Researcher demographics and statistics in the US
Researcher demographics research summary. Zippia estimates researcher demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our researcher estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about researchers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 104,323 researchers currently employed in the United States.
- 49.1% of all researchers are women, while 50.9% are men.
- The average researcher age is 40 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of researchers is White (53.4%), followed by Asian (26.4%), Hispanic or Latino (9.6%) and Black or African American (6.4%).
- Researchers are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- Newark, NJ pays an annual average wage of $100,676, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women researchers earned 101% of what men earned.
- New Jersey is the best state for researchers to live.
- Researchers are 69% more likely to work at education companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
Researcher demographics by:
Researcher gender statistics
49.1% of researchers are women and 50.9% of researchers are men.
- Male, 50.9%
- Female, 49.1%
Researcher gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 50.9% |
| Female | 49.1% |
Researcher gender pay gap
Women earn $1.01 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$64,537
Female income
$64,985
Researcher gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in researcher positions over time. Currently, 49.1% of researchers are female.
Researcher gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 55.34% | 44.66% |
| 2011 | 51.69% | 48.31% |
| 2012 | 58.04% | 41.96% |
| 2013 | 53.27% | 46.73% |
| 2014 | 54.32% | 45.68% |
| 2015 | 55.20% | 44.80% |
| 2016 | 50.58% | 49.42% |
| 2017 | 52.97% | 47.03% |
| 2018 | 51.59% | 48.41% |
| 2019 | 49.82% | 50.18% |
| 2020 | 49.62% | 50.38% |
| 2021 | 50.90% | 49.10% |
Researcher related jobs gender ratio
We compared researchers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, procurement forester and field agronomist have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Behaviorist | 18% | 82% |
| Chronic Disease Epidemiologist | 25% | 75% |
| Collector Of Aquarium Specimens | 27% | 73% |
| Researcher | 51% | 49% |
| Forestry Consultant | 93% | 7% |
| Field Agronomist | 94% | 6% |
| Procurement Forester | 95% | 5% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Researcher demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among researchers is White, which makes up 53.4% of all researchers. Comparatively, 26.4% of researchers are Asian and 9.6% of researchers are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 53.4%
- Asian, 26.4%
- Hispanic or Latino, 9.6%
- Black or African American, 6.4%
- Unknown, 4.1%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
Researcher race
| Researcher race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 53.4% |
| Asian | 26.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 9.6% |
| Black or African American | 6.4% |
| Unknown | 4.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.1% |
Researcher race and ethnicity over time
See how researcher racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Researcher race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 56.60% | 5.23% | 28.92% | 6.69% |
| 2011 | 55.35% | 5.66% | 29.40% | 7.33% |
| 2012 | 56.17% | 5.45% | 28.56% | 7.08% |
| 2013 | 56.76% | 5.55% | 27.17% | 7.83% |
| 2014 | 56.44% | 5.89% | 27.77% | 6.85% |
| 2015 | 56.56% | 5.33% | 28.56% | 6.79% |
| 2016 | 55.92% | 5.12% | 27.36% | 8.98% |
| 2017 | 56.06% | 5.99% | 26.86% | 7.91% |
| 2018 | 55.17% | 5.74% | 27.72% | 8.03% |
| 2019 | 56.56% | 5.39% | 26.93% | 8.41% |
| 2020 | 54.69% | 5.00% | 27.21% | 9.31% |
| 2021 | 53.36% | 6.39% | 26.37% | 9.63% |
Researcher wage gap by race
According to our data, white researchers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino researchers have the lowest average salary at $61,847.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $64,137 |
| White | $66,355 |
| Black or African American | $64,559 |
| Asian | $65,887 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $61,847 |
Average researcher age
See how the average age of researchers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Researcher age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 40 | 34 |
| White | 39 | 39 |
| Black or African American | 38.5 | 40 |
| Asian | 40 | 38 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 37 | 36 |
Researcher age breakdown
The average age of researchers is 40+ years years old, representing 47% of the researcher population.
Researcher age breakdown
| Researcher Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 47% |
| 30-40 years | 39% |
| 20-30 years | 14% |
Researcher educational attainment
The most common degree for researchers is bachelor's degree, with 71% of researchers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 13% and master's degree degree at 6%.
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Master's, 13%
- Associate, 6%
- Doctorate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 5%
Researchers by degree level
| Researcher degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 71% |
| Master's | 13% |
| Associate | 6% |
| Doctorate | 5% |
| Other Degrees | 5% |
Researcher jobs you might like
Researcher wage gap by degree level
According to the data, researchers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $69,182 annually. With a Master's degree, researchers earn a median annual income of $63,913 compared to $61,905 for researchers with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $63,913 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $61,905 |
| Doctorate Degree | $69,182 |
Researcher employment statistics
Most researchers work for a education in the education industry.
Company size where researchers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where researchers work.
Researcher jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 3% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 9% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 12% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 6% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 51% |
| > 10,000 employees | 19% |
Researcher jobs by company type
Employees with the researcher job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most researchers prefer to work at education companies over private companies.
Researcher jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 69% |
| Public | 10% |
| Private | 17% |
| Government | 4% |
Researcher jobs by industry
The most common industries for researchers are education, technology and manufacturing.
Researcher industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 60% |
| Technology | 7% |
| Fortune 500 | 6% |
| Manufacturing | 5% |
| Professional | 5% |
| Media | 2% |
| Government | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
Researcher turnover and employment statistics
Researcher unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for researchers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Researcher unemployment rate by year
| Year | Researcher unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 2.36% |
| 2011 | 2.60% |
| 2012 | 3.20% |
| 2013 | 2.82% |
| 2014 | 2.34% |
| 2015 | 2.18% |
| 2016 | 2.71% |
| 2017 | 2.30% |
| 2018 | 2.40% |
| 2019 | 1.58% |
| 2020 | 2.14% |
| 2021 | 1.42% |
Average researcher tenure
The average researcher stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 50,483 researchers resumes in Zippia's database.
Researcher tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 45% |
| 1-2 years | 32% |
| 3-4 years | 8% |
| 5-7 years | 9% |
| 8-10 years | 3% |
| 11+ years | 3% |
Researcher LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of researchers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Conservation Specialist | 8.40% | 18,942 |
| Researcher | 8.45% | - |
| Geneticist | 9.74% | 7,583 |
| Corn Breeder | 19.06% | 242 |
Similar researcher jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Conservation Specialist | 8.40% | 18,942 |
| Geneticist | 9.74% | 7,583 |
| Corn Breeder | 19.06% | 242 |
Foreign languages spoken by researchers
The most common foreign language among researchers is Spanish at 36.1%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 12.7% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 8.8%.
- Spanish, 36.1%
- French, 12.7%
- Chinese, 8.8%
- Mandarin, 8.0%
- German, 5.3%
- Other, 29.1%
Researcher languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 36.1% |
| French | 12.7% |
| Chinese | 8.8% |
| Mandarin | 8.0% |
| German | 5.3% |
| Other | 29.1% |
