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Research assistant/technician salary
Average research assistant/technician salary
$39,567
Understanding Research Assistant/Technician Salaries
The average salary for a Research Assistant/Technician is currently $39,567 annually, which translates to around $19 per hour. Factors influencing these salaries include geographical location, educational background, and years of experience in the field.
In states like California and New York, salaries tend to be higher due to increased living costs and demand for skilled professionals. Major cities such as San Francisco and New York City often offer the highest pay, with some positions exceeding $50,000 annually.
Additionally, entry-level positions might start lower, around $30,000, but with experience and specialization, salaries can significantly rise. Research assistants with advanced degrees or specialized skills in areas such as clinical research or laboratory management may command higher salaries. This role not only offers competitive compensation but also valuable experience in the scientific field, making it an excellent career choice for many.
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Where can a Research Assistant/Technician earn more?
Research assistant/technician salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level research assistant/technician | $24,800 | $11.94 |
| Mid-level research assistant/technician | $41,900 | $20.16 |
| Senior-level research assistant/technician | $68,700 | $33.01 |
Average research assistant/technician salary by state
The highest-paying states for research assistant/technicians are Alaska, New Jersey, and Washington. The lowest average research assistant/technician salary states are Louisiana, New Mexico, and Utah.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for research assistant/technicians
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $54,800 | $26.35 |
| 2 | Alaska | $55,092 | $26.49 |
| 3 | New York | $50,992 | $24.52 |
| 4 | Delaware | $51,381 | $24.70 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $47,836 | $23.00 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $47,793 | $22.98 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $50,355 | $24.21 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $45,359 | $21.81 |
| 9 | Washington | $53,208 | $25.58 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $49,188 | $23.65 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $44,316 | $21.31 |
| 12 | Maine | $44,886 | $21.58 |
| 13 | Texas | $45,071 | $21.67 |
| 14 | Vermont | $40,651 | $19.54 |
| 15 | Maryland | $43,148 | $20.74 |
| 16 | Oregon | $40,510 | $19.48 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $40,809 | $19.62 |
| 18 | Virginia | $42,297 | $20.34 |
| 19 | Colorado | $39,441 | $18.96 |
| 20 | Ohio | $39,474 | $18.98 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $39,819 | $19.14 |
| 22 | Michigan | $38,153 | $18.34 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $39,175 | $18.83 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $37,350 | $17.96 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $38,266 | $18.40 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $36,773 | $17.68 |
| 27 | Arizona | $37,446 | $18.00 |
| 28 | Georgia | $38,568 | $18.54 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $37,901 | $18.22 |
| 30 | California | $42,950 | $20.65 |
| 31 | Iowa | $37,969 | $18.25 |
| 32 | Illinois | $36,473 | $17.54 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $38,500 | $18.51 |
| 34 | Missouri | $36,429 | $17.51 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $37,091 | $17.83 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $36,045 | $17.33 |
| 37 | Kansas | $35,995 | $17.31 |
| 38 | Nevada | $36,766 | $17.68 |
| 39 | Alabama | $36,129 | $17.37 |
| 40 | New Mexico | $34,654 | $16.66 |
| 41 | Montana | $36,203 | $17.41 |
| 42 | Idaho | $35,452 | $17.04 |
| 43 | Utah | $34,146 | $16.42 |
| 44 | Florida | $34,699 | $16.68 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $35,025 | $16.84 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $35,141 | $16.89 |
| 47 | Indiana | $35,395 | $17.02 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $33,111 | $15.92 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $32,711 | $15.73 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $34,669 | $16.67 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $30,081 | $14.46 |
Highest paying cities for research assistant/technicians
The highest-paying cities for research assistant/technicians are New York, NY, New Haven, CT, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $51,062 | $24.55 |
| 2 | New Haven, CT | $50,401 | $24.23 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $49,218 | $23.66 |
| 4 | Horsham, PA | $48,418 | $23.28 |
| 5 | Worcester, MA | $47,873 | $23.02 |
| 6 | San Antonio, TX | $45,771 | $22.01 |
| 7 | Sacramento, CA | $43,757 | $21.04 |
| 8 | Arlington, VA | $43,670 | $21.00 |
| 9 | Rockville, MD | $42,879 | $20.61 |
| 10 | New Bern, NC | $40,952 | $19.69 |
| 11 | Saint Paul, MN | $40,841 | $19.64 |
| 12 | Salem, OR | $40,701 | $19.57 |
| 13 | Greenfield, WI | $39,094 | $18.80 |
| 14 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $38,488 | $18.50 |
| 15 | Dearborn, MI | $38,177 | $18.35 |
| 16 | Iowa City, IA | $38,142 | $18.34 |
| 17 | Cincinnati, OH | $37,484 | $18.02 |
| 18 | Reno, NV | $37,310 | $17.94 |
| 19 | North Chicago, IL | $36,960 | $17.77 |
| 20 | Memphis, TN | $36,466 | $17.53 |
Research assistant/technician salary details
A research assistant/technician's salary ranges from $27,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $56,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a research assistant/technician's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $56,000 | $4,667 | $27 |
| 75th Percentile | $47,000 | $3,917 | $23 |
| Average | $39,567 | $3,297 | $19 |
| 25th Percentile | $32,000 | $2,667 | $15 |
| 10th Percentile | $27,000 | $2,250 | $13 |
Highest paying research assistant/technician jobs
The highest paying types of research assistant/technicians are research leader, senior research analyst, and research analyst.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate Research Student | $34,658 | $2,888 | $16.66 | 58,921 |
| Research Fellow | $53,823 | $4,485 | $25.88 | 59,746 |
| Research Leader | $107,345 | $8,945 | $51.61 | 77,051 |
| Research Analyst | $70,232 | $5,853 | $33.77 | 81,374 |
| Research Internship | $39,573 | $3,298 | $19.03 | 95,123 |
| Research Laboratory Technician | $38,308 | $3,192 | $18.42 | 86,476 |
Top companies hiring research assistant/technicians now:
Which companies pay research assistant/technicians the most?
Research assistant/technician salaries at MDRC and Ford Motor are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average research assistant/technician salary at companies like Northeastern University and The University of Alabama in Huntsville are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MDRC | $59,318 | $28.52 |
| 2 | Ford Motor | $55,930 | $26.89 |
| 3 | Northeastern University | $52,921 | $25.44 |
| 4 | The University of Alabama in Huntsville | $46,594 | $22.40 |
| 5 | Brigham and Women's Hospital | $45,924 | $22.08 |
| 6 | California Institute of Technology | $45,882 | $22.06 |
| 7 | Humana | $44,430 | $21.36 |
| 8 | IEDC | $42,422 | $20.40 |
| 9 | PSEA | $42,130 | $20.25 |
| 10 | Neogen | $41,772 | $20.08 |
| 11 | The Research Corporation of the University of Hawai'i | $40,446 | $19.45 |
| 12 | Children's Hospital of Philadelphia | $40,345 | $19.40 |
| 13 | Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings | $39,394 | $18.94 |
| 14 | Partners Healthcare Solutions Inc | $38,956 | $18.73 |
| 15 | Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science | $38,794 | $18.65 |
| 16 | Synergy Enterprises | $38,775 | $18.64 |
| 17 | Charles River Labs | $38,306 | $18.42 |
| 18 | Drexel University | $38,257 | $18.39 |
| 19 | Charles River Center | $38,101 | $18.32 |
| 20 | University of Iowa Center for Advancement | $37,500 | $18.03 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Research Assistant/Technician salary by industry
The average research assistant/technician salary varies across industries:
- The average research assistant/technician salary in the technology industry is $64,091, the highest of any industry.
- The average research assistant/technician salary in the finance industry is $44,365.
- Research assistant/technicians in the pharmaceutical industry earn an average salary of $36,603, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for research assistant/technicians
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $64,091 | $30.81 |
| 2 | Health Care | $44,365 | $21.33 |
| 3 | Education | $40,782 | $19.61 |
| 4 | Government | $39,055 | $18.78 |
| 5 | Pharmaceutical | $36,603 | $17.60 |
High paying research assistant/technician jobs
Research assistant/technician salary trends
The average research assistant/technician salary has risen by $3,343 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average research assistant/technician earned $36,224 annually, but today, they earn $39,567 a year. That works out to a 5% change in pay for research assistant/technicians over the last decade.
Compare research assistant/technician salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average research assistant/technician salary over time
Compare research assistant/technician salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Research assistant/technician salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $39,600 | $19.02 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $38,400 | $18.44 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $37,900 | $18.25 | -0.2% |
| 2022 | $38,000 | $18.28 | +1.1% |
| 2021 | $37,600 | $18.08 | +0.7% |
Recently added research assistant/technician salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles River Laboratories | Research Technician Assistant | Reno, NV | 06/07/2025 | $45,914 |
| Charles River Laboratories | Research Technician Assistant | Reno, NV | 05/06/2025 | $45,914 |
| Charles River Laboratories | Research Technician Assistant | Reno, NV | 04/25/2025 | $45,914 |
| Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago | Research Technologist II-DR. Dalal's Lab | North Chicago, IL | 03/30/2025 | $40,697 |
| Charles River Laboratories | Research Technician Assistant | Reno, NV | 03/19/2025 | $45,914 |
| Ubc Cpd | Research Assistant/Technician 3 | Union, NJ | 02/20/2025 | $42,992 |
| Toxpath | Research Technician Assistant | Reno, NV | 02/17/2025 | $45,914 |
| Ugajobsearch | Research Assistant/Tech | Griffin, GA | 02/16/2025 | $27,500 |
| Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. | Research Technician Assistant | Reno, NV | 01/27/2025 | $45,914 |
| Altasciences Preclinical Seattle | Research Technician Assistant | Everett, WA | 01/17/2025 | $40,697 |
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