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Job outlook for research programmers in the United States
Research programmer job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected research programmer job growth rate is -7% from 2018-2028.
About -17,900 new jobs for research programmers are projected over the next decade.
Research programmer salaries have increased 12% for research programmers in the last 5 years.
There are over 14,842 research programmers currently employed in the United States.
There are 139,392 active research programmer job openings in the US.
The average research programmer salary is $80,823.
Are research programmer jobs in demand?
Research programmer job and salary trends over time
Research programmer jobs over time
Research programmer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 14,842 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 30,336 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 29,334 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 85,104 | 0.03% |
| 2017 | 91,463 | 0.03% |
Average research programmer salary over time
Research programmer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $80,823 | $38.86 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $78,160 | $37.58 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $76,390 | $36.73 | +2.5% |
| 2022 | $74,541 | $35.84 | +3.0% |
| 2021 | $72,366 | $34.79 | +0.4% |
Research programmer jobs by state
Most common states for research programmers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 358 | 52% |
| 2 | Vermont | 623,657 | 238 | 38% |
| 3 | Delaware | 961,939 | 344 | 36% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 416 | 31% |
| 5 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 1,239 | 30% |
| 6 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 312 | 29% |
| 7 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 861 | 28% |
| 8 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 2,282 | 27% |
| 9 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,417 | 25% |
| 10 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,401 | 25% |
| 11 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 267 | 25% |
| 12 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 181 | 24% |
| 13 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 141 | 24% |
| 14 | California | 39,536,653 | 8,906 | 23% |
| 15 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 2,034 | 23% |
| 16 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 448 | 23% |
| 17 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,311 | 22% |
| 18 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 2,505 | 20% |
| 19 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,393 | 20% |
| 20 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 273 | 20% |
Most common cities for research programmers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pittsburgh | 5 | 2% | $70,989 |
| 2 | Vista | 1 | 1% | $90,367 |
| 3 | Los Angeles | 7 | 0% | $91,861 |
| 4 | Detroit | 2 | 0% | $71,952 |
| 5 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $78,127 |
| 6 | Oakland | 1 | 0% | $99,848 |
| 7 | Rochester | 1 | 0% | $84,324 |
Research Programmer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of research programmer experts
Nova Southeastern University
University of Kentucky
University of Guam
Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
Weber State University
University of California, Santa Cruz
Gwynedd Mercy University
Portland State University
University of Maryland
Augusta University
Colorado State University
Junping Sun Ph.D.
ProfessorNova Southeastern University
Computer Software And Media Applications
What Research Programmer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Junping Sun Ph.D.: Computer Science and its applications in various fields are very dynamic and constantly evolving, and anyone in the fields needs to prepare to be adaptive by lifelong learning.
What skills stand out on Research Programmer resumes?
Jennifer Cramer: Linguistics stands at the intersection of the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Therefore, the skills one acquires in linguistics degree programs can include many types. What stands out for most is their ability to apply quantitative and qualitative problem-solving skills to a wide range of problems. Most students are given the opportunity to learn how to use specialized tools that have specific applications in linguistics but can also be used in various other domains (e.g., various statistical packages, programming languages, visualization tools, audio recording equipment). Yet, they also learn to critically assess data on more qualitative measures, like discourse and sentiment analysis, which also have applications beyond the field. The most impressive resume is one that showcases that a person not only understands these approaches to a problem but can carefully articulate the problem, to begin with, execute a plan to find solutions to that problem, and produce a complete project that addresses the nuances of language in clear and concise ways.
What skills will help Research Programmers earn the most?
Jennifer Cramer: Computational linguistics and data science are the highest-earning linguistics careers, which likely means programming skills are the most sought after.
What soft skills should all Research Programmers possess?
Jennifer Cramer: Every linguistics program will teach students to use critical thinking and reading skills. In many cases, because of the complex nature of the linguistic structure, linguistics students must develop a keen sense of pattern-finding. Also, research is usually the main component of a linguistics degree program. Therefore students are typically well-trained in academic writing. Yet, because language is of interest to many, it is also important for linguistics students to develop an ability to explain what this research accomplishes in lay person's terms and what real-world implications it has.
James Sellmann Ph.D.
Dean, Professor of Philosophy and Micronesian StudiesUniversity of Guam
College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
What general advice would you give to a Research Programmer?
James Sellmann Ph.D.: General advice is to keep in mind that you must leverage your skills, especially your soft skills of being able to work with people, to communicate effectively and to be able to solve problems. Be real. Don't try to pretend to be someone else to impress others. Be your authentic self. And show up on time.
What Research Programmer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
James Sellmann Ph.D.: General advice is to keep in mind that you must leverage your skills, especially your soft skills of being able to work with people, to communicate effectively and to be able to solve problems. Be real. Don't try to pretend to be someone else to impress others. Be your authentic self. And show up on time.
Peter Schubert Ph.D.
ProfessorIndiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department
What will help Research Programmers increase their earning potential?
Peter Schubert Ph.D.: Electrical and Computer Engineering is already attracting well-paying jobs. In my opinion, with the advent of distance collaboration and on-line meetings, the world is closer than ever before. This means there is greater and easier access to talent. So, the more important consideration, in my opinion, is to pursue post-graduate education, such as a Masters of Science, or a doctor of philosophy (of science, or Ph.D.). Investing in yourself is always a good choice. For those students able to do so, pursuing advanced degrees will generally mean higher starting salary, faster advancement, and longer career relevance.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Research Programmers?
Dr. Kyle Feuz Ph.D.: Change is often a slow process. For years, we have been hearing about the potential benefits of having employees work remotely and many companies had even started moving in that direction prior to the pandemic. However, the pandemic forced rapid change in the workplace environment with remote work becoming a necessity if businesses wanted to stay open. As I talk with different employers I am hearing a consistent message: remote work is here to stay.
This should not be interpreted to mean that every company is suddenly committed to allowing their employees to work remotely on a full-time basis (although some are). Instead, many companies see this as an opportunity to allow increased flexibility with work schedules and remote work. I do not anticipate that these changes will be immediate. Remember, change is often a slow process. I cannot predict the ripple effect such changes will cause in the job market.
With that in mind, we can start to consider the broader effects such policies will have. This has the potential to open the job market up to a wider audience. Previously, a graduate would have to decide if they were willing to relocate before looking at an opening outside of their immediate geographic area. With full-time remote work, those geographic constraints no longer apply. Similarly, individuals with other commitments that may prevent them from working a traditional 9-5 job may find opportunities that would previously have been unavailable to them. This just barely scratches the surface of the enduring impacts the pandemic may cause but one thing is certain, the world will never be the same.
What soft skills should all Research Programmers possess?
Dr. Kyle Feuz Ph.D.: The top three things I hear from employers when talking about soft-skills are communication, collaboration, and ethics. They need employees who know how to communicate professionally in both written communications and oral communications. They also need employees who can work with others. You may be working internally with colleagues or externally with customers, clients and business partners but there are very few positions where collaborating with others is not a large part of the job. Finally, employers are looking for trustworthy employees. Many technical positions involve working with sensitive data, and no amount of technical controls can compensate for unethical or untrustworthy employees. All three of these soft skills are only going to increase in importance with the rise in remote work. Remote work cannot function successfully without good communication, collaboration and ethical behavior.
What general advice would you give to a Research Programmer?
Sheldon Logan Ph.D.: Network. The more people you know and the more comprehensive your system, the more opportunities you will be exposed to, in addition to being aware of all that's happening in the field. Technology changes quickly, so you don't want to be blindsided when changes are coming because you were pigeonholed in a specific area and not aware of broader technology trends.
What type of skills will young Research Programmers need?
Cindy Casey: Graduates today need technology skills. Even students who are not majoring in computing and technology should be familiar with the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and machine learning. We use AI every time we read our email, ride in an Uber, or perform a Google search. Those who do not want to major in computer information science should consider a minor in computing. It will not only prepare them for the future, regardless of what their major is, but it will make them a more valuable employee.
Mark Faust
Assistant ProfessorPortland State University
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department
What type of skills will young Research Programmers need?
Mark Faust: Naturally, technical skills and knowledge are required, but needs for a specific programming language or microprocessor architecture or FPGA platform experience is transitory and, in any event, can be learned if someone already has experience with a different one. Instead, what our partners (whether capstone project sponsors, internship program recruiters, or our industry advisory board) repeatedly tell us is that they're looking for students/recent college grads with the ability to work on teams and who can communicate well and effectively.
These skills are in even greater demand during COVID, when many teams aren't able to meet in person. Even before COVID made it absolutely necessary, geographically dispersed teams have been the norm in many fields, and people who aren't daunted by working across timezones and cultures, are particularly in demand. We try to not only teach these skills but give students practical experience exercising them by working on team projects, as early as a sophomore year, and culminating in their "practice" and a senior capstone project. Midway through the 2019-2020 academic year, we pivoted all capstone projects that were underway to eliminate face-to-face meetings. Most teams were already using tools like Slack, and video conferencing (e.g., Google Hangout, Skype, FaceTme, Zoom) and adapted pretty well. We moved from having an in-person poster session and demonstrations, to conducting the entire event on-line with stringent time constraints, requiring students to be particularly concise and efficient communicators.
What type of skills will young Research Programmers need?
Aniket Bera: Yes. Although fields using AI and modern technologies (like Computer Science and Engineering degrees) will be less affected, as there is still a huge requirement for such skillset in the industry, yes, in the short term, recent graduates may find it hard to find jobs with many companies having a hiring freeze. I'm hoping this is temporary, and things will start getting better after Spring.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Research Programmers to find work opportunities?
Gagan Agrawal: Computing related field graduates have found jobs in almost all geographies. Moreover, work from home is getting very common, as are geographically dispersed project teams. So, I think job opportunities are available everywhere.
How do you envision technology impacting Research Programmers in the next 5 years?
Edwin Chong Ph.D.: Online-communication software has already made an impact on our way of studying and working. Online technology will help to streamline many bureaucratic processes in the workplace. The need for people to use computers at home will also increase the use of at-home broadband Internet services and computing hardware and peripherals. Vendors old and new will enter the market to take advantage of the new demand for such products and services, helping speed up more advanced technologies.