What is a research manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Heather Tanner Ph.D.,

Anthony Miller

A research manager is someone responsible for overseeing the planning, execution, and analysis of research projects. They work in a variety of industries, including academia and healthcare. Responsibilities typically include developing research proposals, managing budgets and timelines, recruiting and training research staff, analyzing data, and presenting findings to stakeholders. Research managers must have strong analytical and problem-solving skills, as well as excellent communication and leadership abilities. A successful research manager must be detail-oriented and organized.

What general advice would you give to a research manager?

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 ManagerUS Average

Salary

6.5

Avg. Salary $82,894

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 13.06%

Black or African American 4.88%

Hispanic or Latino 11.62%

Unknown 4.92%

White 65.38%

Gender

female 52.13%

male 47.87%

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

What are the pros and cons of being a research manager?

Pros

Opportunity to lead and manage a team
Exposure to cutting-edge research and innovative ideas
Opportunity for professional growth and development
Competitive salary and benefits package
Chance to collaborate with other departments within the organization

Cons

High-pressure environment with tight deadlines
Responsibility for managing budgets and resources
Need to balance competing priorities and demands
Risk of burnout due to workload or stress
Potential for conflicts with team members or stakeholders

Key steps to become a research manager

Explore research manager education requirements

Most common research manager degrees

Bachelor's

68.6 %

Master's

20.6 %

Doctorate

4.5 %

Start to develop specific research manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Market Research	8.15%
Analytics	6.09%
Quantitative Research	5.68%
Data Analysis	4.77%
Patients	4.52%

Complete relevant research manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New research managers 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 manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real research manager resumes.

Research research manager duties and responsibilities

Manage IRB submissions and complete all IRB requirements in conjunction with the HICCC s regulatory department.
Lead social path-to-purchase study, incorporating social media analytics into insight community to identify spectrum of social engagement among customers.
Conduct QA for time and testing of products.
Implement document data extraction through online web-base research and sources.

Prepare your research manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your research manager 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 manager 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 manager resume templates

Build a professional research manager 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 manager resume.

Apply for research manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a research manager 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

How do research managers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Research manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2023

Cons

high stress job, no people interaction

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2021

Cons

To be rejected

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020

Pros

It's all about getting data, follow up on project, ensuring that jobs are done properly, write reports after a project is done. You travel if the job or project you're handling is out station.