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

What is a research professor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Betsy Smith,

Shelly Lesher

The work of professors at academic institutions often goes beyond just teaching students. Professors are expected to break new ground in their field and advance knowledge by publishing exciting studies and conducting research. Research professors are academics who primarily focus on research.

Although some schools expect research professors to teach classes in addition to their work in the lab, their research work comes first. They oversee experiments in a lab that help them work toward answering a research question. A research professor also has to take care of the less-exciting administrative aspects of the job, such as applying for grant funding or supervising the work of graduate students.

Research professors can specialize in a variety of fields, from chemistry to microbiology to engineering. However, almost all research professors are expected to have advanced degrees in their field of study, such as a doctoral degree. Only after extensive study can they teach others and conduct their own experiments in a research center.

What general advice would you give to a research professor?

Dr. Betsy Smith

Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Elmira College

I would advise students just graduating to be flexible and open-minded in their job search. Chemistry is a challenging major, and students who succeed in it have learned how to learn, so they shouldn't assume that pure chemistry is the only thing they can do. One growing field is biomedical research, and chemistry majors are often qualified for jobs in that area. If you have other strengths, like writing, there are often jobs that can combine them as a technical writer or work for a science journal. There are jobs out there that might be perfect for you that you haven't heard of until you see an ad for it, so be open to different possibilities.

ScoreResearch ProfessorUS Average

Salary

8.1

Avg. Salary $119,503

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.3

Growth rate 17%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.15%

Asian 26.39%

Black or African American 6.36%

Hispanic or Latino 9.59%

Unknown 4.10%

White 53.41%

Gender

female 37.63%

male 62.37%

Age - 39

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 - 39

Stress level

6.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.7

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a research professor

Explore research professor education requirements

Most common research professor degrees

Bachelor's

58.5 %

Doctorate

23.0 %

Master's

14.9 %

Start to develop specific research professor skills

Skills	Percentages
Research Projects	15.54%
Public Health	11.98%
Data Collection	10.64%
Mathematics	7.34%
Python	7.09%

Complete relevant research professor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New research professors 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 professor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real research professor resumes.

Research research professor duties and responsibilities

Research lead to important biomarkers for stages of microglial activation.
Manage social media publications to spread awareness and notifications on Facebook.
Publish reports and papers, submit program applications to NIH, DTRA and DARPA.
Focuse on the chemical synthesis of sulfate dendrimer molecules for heparin-like coagulant activity.

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