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Job outlook for research affiliates in the United States
Are research affiliate jobs in demand?
Research affiliate job and salary trends over time
Research affiliate jobs over time
Research affiliate job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 77 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 90 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 90 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 86 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 79 | 0.00% |
Average research affiliate salary over time
Research affiliate salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $67,863 | $32.63 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $65,846 | $31.66 | +4.7% |
| 2023 | $62,894 | $30.24 | +3.3% |
| 2022 | $60,877 | $29.27 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $59,720 | $28.71 | --2.1% |
Research affiliate jobs by state
Most common states for research affiliates
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,080 | 16% |
| 2 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 110 | 16% |
| 3 | Vermont | 623,657 | 89 | 14% |
| 4 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 750 | 12% |
| 5 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 650 | 12% |
| 6 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 489 | 12% |
| 7 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 142 | 11% |
| 8 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 120 | 11% |
| 9 | Delaware | 961,939 | 102 | 11% |
| 10 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 534 | 10% |
| 11 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 191 | 10% |
| 12 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 773 | 9% |
| 13 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 738 | 9% |
| 14 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 656 | 9% |
| 15 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 77 | 9% |
| 16 | New York | 19,849,399 | 1,682 | 8% |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 1,016 | 8% |
| 18 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 275 | 8% |
| 19 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 165 | 8% |
| 20 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 48 | 8% |
Most common cities for research affiliates
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phoenix | 1 | 0% | $64,349 |
Research Affiliate job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of research affiliate experts
SUNY Stony Brook
University of San Diego
Northwestern University
Washington State University
University of Houston
Elizabethtown College
Creighton University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey-Newark
East Tennessee State University
University of Akron
What will help Research Affiliates increase their earning potential?
Dr. Vitaly Citovsky: Multi-prong advice: try to get a higher degree, look for jobs that you enjoy (e.g., research, patient care) rather than chase the money.
What will help Research Affiliates increase their earning potential?
Nicole Danos PhD: In addition to many sought after hard skills that our Biology program graduate have been trained in (cell and microbial culture, DNA sequencing and bioinformatics, antibody staining, data analysis and biostatistics), graduates should remember to leverage the other scientific skills they learned. This includes things like researching and summarizing the state of knowledge in a field, distilling relevant information for peers and supervisors, presenting experimental designs and results and all around thinking about problems from start to finish. All of our graduates should be able to leverage these soft science skills, since they all had to do an independent research project.
What general advice would you give to a Research Affiliate?
Nathaniel Stern: To answer this question we need to be clear what field the graduate intends to continue in. If they want to continue in Physics as a “field”, then they will most likely need to go to graduate school in Physics, Astronomy, or a related field. There are many opportunities for graduates with majors in Physics, but many of these are in different fields. Physics majors excel in these other opportunities, but in order to do “physics”, meaning studying the science of matter and energy, one generally goes to graduate school. If this is the graduate’s plan, then the advice is to be passionate about the research topic that you choose. One does not need to know ahead of time that a particular direction of research is the best possible direction for them, but they should have interest in it. Research often involves small academic questions, and if one doesn’t find these interesting then it can be a bit of a slog. More generally, advice matches other career paths, however: do something that you love, and also choose impactful problems. Even if your own work is a small part of the whole, if you can see the impact of the field it can be exciting all the time. If the graduate is not going to graduate school in Physics or a related subject, then they are likely entering a technical career such as engineering, finance, education, data science, or consulting. Physics is a great basic training for whatever direction someone takes since it trains you to think and problem solve, especially in reducing a problem to its core questions (as opposed to building encyclopedic knowledge of relevant facts). But, whatever specific career path a graduate takes will likely bring more specialized methods, knowledge, and applications. Physics is a great starting point, but future endeavors will broaden thinking to new challenges outside of the rigid rules of physical laws. So, graduates should be willing to, and excited to, adapt to new cultures.
What general advice would you give to a Research Affiliate?
Meghan McGee-Lawrence Ph.D.: Take full advantage of the education and training opportunities offered to you either while you are completing your degree or when you start your first post-degree position. Academic institutions and employers are invested in the success of their recruits and regularly provide professional development opportunities to help folks build up skillsets – so make time to seek out and capitalize on those opportunities when they are offered, and document them on your CV (curriculum vitae) / resumes.
What will help Research Affiliates 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.
Badri Roysam D.Sc.
Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen University Professor Chair, Electrical & Computer Engineering Department University of HoustonUniversity of Houston
Petroleum Engineering
What general advice would you give to a Research Affiliate?
Badri Roysam D.Sc.: The fundamentals of the discipline, and critical thinking skills will continue to be important.
David Brown
Professor of HistoryElizabethtown College
History Department
What soft skills should all Research Affiliates possess?
David Brown: It's critical to be able to work as a team. Empathy, understanding, a bit of diplomacy, and integrity - aside from the obvious need of technical competency - are highly valued. As always, motivation is terribly important and this can be conjoined with flexibility. If energy and attitude remain positive this will rub off on others and create an attractive dynamic that draws people in. Finally, the ability to make a decision and follow through with it is perhaps too little appreciated.
What will help Research Affiliates increase their earning potential?
David Brown: Salaries have generally kept up with inflation, though with the decline of funding in the Humanities disciplines, the number of jobs has not been robust. There is a wide variance in compensation within a highly stratified university system that includes adjuncts, lecturers, visiting faculty and full-time faculty in the ranks of assistant, associate, and full professor. There is an increasing interest in pubic history - in museums, archives, and historical societies - that provide opportunities for those seeking opportunities outside of the academy.
Richard Witmer Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor of Government and PoliticsCreighton University
Department of Political Science
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Research Affiliates?
Richard Witmer Ph.D.: With the move to online a few key ones are adaptability, a willingness to continue to learn, teamwork, and reliability.
Dr. Rachel Emas Ph.D.
Assistant Teaching Professor, MPA Program DirectorRutgers, The State University of New Jersey-Newark
School of Public Affairs and Administration
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Research Affiliates?
Dr. Rachel Emas Ph.D.: The courses or certifications that have the greatest impact on a person's public service job prospects are highly dependent on that person's career goals. Some of the courses that are helpful for nearly all public servants include topics like grant writing, administrative ethics, leadership of organizations, equity and diversity, and evidence-based decision making.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Research Affiliates?
Paul Trogen Ph.D.: Some surveys suggest that as many as half of local government jobs may be filled by business graduates. One should take courses similar to what those business students study. One of our graduate students surveyed local governments, and found the skills most in demand included accounting, human resource management, budgeting, public relations, and risk management. The ability to use spreadsheets and communicate clearly with tables and graphs helps. Quantitative skills like linear programming, PERT/CPM, inventory models, and queuing theory will make you an indispensable problem solver. Some high demand niches that are unique to the public sector include geographic information systems (GIS), city planning, and economic development. Hard skills will increase your chances of landing an interview.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Research Affiliate job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Bill Lyons: Work that can be done remotely has been undisrupted while other work has been struggling to survive. In education, the argument about advancing online education is over: online education is here to stay.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Research Affiliates?
Dr. Bill Lyons: Conflict Management/Transformation skills. Quantitative analysis skills. Writing skills. Creativity and imagination skills developed in the arts.