Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Wide pay band SOC 19-4061

Social Science Research Assistants

The published band from $38,090 to $102,070 is the distinctive signal for this role, not a twin of Astronomers.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Social Science Research Assistants: Astronomers ($129K) , Clinical and Counseling Psychologists ($101K) , Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists ($103K) , Physical Scientists, All Other ($123K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Social Science Research Assistants publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 19-4061 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Design and create special programs for tasks such as statistical analysis and data entry and cleaning
  2. 2. Obtain informed consent of research subjects or their guardians
  3. 3. Administer standardized tests to research subjects, or interview them to collect research data
  4. 4. Provide assistance with the preparation of project-related reports, manuscripts, and presentations
  5. 5. Prepare tables, graphs, fact sheets, and written reports summarizing research results
  6. 6. Recruit and schedule research participants
  7. 7. Screen potential subjects to determine their suitability as study participants
  8. 8. Perform descriptive and multivariate statistical analyses of data, using computer software
  9. 9. Track research participants, and perform any necessary follow-up tasks
  10. 10. Verify the accuracy and validity of data entered in databases, correcting any errors
  11. 11. Develop and implement research quality control procedures
  12. 12. Prepare, manipulate, and manage extensive databases

Social Science Research Assistants: O*NET ranks Reading Comprehension first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 19-4061 - lead skill Reading Comprehension at 4.0 ; lead knowledge English Language. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Reading Comprehension 4.0
  2. 2. Active Listening 3.8
  3. 3. Writing 3.8
  4. 4. Critical Thinking 3.8
  5. 5. Speaking 3.4
  6. 6. Complex Problem Solving 3.4
  7. 7. Science 3.3
  8. 8. Mathematics 3.1

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. English Language 4.3
  2. 2. Computers and Electronics 3.5
  3. 3. Administrative 3.2
  4. 4. Mathematics 3.1
  5. 5. Customer and Personal Service 3.0
  6. 6. Education and Training 2.9
Published pay band (10th to 90th)
$38,090 to $102,070
median $61,990 · ~2.7× spread
$62K
National median
↑ +4%
Growth 2024-2034
5,200
Annual openings
30,640
Estimated US jobs
Astronomers
Highest-pay peer · $129K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Bachelor's degree

Top Paying States for Social Science Research Assistants

1. Maryland $65,550
2. Georgia $66,620
3. Illinois $64,890
4. New Hampshire $65,690
5. Kentucky $66,390
6. Missouri $65,940
7. District of Columbia $65,330
8. Delaware $68,230
9. Oklahoma $69,090
10. Kansas $67,740

Other Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations titles

  1. 1. Astronomers $128,820
  2. 2. Clinical and Counseling Psychologists $100,580
  3. 3. Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $103,410
  4. 4. Physical Scientists, All Other $122,570
  5. 5. Geographers $102,040
  6. 6. Materials Scientists $117,790

The OEWS band for Social Science Research Assistants runs from $38,090 (10th) to $102,070 (90th), about 2.7× wide, with median $61,990. That spread, not the midpoint alone, is the distinctive published fact.

Employment Projections expect +4% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 5,200 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Maryland at $65,550. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Astronomers at $128,820. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Social Science Research Assistants pay-rank #40 in Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

On the Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations median table (48 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Social Science Research Assistants lands at #40, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for Social Science Research Assistants is unusually wide, so the state map and peer comparison carry more signal than the median alone.

Social Science Research Assistants salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 19-4061

Maryland · top state for Social Science Research Assistants

$66K published median

Georgia · #2 state pay

$67K · behind Maryland

Astronomers

Highest-pay peer vs Social Science Research Assistants · $129K

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists

Lower-pay peer beside Social Science Research Assistants · $101K

Compare Social Science Research Assistants

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Social Science Research Assistants with another occupation →

Pay-band next reads

Entry-Level vs Experienced Pay

What percentile bands reveal

Using Salary Data for Negotiation

Leverage BLS percentiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Social Science Research Assistants land on the Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations median table? ▼
Social Science Research Assistants is pay-rank #40 of 48 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other ($62K), Occupational Health and Safety Technicians ($62K), Chemical Technicians ($60K), Hydrologic Technicians ($65K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do social science research assistants do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Social Science Research Assistants. Leading ones include: Design and create special programs for tasks such as statistical analysis and data entry and cleaning; Obtain informed consent of research subjects or their guardians; Administer standardized tests to research subjects, or interview them to collect research data; Provide assistance with the preparation of project-related reports, manuscripts, and presentations. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for social science research assistants? ▼
For SOC 19-4061, O*NET importance scores lead with Reading Comprehension (4.0), Active Listening (3.8), Writing (3.8), Critical Thinking (3.8). Knowledge areas emphasize English Language, Computers and Electronics, Administrative. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How wide is the published pay band for Social Science Research Assistants? ▼
OEWS places the 10th percentile at $38,090 and the 90th at $102,070 for Social Science Research Assistants (2.7× spread). The national median is $61,990. OEWS does not isolate experience, employer, or geography as the cause of that spread.
What employment change does BLS publish for Social Science Research Assistants? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Social Science Research Assistants is +4%. Projected annual openings: about 5,200. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Social Science Research Assistants? ▼
BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Social Science Research Assistants. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Social Science Research Assistants? ▼
Maryland ($65,550), Georgia ($66,620), Illinois ($64,890) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Social Science Research Assistants card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 19-4061. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Social Science Research Assistants. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics