How To Become A Research Computing Specialist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a research computing specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Heather Tanner Ph.D.

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a research computing specialist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $32.68 an hour? That's $67,967 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 19% and produce 150,300 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a research computing specialist?

Heather Tanner Ph.D.

Associate Professor, The Ohio State University

Most entry-level jobs have lots of boring elements, which is frustrating when you can't wait to jump in and tackle exciting challenges. However, it would help if you showed your immediate supervisor and the company/institution that you are a good team member, capable, and willing to take on tasks (challenging and boring). Routinely ask your supervisor for new jobs or projects to expand your skillset and knowledge of the company/institution. It would help if you also manage your expectations about how quickly you'll be promoted; it can be frustratingly slow. Finally, it's essential to recognize that you need to manage your reputation - this is a workplace where you need to be perceived as a responsible and competent professional. Therefore, only share information about your personal life and leisure time as if talking to your grandparents.

ScoreResearch Computing SpecialistUS Average

Salary

5.3

Avg. Salary $67,967

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.9

Growth rate 19%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.13%

Asian 14.05%

Black or African American 4.69%

Hispanic or Latino 11.15%

Unknown 4.88%

White 65.10%

Gender

female 34.36%

male 65.64%

Age - 34

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 34

Stress level

4.9

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.2

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.6

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a research computing specialist

Explore research computing specialist education requirements

Most common research computing specialist degrees

Bachelor's

67.8 %

Master's

17.4 %

Associate

7.4 %

Start to develop specific research computing specialist skills

Skills	Percentages
Python	34.51%
Cloud	12.62%
Linux	9.33%
GIT	8.98%
C	6.30%

Complete relevant research computing specialist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New research computing specialists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a research computing specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real research computing specialist resumes.

Research research computing specialist duties and responsibilities

Manage a departmental network, support PC's, and provide technology assistance and advice for instructors.
Manage social media publications to spread awareness and notifications on Facebook.
Study cloud computing architecture for summer research.
Programme using Perl and Matlab.

Prepare your research computing specialist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your research computing specialist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a research computing specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable research computing specialist resume templates

Build a professional research computing specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your research computing specialist resume.

Apply for research computing specialist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a research computing specialist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

Average research computing specialist salary

The average research computing specialist salary in the United States is $67,967 per year or $33 per hour. Research computing specialist salaries range between $44,000 and $104,000 per year.

Average research computing specialist salary

$67,967 Yearly

$32.68 hourly

How do research computing specialists rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Research computing specialist reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020

Cons

Fundamental Economics

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019

Cons

Language barrier can be a problem,because communication needs to be formed in the language that each community you interact with understands.

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2019

Cons

Lots of sitting.

What is a research computing specialist and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a research computing specialist?

Research computing specialist career paths

Key steps to become a research computing specialist

Explore research computing specialist education requirements

Most common research computing specialist degrees

Start to develop specific research computing specialist skills

Complete relevant research computing specialist training and internships

Research research computing specialist duties and responsibilities

Prepare your research computing specialist resume

Choose from 10+ customizable research computing specialist resume templates

Apply for research computing specialist jobs

How did you land your first research computing specialist job

Average research computing specialist salary

How do research computing specialists rate their job?

Research computing specialist reviews