Research Assistant Salary
Average Research Assistant Salary
$42,896yearly
How much does a Research Assistant make?
Research assistants make $42,896 per year on average, or $20.62 per hour, in the United States. Research assistants on the lower end of that spectrum, the bottom 10% to be exact, make roughly $28,000 a year, while the top 10% makes $64,000.
Location impacts how much a research assistant can expect to make. Research assistants make the most in New Jersey, Alaska, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Connecticut.
Highest Paying States For Research Assistants
- State View
- County View
Research Assistant average salary by State
| Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $58,492 | $28.12 | 994 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $53,102 | $25.53 | 2,486 |
| 3 | Alaska | $54,653 | $26.28 | 93 |
| 4 | Vermont | $50,955 | $24.50 | 93 |
| 5 | California | $50,227 | $24.15 | 4,248 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $51,503 | $24.76 | 243 |
| 7 | Illinois | $49,989 | $24.03 | 1,123 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $50,484 | $24.27 | 299 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $44,240 | $21.27 | 136 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $43,364 | $20.85 | 1,263 |
| 11 | Delaware | $47,925 | $23.04 | 106 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $42,775 | $20.56 | 176 |
| 13 | New York | $45,645 | $21.94 | 1,365 |
| 14 | Oregon | $42,603 | $20.48 | 587 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $42,580 | $20.47 | 808 |
| 16 | Virginia | $45,277 | $21.77 | 802 |
| 17 | Michigan | $41,084 | $19.75 | 747 |
| 18 | Idaho | $42,781 | $20.57 | 117 |
| 19 | Georgia | $42,700 | $20.53 | 723 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $39,190 | $18.84 | 708 |
| 21 | Maryland | $40,887 | $19.66 | 644 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $40,229 | $19.34 | 114 |
| 23 | Louisiana | $41,838 | $20.11 | 165 |
| 24 | Florida | $40,693 | $19.56 | 1,286 |
| 25 | Washington | $38,201 | $18.37 | 931 |
| 26 | North Dakota | $39,842 | $19.15 | 60 |
| 27 | Maine | $38,630 | $18.57 | 113 |
| 28 | Ohio | $38,763 | $18.64 | 775 |
| 29 | Nevada | $41,054 | $19.74 | 109 |
| 30 | Missouri | $38,237 | $18.38 | 534 |
| 31 | Mississippi | $38,986 | $18.74 | 116 |
| 32 | Colorado | $37,821 | $18.18 | 708 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $38,382 | $18.45 | 407 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $36,551 | $17.57 | 203 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $38,441 | $18.48 | 120 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $35,166 | $16.91 | 224 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $37,988 | $18.26 | 195 |
| 38 | Indiana | $36,880 | $17.73 | 482 |
| 39 | Arizona | $36,746 | $17.67 | 479 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $35,556 | $17.09 | 66 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $37,322 | $17.94 | 160 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $32,453 | $15.60 | 482 |
| 43 | Utah | $32,414 | $15.58 | 272 |
| 44 | Iowa | $33,835 | $16.27 | 247 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $32,610 | $15.68 | 82 |
| 46 | Kansas | $33,633 | $16.17 | 190 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $26,498 | $12.74 | 54 |
| 48 | Texas | $31,634 | $15.21 | 1,563 |
| 49 | Montana | $30,209 | $14.52 | 93 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $32,201 | $15.48 | 196 |
| 51 | Alabama | $30,884 | $14.85 | 148 |
Highest Paying Cities For Research Assistants
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Brunswick, NJ | $58,524 | $28.14 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $53,085 | $25.52 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $52,332 | $25.16 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $51,473 | $24.75 |
| 5 | Chicago, IL | $50,272 | $24.17 |
| 6 | Farmington, CT | $50,267 | $24.17 |
| 7 | New York, NY | $45,775 | $22.01 |
| 8 | Providence, RI | $44,218 | $21.26 |
| 9 | Philadelphia, PA | $43,746 | $21.03 |
| 10 | Raleigh, NC | $43,541 | $20.93 |
| 11 | Eugene, OR | $43,105 | $20.72 |
| 12 | Atlanta, GA | $42,592 | $20.48 |
| 13 | Detroit, MI | $41,288 | $19.85 |
| 14 | Miami, FL | $41,207 | $19.81 |
| 15 | Baltimore, MD | $41,035 | $19.73 |
Here Are The Five Most In Demand Cities Right Now:
Research Assistants Salary Details
What is a Research Assistant's Salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $64,000 | $5,333 | $31 |
| 75th Percentile | $53,000 | $4,417 | $25 |
| Average | $42,896 | $3,575 | $21 |
| 25th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
| 10th Percentile | $28,000 | $2,333 | $13 |
Highest Paying Types of Research Assistants
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate Researcher | $32,346 | $2,696 | $15.55 | 17,313 |
| Research Laboratory Technician | $38,308 | $3,192 | $18.42 | 86,476 |
| Research Fellow | $53,823 | $4,485 | $25.88 | 59,746 |
| Graduate Research Student | $34,658 | $2,888 | $16.66 | 58,921 |
| Research Internship | $39,573 | $3,298 | $19.03 | 95,123 |
| Research Technician | $43,034 | $3,586 | $20.69 | 64,786 |
Here are the five companies hiring the most now:
Which Companies Pay Research Assistants The Most?
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $76,000 | $36.54 | 79 |
| 2 | $75,206 | $36.16 | 40 | |
| 3 | Governors State University | $73,977 | $35.57 | |
| 4 | Genentech | $73,160 | $35.17 | 60 |
| 5 | Moody's | $71,427 | $34.34 | 3 |
| 6 | Citi | $69,978 | $33.64 | 8 |
| 7 | Children's Hospital New Orleans | $66,091 | $31.77 | 7 |
| 8 | Frazier History Museum | $66,051 | $31.76 | |
| 9 | EDC | $65,573 | $31.53 | 1 |
| 10 | Stanford Health Care | $65,040 | $31.27 | 4 |
| 11 | Schneider Electric Industrial Services | $63,414 | $30.49 | 2 |
| 12 | APCO Worldwide | $62,997 | $30.29 | |
| 13 | Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) | $62,653 | $30.12 | |
| 14 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | $62,033 | $29.82 | 15 |
| 15 | ABB | $61,198 | $29.42 | 31 |
| 16 | Edgewood College | $60,812 | $29.24 | |
| 17 | Cook Children's Medical Center | $60,665 | $29.17 | 11 |
| 18 | Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | $60,436 | $29.06 | 1 |
| 19 | Board Of Regents Of The University System Of Georgia | $60,246 | $28.96 | |
| 20 | New York Institute of Technology | $59,923 | $28.81 | 6 |
Research Assistant Pay Trends
Average Research Assistant Salary Over Time
Compare salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Research Assistant Salary By Year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $42,900 | $20.62 | +3.5% |
| 2022 | $41,400 | $19.91 | +1.8% |
| 2021 | $40,700 | $19.55 | +1.4% |
| 2020 | $40,100 | $19.28 | +6.1% |
| 2019 | $37,600 | $18.10 | +1.6% |
Recently Added Research Assistant Salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSG Global Solutions | Research Assistant I | Framingham, MA | 11/29/2022 | $31,305 |
| ABB Solutions, Inc. | Warehouse Support-6401 Centennial DR Reynoldsburg OH 43064 G751 Hold | Reynoldsburg, OH | 11/28/2022 | $27,131 |
| ICF | Research Assistant (Remote) | Reston, VA | 11/27/2022 | $55,089 |
| University of Rhode Island | Research Assistant III (Nursing) | Providence, RI | 11/27/2022 | $38,374 |
| Domino's Franchise | Delivery Driver(03814)X-13081 Springhill DR Springhill, 34609 | Spring Hill, FL | 11/27/2022 | $25,044 |
| The Metropolitan Opera | Research Assistant | Lincoln, NY | 11/26/2022 | $42,000 |
| Alliance for Multispeciality Research, LLC | Research Assistant | Wichita, KS | 11/26/2022 | $50,000 |
| Domino's Franchise | Delivery Driver Banks DR.-Flexible Schedule | Chapel Hill, NC | 11/26/2022 | $30,000 |
| Amr Lex | Research Assistant | Fort Myers, FL | 11/26/2022 | $50,000 |
| Domino's Pizza LLC | Delivery Driver-Flexible Schedule + Cash Tips-70 S Airport DR, Highland | Enon, VA | 11/25/2022 | $31,305 |
Research Assistant Salaries FAQs
What State Pays Research Assistants The Most?
New Jersey pays Research Assistants the most in the United States, with an average salary of $58,492 per year, or $28.12 per hour.
How Do I Know If I'm Being Paid Fairly As A Research Assistant?
You know if you are being paid fairly as a Research Assistant if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Alaska you should be paid close to $54,653 per year.
What Type Of Research Assistant Gets Paid The Most?
Research Assistant Professor gets paid the most. Research Assistant Professor made a median salary of $73,455. The best-paid 10 percent make $87,000, while the lowest-paid 10 percent make $61,000.
What Is A Good Starting Salary For A Research Assistant?
A good starting salary for a research assistant is $28,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a research assistant in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for research assistants is $41,424, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a research assistant can vary by state.
Do You Get Paid For Being A Research Assistant?
Yes, you do get paid for being a research assistant. Most research assistants are paid. However, most research assistants are not permanent positions as they usually last anywhere from a few months to a few years, usually dependent on the length of the research grant.
How Much Do You Get Paid As A Research Assistant?
You get paid $43,190 a year as a research assistant, on average. This can range anywhere from as low as $25,000 a year to as high as $84,000 a year for a specialized clinical research assistant.
Is Research Assistant A Good Career?
Yes, research assistant is a good career. Working as a research assistant is a great way to learn research techniques and get in-field experience and can be a great stepping stone to working in a variety of careers.
What Is The Hourly Rate For A Research Assistant?
The hourly rate for a research assistant is $21.15. The average research assistant starts at around $12.00 per hour but can get as high as $40.00 an hour depending on the location, the type of research assistant, and the level of experience.
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