Career
Social science research assistants
Help researchers gather and analyze data about people.
$61,990
Median pay
+5.0%
Job growth, 2025–35
4,900
Openings a year
Bachelor's degree
Typical education
4 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- 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.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on ideas & analysis, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Design and create special programs for tasks such as statistical analysis and data entry and cleaning.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Writing, Critical Thinking.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
4 years of education after high school (bachelor's degree), for a median of $61,990 a year and 4,900 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- PsychologySee the degree →
- Political ScienceSee the degree →
- EconomicsSee the degree →
- SociologySee the degree →
- Experimental PsychologySee the degree →
- Social SciencesSee the degree →
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Data Scientists$120,230 · +34.6%
- Clinical Data Managers
- Survey Researchers$69,460 · -4.8%
- Clinical Research Coordinators
- Statisticians$105,650 · +11.0%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
Not sure this fits who you are? Start with Vocational Finder →
Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.