How to hire a psychology research assistant

How to hire a psychology research assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step psychology 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 psychology research assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new psychology research assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a psychology research assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The psychology research assistant hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A psychology research assistant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, psychology research assistants 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 shows salaries for various types of psychology research assistants.

   Type of Psychology Research Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Psychology Research Assistant		$16-41
   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
   Research Scholar	Research scholars are college students who perform on projects in a particular field for a university or organization. Generally, they work with professors and other professionals in the field of study and focus on discovering new information that can be produced in trade or academic journals... Show more	$17-44

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Data Collection
   • SPSS
   • Research Projects
   • Data Analysis
   • Psychology Lab
   • Literature Reviews
   • Behavioral Data
   • Statistical Analysis
   • Research Studies
   • Human Subjects
   • Analyze Data
   • Research Assistants
   • Research Findings
   • Conduct Research

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Accomplish electroencephalogram (EEG), MRI, and behavioral testing on research participants.
   • Evaluate patients' study eligibility via medical history, obtain informed consent, enroll patients, and achieve enrollment quotas.
   • Design computer-based surveys, perform data collection and analysis using SQL and STATA.
   • Conduct psychological research on the correlation between humility and romantic relationships before and after having children using survey methods and SPSS.
   • Train researchers in using SAS programs for processing and analyzing data.
   • Implement a web-crawler to track ideas spread across the Internet using search APIs.

   More psychology research assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the psychology research assistant job description is a good way to get more applicants. A psychology research assistant salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a psychology research assistant in Vermont may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level psychology research assistant. Additionally, a psychology research assistant with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average psychology research assistant salary

   $54,582yearly

   $26.24 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level psychology research assistant salary

   $34,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average psychology research assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$76,173	$37
   2	Maryland	$59,526	$29
   3	Connecticut	$56,801	$27
   4	California	$56,509	$27
   5	New York	$53,380	$26
   6	Florida	$52,847	$25
   7	Colorado	$50,027	$24
   8	Pennsylvania	$43,026	$21

   Average psychology research assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	MassBay Community College	$75,961	$36.52	1
   2	Rutgers University	$70,524	$33.91	93
   3	PSEA	$60,048	$28.87	33
   4	UMiami Health System	$59,352	$28.53
   5	Carnegie Mellon University	$58,216	$27.99	75
   6	Kelly Services	$56,199	$27.02	19
   7	University of Notre Dame	$52,009	$25.00	6

4. Writing a psychology research assistant job description

   A psychology 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 psychology research assistant job description:

   Psychology research assistant job description example

   Hello,
   
   Thank you for your interest in career opportunities with the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Please review the following instructions prior to submitting your job application:
   Provide all of your employment history, education, and licenses/certifications/registrations. You will be unable to modify your application after you have submitted it. You must meet all of the job requirements at the time of submitting the application. You can only apply one time to a job requisition. Once you start the application process you cannot save your work. Please ensure you have all required attachment(s) available to complete your application before you begin the process.Applications must be submitted prior to the close of the recruitment. Once recruitment has closed, applications will no longer be accepted.
   
   After you apply, we will review your qualifications and contact you if your application is among the most highly qualified. Due to the large volume of applications, we are unable to individually respond to all applicants. You may check the status of your application via your Candidate Profile.
   
   Thank you,
   Human Resources
   
   Important Applications Instructions:
   
   Please complete this application in entirety by providing all of your work experience, education and certifications/
   license. You will be unable to edit/add/change your application once it is submitted.
   
   
   Job Category:
   Research (Non-Faculty Only)
   
   Organization:
   SOM-Psychiatry-Division
   of Psychology Research
   
   Location/s:
   Main Campus Jackson
   
   Job Title:
   Researcher II - Division of Psychology - Rural Communities Opioid Response Program - SOM
   
   Job Summary:
   Conducts research applying theoretical and professional working knowledge for desired outcomes to include, but not limited to, conducting and modifying procedures as needed, data collection and analysis, laboratory management, preparing and designing reports, and communication.
   
   Education & Experience
   Bachelor's degree, or associate's degree plus two (2) years of related experience. No other equivalents.
   
   Certifications, Licenses or Registration required: N/A
   
   Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
   Written and verbal communications skills. Interpersonal skills. Ability to work in a team environment. Leadership skills
   
   Responsibilities
   Prepares and maintains culture media, reagents, and experimental animals as appropriate; modifies existing research techniques in collaboration with research faculty establishes, and independently performs routine and non-routine experiments; compiles, analyzes, and interprets research data using various relevant computer software applications; compiles processes and analyzes data; organizes and manages research data; responsible for evaluation and interpretation of results, and design process which may be in collaboration with the pi or completed independently Responds to data-related requests from research faculty, project staff, and agencies Performs training duties involving lower level employees Records research procedures and results; files and maintains records; keep detailed records of all laboratory activities Maintains established department policies, procedures and objectives, including the areas of quality assurance, safety, environmental and infection control; performs the quantitative analysis according to established standard operating procedures (sops); ensures that knowledge about regulatory requirements is current; assists research faculty and colleagues with day-to-day laboratory operations including monitoring the budget and inventory control ensuring quality control and safety compliance, developing policies and procedures, and ordering supplies; communicates regularly with the research faculty about all aspects of research trials Identifies problems, troubleshoots and analyzes variations observed and reported in regular testing protocols; modifies, refines or adapts techniques and procedures; troubleshoot problems with all aspects of evaluation and recommends solutions; adapts and/or modifies experimental methods based upon interpretation of data Monitors, maintains, sets up any study equipment, and maintains laboratory equipment in proper working order, following appropriate laboratory safety protocols The duties listed are general in nature and are examples of the duties and responsibilities performed and are not meant to be construed as exclusive or all-inclusive. Management retains the right to add or change duties at any time
   
   Physical and Environmental Demands
   Requires occasional exposure to unpleasant or disagreeable physical environment such as high noise level and exposure to heat and cold, occasional handling or working with potentially dangerous equipment, exposure to biohazardous conditions such as risk of radiation exposure, blood borne pathogens, fumes or airborne particles, and/or toxic or caustic chemicals which mandate attention to safety considerations, frequent bending, occasional lifting and carrying up to 75 pounds, frequent crouching/stooping, frequent driving, frequent kneeling, occasional pushing/pulling, frequent reaching, frequent sitting, frequent standing, and frequent walking.
   
   Time Type:
   Full time
   
   FLSA Designation/Job Exempt:
   No
   
   Pay Class:
   Hourly
   
   FTE %:
   100
   
   Work Shift:
   Day
   
   Benefits Eligibility:
   Benefits Eligible
   
   Job Posting Date:
   09/2/2022
   
   Job Closing Date (open until filled if no date specified):

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right psychology research assistant 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 psychology research assistants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit psychology research assistants 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 psychology research assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit psychology research assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit psychology 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 to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   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 psychology research assistant

   Once you've found the psychology 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 equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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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