How to hire a social sciences research scientist

How to hire a social sciences research scientist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step social sciences research scientist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a social sciences research scientist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new social sciences research scientist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the social sciences research scientist you need to hire. Certain social sciences research scientist roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a social sciences research scientist to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a social sciences research scientist that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of social sciences research scientists.

   Type of Social Sciences Research Scientist	Description	Hourly rate
   Social Sciences Research Scientist		$20-58
   Psychometrician	A Psychometrician specializes in performing various psychological tests under the supervision of a psychologist. They work together to develop tests that will measure multiple aspects such as emotional and intelligence quotient, verify test reliability, and analyze test results from clients... Show more	$29-66
   Psychometrist	A psychometrist is responsible for conducting psychological examinations to identify the patients' medical conditions and disabilities and develop treatment plans. Psychometrists also perform counseling and record the conditional progress of the patients with the supervision of a licensed psychologist... Show more	$28-64

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Data Collection
   • Market Research
   • Research Projects
   • Literature Reviews
   • GIS
   • Regression
   • Social Science Research
   • Research Topics

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the development of innovative visualization and concept mapping of contest environment analysis challenges and analyst skill sets.
   • Develop the camera take detection service via java and integrate it into an automatic video object annotation system utilizing social cues.
   • Design and standardize various in vitro screening assays for inflammation targets.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your social sciences research scientist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A social sciences research scientist salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, social sciences research scientists' average salary in wyoming is 46% less than in arizona.
   • Seniority. Entry-level social sciences research scientists earn 66% less than senior-level social sciences research scientists.
   • Certifications. A social sciences research scientist with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a social sciences research scientist's salary.

   Average social sciences research scientist salary

   $71,977yearly

   $34.60 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level social sciences research scientist salary

   $42,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

   Average social sciences research scientist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$102,842	$49
   2	Idaho	$96,130	$46
   3	California	$88,912	$43
   4	District of Columbia	$85,612	$41
   5	Massachusetts	$80,653	$39
   6	Ohio	$78,034	$38
   7	Colorado	$73,743	$35
   8	Illinois	$66,559	$32
   9	New York	$66,269	$32
   10	Michigan	$62,775	$30
   11	Florida	$57,637	$28

   Average social sciences research scientist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$155,245	$74.64	730
   2	The Brookings Institution	$136,953	$65.84
   3	Canva	$128,729	$61.89	8
   4	Amazon	$104,773	$50.37	699
   5	Xerox	$99,053	$47.62
   6	Stanford University	$90,823	$43.66	185
   7	Thermo Fisher Scientific	$88,244	$42.42	93
   8	Baptist Health Home Care	$85,857	$41.28	10
   9	University of Washington	$71,069	$34.17	76
   10	NORC at the University of Chicago	$67,214	$32.31	32
   11	Prescient Edge	$65,158	$31.33	19
   12	University of Idaho	$55,803	$26.83	33

4. Writing a social sciences research scientist job description

   A social sciences research scientist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a social sciences research scientist job description:

   Social sciences research scientist job description example

   Canva's Commitment and Mission
   
   At Canva, we celebrate diversity. We deeply believe that bringing together diversity of thoughts, perspectives and expression is key to building the best product, team and company. We look for many different skills and abilities, as well as how you can enhance Canva and our culture. So, even if you don't think you quite meet all of the skills listed or tick all the boxes, we'd still love to hear from you!
   
   Our mission at Canva is to empower the world to design and since launching in 2013, we have grown exponentially, amassing over 86 million monthly active users across 190 different countries and a team of over 3,000 people… and the best bit is that we've only achieved 1% of what we know we're capable of.
   
   Join us and design your future.
   
   About the team, the role & you
   
   As Canva's Global Head of Social, you'll lead a rapidly growing team tasked with bringing our global social media strategies to life with local flair and in a way that reinforces our brand and values, and showcases the stories of our community and team. You'll be an integral part of the marketing team, working closely with peers across brand marketing, creative, PR & Comms, growth marketing, and more, to drive awareness, adoption, and affinity across our 85+ million monthly active users.
   
   We're looking for a strategic thinker and storyteller who can build world-class programs with global and tailored regional impact; as well as translate our company-wide go-to-market initiatives into actionable social media marketing plans across our core audiences of B2B, Consumer, and Education.
   
   - You'll live and breathe social and cultural trends and be a fountain of knowledge when it comes to social platforms, viral campaigns, emerging conversations, brands, tools, and social insights.
   
   - You have an analytical mindset and the ability to empathize with our customers and vast communities.
   
   - You have excellent written, visual, and verbal communication skills, and the ability to manage complex and competing priorities.
   
   - You'll be a motivated self-starter with the ability to drive stakeholder collaboration and be a key contributor to Canva's global mission to empower the world to design and do the most good possible.
   
   - You'll be a creative and strategic storyteller with experience executing across all social media platforms.
   
   - You'll be a risk-taker, embrace experimenting with new ideas, thrive in ambiguity, and love big challenges.
   
   - Most importantly you will be a strong leader and empower a team of social media specialists to do the best work of their lives at Canva. You'll be responsible for leading, nurturing, and building the social media team around the world.
   What you'll do Build and scale our global social media strategy to drive awareness and affinity for the Canva brand. Work cross functionally with other marketing teams within Canva to deliver a clear voice across all marketing channels. Understand and analyse community, cultural, entertainment and market trends to inform strategic and creative content development and deliver best in class content. Establish scalable operations and processes, to allow Canva to scale and distribute our social media strategy globally. Manage external agencies and publishing partners in international markets. Build and coach a team of social media managers with a focus on empowering them to grow and develop their skills. Understand Canva's brand and bring new and innovative ways to bring that to life on our social media channels.
   Who you'll be8-10+ years of experience managing and scaling social media globally. Past work with a global brand is a must. A passion for building engaged and inclusive social communities. Working knowledge of building inspiring, impactful and scalable social media content, campaigns and channels. Past experience working across both B2B and B2C plansA strategic thinker who can deliver from plan through to execution. Strong at planning, organizing, prioritizing, and executing simultaneous projects.Ability to manage and build relationships with multiple internal and external stakeholders.A love for data and the ability to make data-driven decisions.Excellent writing and editing skills.A self-starter with tenacity for execution and delivery.
   Benefits Competitive salary Equity in one of the world's fastest-growing companies Flexible working hours (we value work-life balance!) Professional education allowance Generous leave policies (sick days, holiday leave, parental leave, volunteer days) Healthcare 401(k) ProgramSponsored social clubs and team events Fun and quirky celebrations Relocation budget provided for interstate candidates
   Being a Force for good. One of our core values at Canva, “Being a force for good” means we are actively working towards a world that isn't just good for a small few, but one that's good for everyone. We believe deeply that bringing together diversity of thoughts, perspectives and expression is key for building the best product for our equally diverse community. To achieve this, we need to constantly work towards making Canva the best place to work, for everyone.
   
   #LI-hybrid
   #LI-JP1
   
   Working at Canva
   
   Our culture is unlike anywhere else and we design your #CanvaLife experience to empower you to do the best work of your life.
   
   Whether you're in the office, working from home or choosing your own adventure, our benefits for permanent Canvanauts include:
   
   • Competitive health benefits plans to support you and your wellbeing
   • Equity packages truly be a part of the Canva journey 401(k) retirement plan with company contribution to support you, with your future
   •Hybrid work model (in-office & from home)
   • Flexible leave so you can recharge, give back, support others or focus on your own professional development.
   • Inclusive parental leave policy that supports all parents and carers throughout their parenting and caring journey.
   • An annual Vibe & Thrive allowance. This is for you to spend on whatever will support your wellbeing and development.. because you know what you need to Vibe and Thrive, better than anyone.
   • Virtual and in-office wellness benefits including Canva University, Employee Assistant Programs and Fitness & Meditation Classes.
   • Canva For Good program matching your not-for-profit donations, Force for Good leave (3 paid volunteering days) and a range of sustainability and ethical initiatives to get involved in.
   
   We make hiring decisions based on your experience, skills and passion. Please note that interviews are conducted virtually. When you apply, please tell us the pronouns you use and any reasonable adjustments you may need during the interview process.

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right social sciences research scientist for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your social sciences research scientist job on Zippia to find and recruit social sciences research scientist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with social sciences research scientist candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new social sciences research scientist

   Once you've found the social sciences research scientist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new social sciences research scientist first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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