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Job outlook for phd researchers in the United States
Phd researcher job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected phd researcher job growth rate is 17% from 2018-2028.
About 20,800 new jobs for phd researchers are projected over the next decade.
Phd researcher salaries have increased 14% for phd researchers in the last 5 years.
There are over 41,751 phd researchers currently employed in the United States.
There are 19,736 active phd researcher job openings in the US.
The average phd researcher salary is $51,634.
Are phd researcher jobs in demand?
Phd researcher job and salary trends over time
Phd researcher jobs over time
Phd researcher job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 41,751 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 47,612 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 48,200 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 43,413 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 40,625 | 0.01% |
Average phd researcher salary over time
Phd researcher salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $51,634 | $24.82 | +3.1% |
| 2025 | $50,099 | $24.09 | +4.7% |
| 2024 | $47,854 | $23.01 | +3.3% |
| 2023 | $46,319 | $22.27 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $45,439 | $21.85 | --2.1% |
Phd researcher jobs by state
Most common states for phd researchers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,185 | 17% |
| 2 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 109 | 16% |
| 3 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 640 | 7% |
| 4 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 498 | 7% |
| 5 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 237 | 6% |
| 6 | New York | 19,849,399 | 1,085 | 5% |
| 7 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 281 | 5% |
| 8 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 258 | 5% |
| 9 | California | 39,536,653 | 1,440 | 4% |
| 10 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 266 | 4% |
| 11 | Delaware | 961,939 | 41 | 4% |
| 12 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 355 | 3% |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 343 | 3% |
| 14 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 259 | 3% |
| 15 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 177 | 3% |
| 16 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 67 | 3% |
| 17 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 37 | 3% |
| 18 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 34 | 3% |
| 19 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 31 | 3% |
| 20 | Alaska | 739,795 | 24 | 3% |
Most common cities for phd researchers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lawrence | 11 | 12% | $42,651 |
| 2 | Boulder | 6 | 6% | $52,669 |
| 3 | Newark | 2 | 6% | $51,685 |
| 4 | Cambridge | 5 | 5% | $56,997 |
| 5 | Annapolis | 1 | 3% | $56,700 |
| 6 | Gainesville | 2 | 2% | $41,811 |
| 7 | Baltimore | 9 | 1% | $57,007 |
| 8 | San Diego | 3 | 0% | $71,386 |
| 9 | Indianapolis | 2 | 0% | $53,787 |
| 10 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $39,010 |
| 11 | Baton Rouge | 1 | 0% | $36,731 |
| 12 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $57,054 |
| 13 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $50,728 |
| 14 | Denver | 1 | 0% | $52,574 |
PHD Researcher job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of phd researcher experts
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Northwestern University
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Washington State University
Purdue University
University of Pittsburgh
University of Nebraska - Omaha
Loyola University New Orleans
Ohio State University
Western Washington University
Quinnipiac University
University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Vanderbilt University
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport
Duquesne University
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
University of St Andrews
What PHD Researcher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Qing Li: AI will become more important and prevalent in the field in the next 3-5 years but laboratory experiments will continue to make new discoveries.
What will help PHD Researchers increase their earning potential?
Nathaniel Stern: Within academic physics, your potential can be maximized by doing impactful work in graduate school that matters to other people. The next step is to communicate this impact broadly, and then figure out how to take the next step in the field. That is a lot of steps, but if one can successfully do those things in graduate school, they can build the profile, community, and intellectual leadership to demand the highest salary. Outside of academic physics, the requirements are probably not that different, but I do not have explicit knowledge of them myself. So I would fall back on the standard goals of innovation and communication, which should help one succeed in any knowledge-related career.
What will help PHD Researchers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Michael Marchetti: I think that in the next few years, it will be important to have some wide range of skills across a diversity of sub-disciplines. For example, GIS (geographic information skills), R statistical programming language, modern genetic and genomic techniques, computer programming skills etc. Again, it seems that hard and fast borders/walls separating disciplinary fields are breaking down as our knowledge of the larger biological world expands.
What general advice would you give to an PHD Researcher?
Jacob Nordman: Salary potential in my field of neuroscience almost always involves publications, awards, and technical acumen. Therefore, as I mentioned, it is important to start early looking for opportunities that can strengthen these areas. Another important aspect of getting high-profile, and thus high-paying, positions, is being able to tell a story with your research and career. Employers want to see that you have thought deeply and strategically about your career and where it’s going. This will allow them to believe you are a safe bet and worthy of their investment.
What will help PHD Researchers increase their earning potential?
Lindsey du Toit: Take every opportunity you can to learn, network, and build an effective team of people that bring a greater breadth and depth of skills and expertise to the work on which you will be focusing. Cultivate a life-long sense of intellectual curiosity and learning. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Treat ignorance as an opportunity to learn. Questions demonstrate you want to understand the situation/problem effectively and that you are paying attention. Always demonstrate integrity in your work. It is one of the most valuable traits you can bring to your career. Be kind and supportive of your colleagues.
Yan Cong
Purdue University
Romance Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
What will help PHD Researchers increase their earning potential?
Yan Cong: Develop some in-demand skills such as programming or generating content from text models via prompt engineering, et cetera. Get experience and extra income via paid summer internships.
What will help PHD Researchers increase their earning potential?
Arjumand Ghazi Ph. D: Having an advanced degree such as a PhD and even a few years postdoc is a good way to start at a higher level. It often allows one to make up for the reduced earnings during the training periods while increasing long-term earnings.
Andrew Riquier Ph.D.
InstructorUniversity of Nebraska - Omaha
Neurobiology And Neurosciences
What general advice would you give to an PHD Researcher?
Andrew Riquier Ph.D.: Apply for the positions you want, even if you feel underqualified. I know plenty of people who have applied for jobs they didn't quite meet the requirements for, and got hired for other reasons. In my experience, many recent graduates choose to take time to strengthen their resumes by retaking classes, working jobs they don't particularly want to get experience, etc. There is some value in that, particularly if you have been unsuccessful attaining the position you want, or if you want to see if you even enjoy that type of work. But if you are confident in what you want to do, go for it; in the worst-case scenario, you are in the same position you would be if you hadn't applied, but now you have experience applying and have potentially gained a contact in the field.
What general advice would you give to an PHD Researcher?
David Barker: The question of maximizing salary potential is a difficult one. My personal feeling is that there is a risk: reward tradeoff in biomedical sciences, where careers in industry carry some of the best salaries, but also the greatest risk for long-term instability. In contrast, careers in academia traditionally carry lower salaries, but somewhat greater stability. I suppose this means that the best opportunity for salary potential is to not be afraid to take risks by working for a promising startup where you are highly valued, and where you may have the opportunity for vested stock options or other perks that can eventually transform into large returns. Knowing the risk associated with these companies, a smart graduate will enter these companies and work hard, to support the success of the company and to make themselves indispensable.
What PHD Researcher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
David Barker: The question of maximizing salary potential is a difficult one. My personal feeling is that there is a risk: reward tradeoff in biomedical sciences, where careers in industry carry some of the best salaries, but also the greatest risk for long-term instability. In contrast, careers in academia traditionally carry lower salaries, but somewhat greater stability. I suppose this means that the best opportunity for salary potential is to not be afraid to take risks by working for a promising startup where you are highly valued, and where you may have the opportunity for vested stock options or other perks that can eventually transform into large returns. Knowing the risk associated with these companies, a smart graduate will enter these companies and work hard, to support the success of the company and to make themselves indispensable.
What will help PHD Researchers increase their earning potential?
David Barker: Science as a whole is becoming more multidisciplinary. For this reason, the individuals who thrive are those who develop hybrid skill sets that increase their value to the field, while also allowing flexibility in their career choices. One great example of this are students who are well versed in one of the '-omics' (e.g., proteomics or genomics) and computer programming for analyzing large datasets.
Kimberlee Mix PhD
Provost Distinguished Professor of Biological SciencesLoyola University New Orleans
Biochemistry, Biophysics And Molecular Biology
What general advice would you give to an PHD Researcher?
Kimberlee Mix PhD: Keep looking for opportunities to grow and learn. Pursuing an advanced degree may help with earning potential, but also consider online courses in bioinformatics and other certificate programs that will give you a competitive edge.
What will help PHD Researchers increase their earning potential?
Kimberlee Mix PhD: Keep an open mind in your first position - it may involve repetitive lab work focused on a single technique or protocol. Learn as much as you can about the big picture of your project and know that you have an important part in it. Take advantage of down-time during incubations to socialize with your new colleagues and learn about their career journeys. Ask lots of questions and take good notes.
Dr. Judson Jeffries
ProfessorOhio State University
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, And Group Studies
What general advice would you give to an PHD Researcher?
Dr. Judson Jeffries: Introduce yourself to some of the more noteworthy people in the field at conferences. Establish a relationship with those folks. I am not saying that your circle should include only the most celebrated academics in your field, but you want to get to know maybe 3 to 4 such persons for the following reasons: 1) to position oneself to get sage, counsel and advice from seasoned academics 2) to learn about various opportunities that may not be publicly advertised and 3) at some point the person 's department will need people to evaluate that person for tenure and promotion. Some departments will ask the junior professor for a list of names. At that point the junior professor will be equipped to provide that list. Finally, go into those fields understanding that you have a responsibility to advocate on behalf of those historically marginalized groups that you're studying. What's more, that person needs to understand that what comes with that is doing research that addresses some of the challenges those groups face.
What PHD Researcher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Judson Jeffries: Easy, have a vita that clearly shows strong credentials such as publications and the like, which will help said person get multiple interviews, which may lead to multiple offers. Once that person gets multiple offers, that person cannot be shy about negotiating. Everything is negotiable.
What will help PHD Researchers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Judson Jeffries: Grant writing ability. Scholars will become increasingly reliant on securing grants as universities and colleges continue to tighten their belts. This is especially true for state schools where some state legislatures are not as generous with funding as they once were. The state supported The Ohio State University is one such example. There are many more.
What general advice would you give to an PHD Researcher?
Josh Kaplan Ph.D.: Being able to work with various computer coding languages and implementing free, open-source software, will be increasingly valuable in a work setting that involves research, data analysis, or program optimization. Many workplaces used to rely on expensive software, but can now be replaced by open source programs and used by those who are comfortable with common computer coding languages. This can save an employer loads of money without sacrificing performance outcomes or deliverables.
What PHD Researcher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Josh Kaplan Ph.D.: Demonstrating a skill set that is unique, such as experience with a rare technical research approach, or demonstrating that you can save your employer money by utilizing free resources, can be used to negotiate a higher salary.
Lisa Cuchara Ph.D.
Professor of Biomedical SciencesQuinnipiac University
Microbiological Sciences And Immunology
What PHD Researcher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Lisa Cuchara Ph.D.: The first and foremost would be Critical Thinking. We live in a world where facts can be easily acquired, sometimes even by asking Siri/Alexa/ChatGPT/Google/etc. But critical thinking is timeless and priceless. I can ask anyone on the street what xyz is and they can look it up, but can they provide advice or interpret.
Also being a good steward towards science and being willing and able to communicate not just with peers as we are trained, but also with the public, the politicians, the board members. John Holdren*, stated that Scientists should be tithing at least 10 percent of their time to public service ... including activism. In the ever growing science denialism that is happening in our country being able to communicate science with the public is important. As Peter Hotaz states, "Anti-science propaganda is "killing Americans in unprecedented numbers,""
*Holdren is an American scientist who served as the senior advisor to President Barack Obama on science and technology issues through his roles as assistant to the president for science and technology, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and a Research Professor in Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government
Yadira Malavez Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Biology
What general advice would you give to an PHD Researcher?
Yadira Malavez Ph.D.: Starting a career in biotechnology can be both exciting and challenging. Here are my general
pieces of advice for a graduate beginning their career in Biotechnology:
1. Keep Learning: Biotechnology is a rapidly evolving field with discoveries and
technologies. Stay informed by reading journals, attending conferences, taking courses,
and certifications.
2. Gain Experience: Look for internships, co-op programs, or entry-level positions to gain
hands-on experience in biotechnology. Seeking job opportunities in small-scale
biotechnology companies could help you obtain the required knowledge and training to
broaden your opportunities in the field.
3. Develop Technical Skills: Biotechnology involves various technical skills, including
laboratory techniques, data analysis, and experimental design. Take the time to master
these skills through research, coursework, and on-the-job experience.
4. Communication Skills: In biotechnology, effective verbal and written communication is
essential for success in an interdisciplinary environment.
5. Career Development: Set clear goals for your career in biotechnology and actively work
towards achieving them. Obtain professional certifications and pursue a Master's or PhD
degree that may lead you to higher-paying jobs.
6. Industry job readiness and targeting: Know the industrial market and target companies
you want to work for. Define your skills that match the company's needs, understand its
divisions and products, and show you're a team player ready to advance the company's
mission, goals, and objectives.
What PHD Researcher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Yadira Malavez Ph.D.: In the next 3-5 years, the following skills will be more important and prevalent in the field of
biotechnology:
1. AI and Machine Learning: Proficiency in artificial intelligence (AI) will be crucial for
analyzing large biological datasets, identifying patterns, and predicting outcomes in
biotechnology research. Skills in developing AI algorithms tailored for biotechnological
applications, such as drug discovery, genetic engineering, and personalized medicine, will
be in high demand.
2. Data Science and Bioinformatics: Proficiency in bioinformatics tools and algorithms for
sequence analysis, structural biology, and systems biology will be essential to interpret
complex biological datasets to accelerate biotechnology research.
3. Synthetic Biology: Competence in genetic engineering, DNA synthesis, and pathway
optimization is crucial for advancing the biotechnology field and designing genetically
engineered organisms applicable in medicine, agriculture, and industrial biotechnology
4. Tissue Engineering: Expertise in tissue engineering techniques, including biomaterials
design, scaffold fabrication, and cell culture methodologies, will be essential for creating
complex biological tissues and organs for therapeutic applications. Skills in 3D bioprinting
and organ-on-a-chip platforms will enable the development of functional tissue substitutes
for regenerative medicine and drug testing.
5. Stem Cell Therapy: Proficiency in stem cell biology, including stem cell isolation,
characterization, and differentiation protocols, will be critical to advance stem cell-based
therapies. Skills in gene editing technologies, such as CRISPR-Cas9, for precise
modification of stem cells, will enhance their therapeutic potential. Additionally, expertise
in regulatory requirements and quality control standards for stem cell-based products will
be essential for navigating the regulatory landscape and translating stem cell therapies to
the clinic.
What will help PHD Researchers increase their earning potential?
Yadira Malavez Ph.D.: Maximizing your salary potential when starting your career in the biotechnology field involves
multiple strategies, such as:
1. Advanced Education: Consider pursuing advanced degrees or certifications relevant to
your desired biotechnology career path. Advanced education can qualify you for higher-
paying positions and increase your earning potential.
2. Relevant Experience: Experiential opportunities such as internships, co-op programs, or
entry-level positions could provide you with hands-on experience in biotechnology.
Relevant experience can make you more attractive to employers, potentially leading to
higher starting salaries.
3
3. Specialize in High-Demand Areas: Focus on developing skills and expertise in high-
demand areas of biotechnology, such as data science, bioinformatics, gene editing
technologies (e.g., CRISPR), or personalized medicine. Specializing in these areas can
increase salaries due to their increasing importance in the industry.
4. Seek Growth Opportunities: Look for opportunities for growth and advancement within
your organization or through career progression. Advancing to higher-level positions with
increased responsibilities often comes with higher salaries. Pursuing a minor or a Master's
in Business Administration can prepare you for supervisory positions in industrial
biotechnology, potentially leading to higher-paying opportunities.
Phillis Sheppard Ph.D.
E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Chair Professor of Religion, Psychology, and Culture and Womanist ThoughtVanderbilt University
Theological And Ministerial Studies
What general advice would you give to an PHD Researcher?
Phillis Sheppard Ph.D.: I tell recent graduates to read the contract and the faculty manual. Make sure you understand the long term implications of your early salary. Second, plan for retirement now; do not wait until you are making the salary of your fantasies. Take advantage of opportunities to learn about financial health and management. Third, position yourself. Write and publish directly and clearly in your field of study and adjacent areas. Fourth, create a plan with vision for the career you think you want. Finally, one way or the other, you will carve out a career or job, but a vocation is nurtured by paying attention to where you experience passion and a deep sense of belonging. A vocation is where your heart and intellect find a meaningful place in responding to the world's needs. Your salary best positions you when it supports your whole life and commitments.
What PHD Researcher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Phillis Sheppard Ph.D.: I think it can be easy to immerse oneself in a specific area of study and become well informed, but isolated. I encourage graduate students to also expose themselves to the many co-curricular learning opportunities and intellectual ideas that will stretch and deepen their approach. Many of us have been taught to interrogate ideas that differ from our own. Graduate studies invite and require us to interrogate our own ideas and convictions too.
What will help PHD Researchers increase their earning potential?
Phillis Sheppard Ph.D.: I tell recent graduates read the contract and the faculty manual. Make sure you understand the long term implications of your early salary. Second, plan for retirement now; do not wait until you are making the salary of your fantasies. Take advantage of opportunities to learn about financial health and management. Third, position yourself. Write and publish directly and clearly in your field of study and adjacent areas. Fourth, create a plan with vision for the career you think you want. Finally, one way or the other, you will carve out a career or job, but a vocation is nurtured by paying attention to where and you experience passion and a deep sense of belonging. A vocation is where your heart and intellect find a meaningful place in responding to the world's needs. Your salary best positions you when it supports you whole life and commitments.
Jason Bodily
Associate DeanLouisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport
Microbiological Sciences And Immunology
What general advice would you give to an PHD Researcher?
Jason Bodily: Biology is becoming increasingly computational so the ability to derive data from large data sets will be increasingly important. As more PhDs choose not to choose the traditional academic path, I think that familiarity with business-related concepts, such as technology transfer, patents, marketing, etc. will be increasingly important. I also think that personal skills - "soft skills" - are perennially important.
What PHD Researcher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jason Bodily: Begin with the end in mind. One of the valuable things about a PhD is that it is highly flexible. A PhD learns how to answer questions using data, and so the skills are transferrable into many types of work. Most of our graduates either go on to traditional academic postdocs right after graduation or get jobs in biotech, pharmaceutical, or other industries. Some go into government, regulatory, or other sectors such as patent law or business. So when I meet with students, one of the main things I try to help them with is to think through what kind of career they want to have. Do they value working at the bench in a laboratory or interacting with people? Do they enjoy writing, teaching, or speaking? Do they prefer urban or rural environments? And so on. Then, once they have a career path in mind, they should choose the training experiences that would lead them toward that goal.
What will help PHD Researchers increase their earning potential?
Jason Bodily: There is such a diversity in career paths that it is hard to say. Many of our graduates choose career paths for reasons other than maximizing salary potential. Almost everyone in academia, for example. Ultimately, I believe that people will pay you what they think you are worth, and people are of most worth when they are willing and able to do jobs that other people are not willing or able to do.
Jan Levine
Professor of Law and Director, Legal Research & Writing ProgramDuquesne University
School of Law
What skills stand out on PHD Researcher resumes?
Jan Levine: Formal recognition from one or both of the two major leading research companies, Westlaw and Lexis, is usually helpful, but pluses would also be listing experience doing research and applying it for a law review article or upper-level course paper, as a research assistant for a faculty member, or for a judge or law firm during an externship/internship or summer job.
What soft skills should all PHD Researchers possess?
Jan Levine: While research skills are important, conveying what was found is even more important. Legal research is not conducted in isolation as an experiment in the bibliography; what matters is using what's found to solve a legal problem. So that means demonstrating the application of the fruits of research in a written document, such as an office memorandum, appellate brief, law review article, or another professional setting or context.
What hard/technical skills are most important for PHD Researchers?
Jan Levine: Understanding how to plan a research effort, knowing how to update research, so it is timely, finding materials online and in print (which is often ignored or downplayed), demonstrating a critical examination of sources (i.e., reading them closely and coming up with an independent professional assessment of the reliability and validity of the materials), and knowing to find and use non-legal sources of information to apply to a legal problem (including talking with experts, going beyond online and print research). Plus, good researchers know how to use librarians and secondary sources of the law to expand the scope of their work and to be more efficient in their research (both in time and cost). Finally, the ability to organize material is crucial to a well-conducted search for material.
What skills will help PHD Researchers earn the most?
Jan Levine: Efficiency in research, clarity in explanation of the use of researched materials, and having a conscious plan of how to conduct research.
Mario Jimenez Chacon
Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Humanities Department
What skills stand out on PHD Researcher resumes?
Mario Jimenez Chacon: The skills that stand out the most demonstrate that the candidate knows how to do independent, sustained, and relevant research. For example, having received some type of grant stands out because it shows that the researcher can formulate their ideas clearly in writing and that the ideas are relevant for their field of research. Also, a candidate who can engage in interdisciplinary research stands out; having the ability to have a conversation with multiple disciplines is an indispensable quality to have as a researcher in our times.
What soft skills should all PHD Researchers possess?
Mario Jimenez Chacon: Interpersonal skills, work ethic, the ability to work in teams, flexibility, and communication skills are all fundamental soft skills. Researchers are also humans and work with humans, so it's essential to have these soft skills to create a welcoming research community.
What hard/technical skills are most important for PHD Researchers?
Mario Jimenez Chacon: Of course, a researcher needs to have the ability to perform high-level, intense research; therefore, a qualified researcher needs to have the hard skills associated with their field, for example, the appropriate certification/ degrees or the ability to use technology effectively. Moreover, nowadays, a researcher needs to dominate more than one language; being multilingual is a skill that makes the candidate really stand out.
What skills will help PHD Researchers earn the most?
Mario Jimenez Chacon: The skills that will make you earn the most depend very much on their field of research. However, doing the best research possible all the time, having great interpersonal skills, and understanding that one must never stop learning will make you an outstanding candidate in any field.
Dr. Sharon Locke Ph.D.
Director, Center for STEM Research, Education, and Outreach, Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences, ISSP Sustainability Excellence AssociateSouthern Illinois University Edwardsville
Department of Environmental Sciences
What skills stand out on PHD Researcher resumes?
Dr. Sharon Locke Ph.D.: Quantitative literacy skills stand out. Environmental science students who have not shied away from taking courses requiring math and computational skills indicate a student is willing to persist in a challenging area. This might be demonstrated by using statistical software such as R and Python or working with large databases.
What soft skills should all PHD Researchers possess?
Dr. Sharon Locke Ph.D.: -Strong written and oral communication are most important. If you cannot write well, you cannot be a successful scientist. Period.
-Evidence of skills in working as part of a team of diverse people and ability to understand the culture and language across scientific/technical disciplines--for example, an environmental chemist who understands something about policy or an environmental health specialist that would be able to collect and interpret data collected from community members.
-Willingness to be a lifelong learner.
-Something that helps an applicant stand out, such as experience with project management software or a foreign language.
What hard/technical skills are most important for PHD Researchers?
Dr. Sharon Locke Ph.D.: -How to use and calibrate field equipment such as water sampling or water quality measurement.
-How to design a research study/experimental design.
-GIS skills
-Environmental statistics skills
-Knowledge of lab and field safety protocols
-Something that helps an applicant to stand out, such as drone pilot certification.
What skills will help PHD Researchers earn the most?
Dr. Sharon Locke Ph.D.: Quantitative skills such as statistics, computer programming, and GIS.
Dr. Jeffrey Hughes
Deputy DirectorUniversity of St Andrews
Graduate School for Interdisciplinary Studies
What skills stand out on PHD Researcher resumes?
Dr. Jeffrey Hughes: Evidence of working between and across disciplinary boundaries. Evidence of new and innovative research premised on multiple disciplines. Evidence of synergies developed from combining one or more research disciplines.
What soft skills should all PHD Researchers possess?
Dr. Jeffrey Hughes: The ability to communicate to academics and practitioners from out-with immediate disciplinary boundaries. The ability to listen to differing perspectives and work to understand differing perspectives through bridging knowledge gaps.
What hard/technical skills are most important for PHD Researchers?
Dr. Jeffrey Hughes: This would be dependent upon the disciplines involved and would be hugely varied.
What skills will help PHD Researchers earn the most?
Dr. Jeffrey Hughes: I would suggest that cultivating the above skills would result in increased earning potential.