SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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. Excludes “Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary” (25-9044).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 19-4061.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $38,090 | $3,174 | $732 | $18.31 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $48,620 | $4,052 | $935 | $23.38 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $61,990 | $5,166 | $1,192 | $29.81 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $77,760 | $6,480 | $1,495 | $37.38 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $102,070 | $8,506 | $1,963 | $49.07 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Social Science Research Assistants is $61,990, which is 22% higher. Among the 48 occupations of the field Life, Physical, and Social Science, it ranks number 40 by median pay. With 30,640 jobs, it makes up about 2.0 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Social Science Research Assistants pay by state
The highest median pay was in Oklahoma ($69,090), Delaware ($68,230) and Kansas ($67,740). The lowest was in Nevada ($26,560), Iowa ($40,940) and South Dakota ($44,820). The most jobs were in California (5,300), New York (3,040) and North Carolina (2,930). The occupation is most concentrated in District of Columbia, where its share of all jobs is 11.2 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | 100 | $69,090 | $75,960 | $33.22 |
| Delaware | 40 | $68,230 | $67,240 | $32.80 |
| Kansas | 170 | $67,740 | $60,630 | $32.57 |
| Georgia | 1,840 | $66,620 | $78,740 | $32.03 |
| Kentucky | 1,190 | $66,390 | $70,300 | $31.92 |
| Missouri | 750 | $65,940 | $61,550 | $31.70 |
| New Hampshire | 70 | $65,690 | $64,660 | $31.58 |
| Maryland | 700 | $65,550 | $73,310 | $31.52 |
| District of Columbia | 1,560 | $65,330 | $72,920 | $31.41 |
| Illinois | 250 | $64,890 | $69,900 | $31.20 |
| South Carolina | 500 | $64,490 | $73,790 | $31.00 |
| North Carolina | 2,930 | $63,710 | $65,260 | $30.63 |
| Massachusetts | not published | $63,480 | $63,310 | $30.52 |
| New Jersey | 370 | $62,760 | $69,260 | $30.18 |
| Idaho | not published | $62,570 | $63,150 | $30.08 |
| Alaska | 40 | $62,230 | $66,830 | $29.92 |
| Arizona | 1,020 | $61,680 | $61,990 | $29.65 |
| New York | 3,040 | $61,210 | $66,500 | $29.43 |
| California | 5,300 | $60,250 | $70,260 | $28.97 |
| Michigan | 750 | $60,210 | $60,480 | $28.95 |
| Connecticut | 50 | $60,110 | $62,260 | $28.90 |
| Texas | 1,180 | $58,070 | $65,950 | $27.92 |
| Indiana | 210 | $57,020 | $62,450 | $27.41 |
| Oregon | 220 | $56,770 | $61,180 | $27.29 |
| Nebraska | 230 | $56,190 | $54,460 | $27.01 |
| Pennsylvania | 860 | $54,610 | $60,080 | $26.26 |
| Virginia | 700 | $53,260 | $59,810 | $25.61 |
| Alabama | not published | $53,080 | $52,590 | $25.52 |
| Louisiana | 340 | $52,600 | $55,140 | $25.29 |
| Rhode Island | 220 | $51,420 | $64,380 | $24.72 |
| West Virginia | 550 | $51,140 | $63,270 | $24.59 |
| Florida | 1,130 | $50,700 | $54,530 | $24.38 |
| Maine | 120 | $50,650 | $54,530 | $24.35 |
| New Mexico | 50 | $50,640 | $66,400 | $24.34 |
| Colorado | 100 | $50,430 | $52,370 | $24.24 |
| Washington | 450 | $50,420 | $56,120 | $24.24 |
| Ohio | 240 | $50,330 | $54,650 | $24.20 |
| Montana | 30 | $49,860 | $48,920 | $23.97 |
| Wisconsin | 110 | $48,090 | $52,660 | $23.12 |
| Vermont | 40 | $47,510 | $54,280 | $22.84 |
| Tennessee | 140 | $46,410 | $47,860 | $22.31 |
| Minnesota | 300 | $44,920 | $48,410 | $21.60 |
| South Dakota | 40 | $44,820 | $41,910 | $21.55 |
| Iowa | 140 | $40,940 | $40,040 | $19.68 |
| Nevada | not published | $26,560 | $32,700 | $12.77 |
| Utah | 500 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Animal Scientists$68,940 a year
- Hydrologic Technicians$64,790 a year
- Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other$62,280 a year
- Occupational Health and Safety Technicians$61,560 a year
- Chemical Technicians$60,390 a year
- Biological Technicians$57,510 a year
Common questions
How much do Social Science Research Assistants earn in the United States?
The median pay was $61,990 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $38,090 and the highest-paid 10% more than $102,070.
How many people work as Social Science Research Assistants?
About 30,640 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.