How to hire a graduate research assistant

How to hire a graduate research assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step graduate research assistant hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a graduate research assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new graduate research assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a graduate research assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the graduate research assistant you need to hire. Certain graduate research assistant roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect graduate research assistant also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of graduate research assistants and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Graduate Research Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Graduate Research Assistant	A Graduate Research Assistant participates in all stages of a survey, such as data collection and analysis. They work with different survey instruments and large datasets using a variety of analytical techniques to prepare research reports.	$10-25
   Research Fellow	A research fellow is an academic researcher who conducts research and analysis of comprehensive literature, data, and results and provides literature reviews. He/She supervises research assistants and recruits study participants to interview them for a particular study... Show more	$18-34
   Graduate Internship	A graduate internship is a short-term experience that oftentimes leads to a permanent position. The academic program allows graduates to experience different roles within an organization... Show more	$14-42

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • R
   • Technical Reports
   • Research Projects
   • Graduate Research
   • Data Collection
   • Data Analysis
   • Cell Culture
   • Literature Reviews
   • C++
   • Synthesis
   • Statistical Analysis
   • Python
   • Chemistry
   • SPSS

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Organize TA office hours, manage online gradebook, proctore exams.
   • Create and lead exercises to teach linear algebra, calculus and statistics.
   • Grade homework, quizzes and manage grades on online gradebook effectively as a lead TA.
   • Foster cross laboratory collaboration between physics labs and between engineering, biology, and chemistry departments to accomplish share goals.
   • Evaluate patients' study eligibility via medical history, obtain informed consent, enroll patients, and achieve enrollment quotas.
   • Develop an RT-PCR SSCP analysis strategy for normal & tumor tissue RNA analysis.

   More graduate research assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your graduate research assistant job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A graduate research assistant salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, graduate research assistants' average salary in arkansas is 39% less than in pennsylvania.
   • Seniority. Entry-level graduate research assistants earn 58% less than senior-level graduate research assistants.
   • Certifications. A graduate research assistant with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a graduate research assistant's salary.

   Average graduate research assistant salary

   $16.46hourly

   $34,230 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level graduate research assistant salary

   $22,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

   Average graduate research assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$43,939	$21
   2	Massachusetts	$41,964	$20
   3	Maryland	$41,824	$20
   4	Indiana	$39,644	$19
   5	Colorado	$36,595	$18
   6	Illinois	$36,152	$17
   7	California	$35,335	$17
   8	Kansas	$33,714	$16
   9	District of Columbia	$32,454	$16
   10	Alaska	$32,347	$16
   11	Utah	$32,203	$15
   12	Nevada	$32,136	$15
   13	Virginia	$32,096	$15
   14	Oregon	$30,201	$15
   15	Kentucky	$28,382	$14
   16	Texas	$26,928	$13

   Average graduate research assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Los Alamos National Laboratory	$67,051	$32.24	76
   2	MDRC	$61,541	$29.59
   3	Massachusetts General Hospital	$55,753	$26.80	4
   4	MCPHS University - Boston	$53,143	$25.55	4
   5	Bridgewater State University	$51,421	$24.72	11
   6	University of Nevada, Reno	$49,690	$23.89	24
   7	Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center	$49,253	$23.68	7
   8	PSEA	$36,992	$17.78	177
   9	University of the Pacific	$36,200	$17.40	4
   10	Chapman University	$34,485	$16.58	30
   11	The University of Kansas Health System	$34,387	$16.53	9
   12	University of Georgia Small Business Development Center	$33,812	$16.26	142
   13	NORC at the University of Chicago	$33,612	$16.16	23
   14	Children's National Medical Center	$33,475	$16.09	15
   15	Partners Healthcare Solutions Inc	$33,362	$16.04
   16	Virginia Commonwealth University	$32,826	$15.78	110
   17	UTRGV - The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	$32,522	$15.64	82
   18	Texas A&M International University	$31,879	$15.33	18
   19	University of Alaska	$31,232	$15.02	55
   20	Metropolitan State University of Denver	$30,661	$14.74	2

4. Writing a graduate research assistant job description

   A graduate research assistant job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a graduate research assistant job description:

   Graduate research assistant job description example

   Job DescriptionThe Alter lab specifically focuses on developing novel OMIC technologies aimed at defining correlates of immunity against Infectious Diseases and beyond. These novel technologies seek to integrate disparate data types aimed at probing the immune response wholistically to guide vaccine, therapeutic, and diagnostic design. The Computational Biologist will be responsible for applying existing analytical pipelines as well as developing new strategies to probe immune data - in partnership with collaborators from all around the globe. The position is intended to build future computational leaders in the vaccine development arena, aimed at transforming our ability to accelerate the development of interventions to prevent globally infectious pandemics.
   
   We are interested in hiring an enthusiastic individual with a sound understanding of B cell biology and Immunology and a strong interest in immunology and infectious disease.
   
   Under the direction of the Principal Investigator, the applicant will be asked to independently carry out daily activities and drive large projects.
   Computational and related work:
   Perform basic statistical analyses Integrate disparate data-types Have a solid understanding of different machine learning approaches Have a basic understanding of immunology and/or vaccines Independently perform routine analyses of large datasets Develop and troubleshoot novel computational pipelines Ensures quality control of analyses and have a solid understanding of validation strategies
   Communication
   Regular communication with supervisor and team/group colleagues (one-on-one and group meetings) Present data within and outside of the laboratory group at meetings and symposia Work closely within the group and with outside collaborators Write, edit, and submit manuscripts/abstracts detailing the results of the project Mentor students Maintain close communications with the PI regarding progress
   
   Qualifications
   SKILLS:
   Strong candidates will have demonstrated interest in the immunology or vaccinology. Some knowledge of cellular and molecular immunology Independently motivated, detailed orientated and good problem solving ability Ability to multi-task and work independently under pressure Ability to work in a team environment, meet deadlines, and prioritize and balance work from multiple individuals Must be willing to learn and grow
   EDUCATION:
   
   Bachelor's degree required, applicant should ideally be enrolled in a graduate program nearing completion.
   
   EXPERIENCE:
   
   Applicants enrolled in a graduate program strongly preferred.
   
   EEO Statement
   Massachusetts General Hospital is an Equal Opportunity Employer. By embracing diverse skills, perspectives and ideas, we choose to lead. Applications from protected veterans and individuals with disabilities are strongly encouraged. Partner's Healthcare is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find graduate research assistants for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your graduate research assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit graduate research assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit graduate research assistants, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new graduate research assistant

   Once you've found the graduate research assistant candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new graduate research assistant. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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