How To Become A Postdoc Research Associate: What It Is and Career Path

What is a postdoc research associate and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Betsy Smith

Postdoc research associates are professionals who are responsible for helping postdoctoral researchers in their research after completing their doctoral studies. They must train and mentor undergraduate and graduate students with their ongoing research projects to aid timely completion. They perform data analysis and prepare scientific and technical reports. This may be presented at scientific conferences. Also, they conduct literature reviews. Additionally, they may collect and analyze laboratory results based on the topic they are researching. Moreover, they may work independently or under the guidance of an adviser or supervisor.

Candidates must have excellent communication skills and be creative, highly motivated, and able to work independently. You must have experience in writing and executing grants. The educational requirement for this role is a doctoral degree. Education and health care companies are where postdoc research associates can find jobs. Their annual salary varies from $38,000 to $67,000, with an average yearly salary of $51,066 or $24.55 per hour.

What general advice would you give to a postdoc research associate?

Dr. Betsy Smith

Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Elmira College

I would advise students just graduating to be flexible and open-minded in their job search. Chemistry is a challenging major, and students who succeed in it have learned how to learn, so they shouldn't assume that pure chemistry is the only thing they can do. One growing field is biomedical research, and chemistry majors are often qualified for jobs in that area. If you have other strengths, like writing, there are often jobs that can combine them as a technical writer or work for a science journal. There are jobs out there that might be perfect for you that you haven't heard of until you see an ad for it, so be open to different possibilities.

ScorePostdoc Research AssociateUS Average

Salary

4.4

Avg. Salary $56,259

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.3

Growth rate 17%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.14%

Asian 45.43%

Black or African American 4.42%

Hispanic or Latino 7.53%

Unknown 3.65%

White 38.82%

Gender

female 26.94%

male 73.06%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

6.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.7

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a postdoc research associate

Explore postdoc research associate education requirements

Most common postdoc research associate degrees

Doctorate

57.3 %

Bachelor's

25.6 %

Master's

17.1 %

Start to develop specific postdoc research associate skills

Skills	Percentages
Data Analysis	9.09%
Mouse Model	7.91%
Research Projects	7.68%
Python	7.03%
Chemistry	6.86%

Complete relevant postdoc research associate training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New postdoc research associates learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a postdoc research associate based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real postdoc research associate resumes.

Research postdoc research associate duties and responsibilities

Achieve a best solar-matching spectrum and a broadband visible-to-IR absorption profile.
Process and manage GIS databases to contribute towards research in human transportation behavior.
Research focuse on understanding how transcription factors and non-coding regulatory DNA interpret Endothelin signaling in vivo.
Programe in Fortran to simulate models, diagnose problems and examine results.

Apply for postdoc research associate jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a postdoc research associate job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do postdoc research associates rate their job?

-/5

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Postdoc research associate reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019

Cons

Language barrier can be a problem,because communication needs to be formed in the language that each community you interact with understands.

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019

Pros

Science of observation