
- High school graduate 14%
- College dropout 24%
- Associate’s degree 14%
- Bachelor’s degree 31%
- Master’s degree 11%
- Doctorate degree 4%
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