How to hire a principal research economist

How to hire a principal research economist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step principal research economist hiring guide:

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

What does a principal research economist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a principal research economist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A principal research economist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, principal research economists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents principal research economist salaries for various positions.

   Type of Principal Research Economist	Description	Hourly rate
   Principal Research Economist	Economists study the production and distribution of resources, goods, and services by collecting and analyzing data, researching trends, and evaluating economic issues.	$29-65
   Economist	The primary role of economists is to study how society distributes resources, including raw materials, land, and labor, to create goods and services. They perform various tasks, including conducting research, monitoring economic trends, and devising forecasts on a wide range of issues such as inflation, interest rates, and employment... Show more	$35-77

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • C++
   • Research Projects
   • Data Analysis
   • Data Collection
   • Project Management
   • Independent Research
   • Technical Support
   • Market Research
   • Econometrics
   • Statistical Analysis
   • Prototyping
   • MATLAB
   • Regression
   • IP

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead the advanced receiver hardware prototyping and evaluate the receiver performance.
   • Develop a discrete choice modeling procedure (CMDC) in the SAS cloud computingplatform (SAS Viya).
   • Initial testing involve regression modeling to determine external variable sensitivity to default and foreclosure.
   • Mitigate unexpected talent loss by developing a logistic regression model design to evaluate attrition risk for newly-hire employees.
   • Train and teach new graduate students, summer students immunological and microbiology assays, teach basic concepts of immunology and microbiology.
   • Partner with contractors and external stakeholders as expert on financial and economic analyses for complex litigation cases.

   More principal research economist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your principal research economist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A principal research economist salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a principal research economist in Wyoming may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level principal research economist usually earns less than a senior-level principal research economist. Additionally, a principal research economist with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average principal research economist salary

   $91,494yearly

   $43.99 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level principal research economist salary

   $61,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average principal research economist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$134,139	$64
   2	Washington	$131,504	$63
   3	Nevada	$111,787	$54
   4	Massachusetts	$105,618	$51
   5	New York	$104,886	$50
   6	New Jersey	$104,603	$50
   7	Vermont	$101,996	$49
   8	Maryland	$101,576	$49
   9	District of Columbia	$101,183	$49
   10	Virginia	$101,161	$49
   11	Pennsylvania	$100,902	$49
   12	Ohio	$100,160	$48
   13	North Carolina	$94,967	$46
   14	Illinois	$93,250	$45
   15	Utah	$93,229	$45
   16	Texas	$90,260	$43
   17	Missouri	$86,049	$41
   18	South Dakota	$85,679	$41
   19	Florida	$84,635	$41
   20	Colorado	$84,204	$40

   Average principal research economist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Microsoft	$171,282	$82.35	415
   2	Atlassian	$163,460	$78.59	34
   3	Palo Alto Networks	$156,543	$75.26	162
   4	Riot Games	$151,000	$72.60	6
   5	Amazon	$145,738	$70.07	353
   6	Workday	$145,640	$70.02	6
   7	Tencent	$142,760	$68.63	14
   8	Federal Reserve Bank of New York	$138,868	$66.76
   9	Genentech	$135,893	$65.33	63
   10	BNY Mellon	$135,578	$65.18	3
   11	Statoil	$133,965	$64.41
   12	PRUDENTIAL INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT SERVICES LLC	$132,598	$63.75
   13	FireEye	$128,394	$61.73
   14	CoreLogic	$127,432	$61.27	2
   15	Allegiant International	$124,643	$59.92
   16	Kelly Services	$123,174	$59.22	33
   17	Clear Capital	$120,320	$57.85
   18	Gartner	$119,731	$57.56	7
   19	Hellman & Friedman	$117,842	$56.65
   20	American Institutes for Research	$113,774	$54.70	18

4. Writing a principal research economist job description

   A job description for a principal research economist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a principal research economist job description:

   Principal research economist job description example

   AIR is seeking a Principal Researcher with expertise in special education research, evaluation, policy, and/or technical assistance for our Learning Supports Program Area within the Human Services Division. The Principal Researcher will lead a portfolio of projects and business pursuits related to federal and state research, evaluation, and/or TA in one or more area(s) of special education. We seek a dynamic leader with technical expertise and external visibility in the field to lead and submit competitive proposals for grants and contracts, direct large complex projects or centers funded by various clients, mentor staff, and build AIR's reputation as a leader in the field.
   
   This position may be remote, hybrid, or located out of any of the following AIR locations: Arlington, VA; Rockville, MD; Waltham, MA; Austin, TX; Chicago, IL; Chapel Hill, NC; or Sacramento, CA.
   About AIR:
   
   Established in 1946, with headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, AIR is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit institution that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to solve some of the most urgent challenges in the U.S. and around the world. We advance evidence in the areas of education, health, the workforce, human services, and international development to create a better, more equitable world.
   
   AIR's commitment to diversity goes beyond legal compliance to its full integration in our strategy, operations, and work environment. At AIR, we define diversity broadly, considering everyone's unique life and community experiences. We believe that embracing diverse perspectives, abilities/disabilities, racial/ethnic and cultural backgrounds, styles, ages, genders, gender identities and expressions, education backgrounds, and life stories drives innovation and employee engagement. Learn more about AIR's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategy and hear from our staff by clicking here.
   
   Responsibilities
   
   The responsibilities for the position include:
   
   * Build organizational capacity, knowledge and eminence in the area of special education research, evaluation, and/or TA.
   * Serve as the principal investigator or project director for large complex research, evaluation, and/or TA projects, including but not limited to federal TA centers. These roles will include leading teams, designing projects, planning implementation and analysis, overseeing tasks, managing budgets, and maintaining client relationships.
   * Serve as an expert in the field and disseminate findings through publication of papers, progress and technical reports, and presentations at seminars, meetings, and research conferences.
   * Mentor junior colleagues by sharing best practices in conducting research, applying evaluation methods, designing TA, and leading project tasks; model effective approaches for solving problems; and provide staff with proactive feedback about their work.
   * Lead business development activities and write proposals for grants or contracts to federal, state and, local education agencies, foundations, or other clients.
   * Partner with leaders in the program area and broader organization to advance strategic positioning, capture planning, policy/program influence, thought leadership, and talent development.
   * Maintain excellent relationships with funders, clients, and other partners; serve as a primary client contact; and actively grow our portfolio of work through these relationships and by staying abreast of the direction of the field.
   
   Qualifications
   
   Education, Knowledge, and Experience:
   
   * Doctoral degree in special education, educational psychology, school psychology, or a related field
   * 7 or more years of project leadership experience, including proposal writing, project management, staff supervision, publishing, report writing, and external relationship management
   * Reputation for expertise in special education or a related content area, as evidenced through publications/presentations, award of contracts and grants, and overall body of work
   * Proven track record of winning competitive contracts/grants from various funding organizations (e.g., federal, state, and local government; foundations)
   * Experience effectively leading and mentoring diverse teams working on research-focused projects and/or tasks within large projects, including managing work to ensure excellence, timeliness, and on-budget execution
   
   Skills:
   
   * Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy when writing
   * Excellent interpersonal skills to ensure effective communication with individuals at all levels and from diverse backgrounds, including the capacity to collaborate professionally with clients, federal or foundation project officers, implementing partners, consultants, program leadership staff, and other stakeholders
   * Proven ability to develop staff capacity in substantive content and methods, project management, client relationships, writing for publication, and business development
   * Commitment to AIR's mission and the application of research findings to contribute to a better, more equitable world
   
   Disclosures:
   
   AIR requires all new hires to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or receive a legally required exemption from AIR, as a condition of employment. AIR will ask candidates to verify their vaccination status only after a conditional offer of employment is made. Applicants should not provide information about their vaccination status or need for exemption prior to receiving a conditional offer of employment from AIR.
   
   Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis. Employment-based visa sponsorship (including H-1B sponsorship) is not available for this position. Depending on project work, qualified candidates may need to meet certain residency requirements.
   
   All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability.
   
   AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right principal research economist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with principal research economists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit principal research economists who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your principal research economist job on Zippia to find and recruit principal research economist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting principal research economists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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 principal research economist

   Once you've found the principal research economist 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 principal research economist. 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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