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Job outlook for data collection technicians in the United States
Are data collection technician jobs in demand?
Data collection technician job and salary trends over time
Data collection technician jobs over time
Data collection technician job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 291 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 298 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 297 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 293 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 294 | 0.00% |
Average data collection technician salary over time
Data collection technician salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $53,779 | $25.86 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $52,317 | $25.15 | --0.7% |
| 2023 | $52,694 | $25.33 | +2.5% |
| 2022 | $51,386 | $24.70 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $50,395 | $24.23 | --0.1% |
Data collection technician jobs by state
Most common states for data collection technicians
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,976 | 29% |
| 2 | Alaska | 739,795 | 192 | 26% |
| 3 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 322 | 24% |
| 4 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 292 | 22% |
| 5 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,249 | 21% |
| 6 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,155 | 21% |
| 7 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 855 | 21% |
| 8 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 664 | 21% |
| 9 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 722 | 20% |
| 10 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 639 | 20% |
| 11 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 357 | 19% |
| 12 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 164 | 19% |
| 13 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 2,247 | 18% |
| 14 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 1,851 | 18% |
| 15 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,632 | 18% |
| 16 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,036 | 18% |
| 17 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 137 | 18% |
| 18 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,729 | 17% |
| 19 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,059 | 17% |
| 20 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 183 | 17% |
Most common cities for data collection technicians
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leawood | 1 | 3% | $44,965 |
| 2 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $42,219 |
| 3 | Minneapolis | 1 | 0% | $45,593 |
Data Collection Technician job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of data collection technician experts
University of Alabama in Huntsville
Missouri University of Science and Technology
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Palm Beach State College
Southeastern Louisiana University
The University of New Hampshire's Central Science
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Dr. Luis Rogelio Cruz-Vera
Associate ProfessorUniversity of Alabama in Huntsville
Department of Biological Sciences
What soft skills should all Data Collection Technicians possess?
Dr. Luis Rogelio Cruz-Vera: Planification.
Dr. Rainer Glaser
Professor and ChairMissouri University of Science and Technology
Chemistry Department
What skills stand out on Data Collection Technician resumes?
Dr. Rainer Glaser: Chemistry competence is key, of course. As a close second, chemists need to demonstrate effective team player competence. Communication skills are essential, in conversation and in writing. Effective collaboration requires highly developed skills to work with team members, peers, and leadership.
Christopher Bae Ph.D.
Professor, Department ChairUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa
Department of Anthropology
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Data Collection Technicians?
Christopher Bae Ph.D.: Yes and no. Obviously, hiring in anthropology, like most academic fields, has become more difficult now because of the economic impact of COVID-19 worldwide. However, anthropology graduates are still managing to find job placement in postdoctoral research fellowships, cultural resource management firms, and non-governmental organizations. The applied areas of anthropology are where positions can still be found fairly regularly. Moving forward, however, I anticipate a rebound, like in most fields, of hires more broadly in anthropology.
What Data Collection Technician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Benjamin Ford: Students taking a gap year should think about where they want to end up, both geographically and in terms of a career, and position themselves accordingly. That might mean moving to where they eventually want to live, taking a job to pay the bills, and volunteering with an organization to build local contacts. They should also work to develop the skills that will make them necessary in their intended career. The world became much more digital in the last nine months. We will likely return to many of our pre-pandemic physical practices, but aspects of our remote-everything existence will likely stick with us. Developing skills to be successful in a digital environment will be important.
What type of skills will young Data Collection Technicians need?
Dr. Alexandra Gorgevska Ph.D.: Graduates [of all ages] will continue to need hands-on skills, the ability to work both in the group and individual settings, and, most importantly, be curious and teachable. Soft skills have taken on greater importance over the years, so we provide ongoing events for outreach, scientific communication, interview preparation, etc., to help provide students with ways to improve and grow their soft skills.
We are seeing scientific communications transitioning from in-person to remote settings, and our students are excelling at rising to the challenges. South Florida has a diverse life science career field, and our students continue to be well prepared to enter the job market and succeed in their career paths.
Mohammad Saadeh Ph.D.
Department HeadSoutheastern Louisiana University
Department of Industrial and Engineering Technology
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Data Collection Technician job market given the pandemic?
Mohammad Saadeh Ph.D.: People who communicate effectively, knowledge of web-based applications. I was writing technical reports and the ability to shift attention and re-adjust as quickly as possible.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Data Collection Technicians in the next 3-5 years?
Mohammad Saadeh Ph.D.: IoT and automation.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Data Collection Technicians?
Glen P. Miller: Yes, there will be many enduring impacts. Office spaces and buildings will be devalued somewhat, while remote work and virtual meetings have become and will remain important. In chemistry and tangential fields, there will always be a need for in-person work in specialized laboratories, but the manner in which we communicate results internally and externally has changed. There will be less emphasis on in-person communication and a greater emphasis on remote and electronic communication, including email and video reports/presentations. Business travel will drop while skills that enable effective electronic communication will play an even larger role than they already do. Writing skills, including but not limited to technical writing, will become an increasingly valued characteristic of top employees. An ability to speak in a clear, articulate manner will also be prized. None of this, however, supersedes the need for graduates with a robust background in chemistry and a strong work ethic to match.
How do you envision technology impacting Data Collection Technicians in the next 5 years?
Glen P. Miller: The chemistry field is constantly impacted by advancements in scientific instrumentation, hardware, and software, especially those that cut across adjacent fields like biology and materials science. Job seekers should be well-grounded in current technologies while aware of recent developments and trends.
Gerald Bergtrom Ph.D.
Professor of Biological Sciences (Emeritus) & Teaching & Learning ConsultantUniversity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Biological Sciences Department
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Data Collection Technicians in the next 3-5 years?
Gerald Bergtrom Ph.D.: -In any STEM field, predicting, recognizing, and fighting climate change looms large. In the life sciences, detecting the effects of environmental change at the species, individual, cellular, and molecular level will be increasingly necessary.
-Medical science will need to respond to new challenges arising out of climate change and the aging population. Supported (as always) by basic sciences, medical science will focus on big-picture biology, represented by the ever-growing number of "...omics". These include genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics... and the enabling technologies that let us look at a lot of genes, gene products, and biochemical reactions at the same time. Finally, the ever-improving gene-editing technologies can lead to the treatment of disease, leading to a greater understanding of the disease and biological process in general.