What Do Life Science Research Professionals Do?
Wondering what the job is really like for life science research professionals?
You've come to the right place.
Keep reading to find detailed information about what life science research professionals do, including the type of work they are tasked with on a daily basis, industries in which they work, and the specific skills needed for a successful career.
Life Science Research Professionals Overview & Description
Let's get started with the basics about life science research professionals by taking a look at a simple description and popular job titles.
Life Science Research Professionals assist social scientists in laboratory, survey, and other social science research. May help prepare findings for publication and assist in laboratory analysis, quality control, or data management.
Popular Job Titles For Life Science Research Professionals
Sample of Reported Job Titles
- Research Scientists
- Research Assistants
- Research Analysts
- Research Associates
- UX Research Assistants
- Research Data Analysts
- Manager Research Analysts
- Research Specialists
- Research Coordinators
- Research Interviewers
- Principal Scientists
- Economics Research Assistants
Read on for insight into the industries where the highest concentration of jobs for life science research professionals can be found.
Best Industries for Life Science Research Professionals
Life Science Research Professionals Jobs By Industry
- Education and Hospitals (State Government): 45.2%
- Scientific Research and Development Services: 29.4%
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools: 9.7%
- Local Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals: 2.4%
- General Medical and Surgical Hospitals: 2.2%
- Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services: 2.2%
- Other: 8.9%
When it comes to jobs in the United States, the largest single category of life science research professionals can be found working in the Education and Hospitals (State Government) sector. In 2022, about 45.2% of all jobs for life science research professionals were found there.
Other top industries by percentage include Scientific Research and Development Services (29.4%), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (9.7%), Local Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals (2.4%), General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (2.2%) and Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (2.2%).
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What Do Life Science Research Professionals Do on a Daily Basis?
So you have a high-level understanding of what life science research professionals do and the types of industries in which they work - but what do they really do each day?
A great way to understand the type of work life science research professionals do is to examine actual job postings and focus on the specific skills that employers are seeking. That will help paint a clearer picture of the tasks that life science research professionals tackle each day.
Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for life science research professionals, as well as common skills - interpersonal qualities and attributes - that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Life Science Research Professionals
Based on 11,716 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Life Science Research Professionals
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| SPSS (Statistical Software) | 4,852 | 41% |
| Psychology | 4,561 | 39% |
| SAS (Software) | 4,543 | 39% |
| R (Programming Language) | 4,361 | 37% |
| Data Analysis | 4,259 | 36% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Life Science Research Professionals
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Research | 11,469 | 98% |
| Communications | 5,860 | 50% |
| Writing | 5,157 | 44% |
| Presentations | 4,011 | 34% |
| Microsoft Excel | 3,282 | 28% |
Based on 11,716 job postings related to life science research professionals, spss (statistical software) was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 41% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for psychology, sas (software), r (programming language), data analysis and data collection were also highly sought.
As for common skills, research was the most desired skill found in job postings for life science research professionals, followed by communications, writing, presentations, microsoft excel and management.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| SPSS (Statistical Software) | 4,852 | 41% |
| Psychology | 4,561 | 39% |
| SAS (Software) | 4,543 | 39% |
| R (Programming Language) | 4,361 | 37% |
| Data Analysis | 4,259 | 36% |
| Data Collection | 3,907 | 33% |
| Social Sciences | 2,701 | 23% |
| Project Management | 2,292 | 20% |
| Statistical Analysis | 2,172 | 19% |
| Stata | 2,150 | 18% |
| Data Management | 1,861 | 16% |
| Statistics | 1,788 | 15% |
| SQL (Programming Language) | 1,785 | 15% |
| Research Experiences | 1,705 | 15% |
| Statistical Software | 1,693 | 14% |
| Python (Programming Language) | 1,663 | 14% |
| Research Methodologies | 1,660 | 14% |
| Surveys | 1,613 | 14% |
| Quantitative Research | 1,586 | 14% |
| Economics | 1,457 | 12% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Research | 11,469 | 98% |
| Communications | 5,860 | 50% |
| Writing | 5,157 | 44% |
| Presentations | 4,011 | 34% |
| Microsoft Excel | 3,282 | 28% |
| Management | 3,220 | 27% |
| Detail Oriented | 3,048 | 26% |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | 2,006 | 17% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 1,977 | 17% |
| Coordinating | 1,975 | 17% |
| Planning | 1,900 | 16% |
| Leadership | 1,872 | 16% |
| Innovation | 1,851 | 16% |
| Organizational Skills | 1,789 | 15% |
| Microsoft Office | 1,785 | 15% |
| Verbal Communication Skills | 1,582 | 14% |
| Problem Solving | 1,462 | 12% |
| Operations | 1,257 | 11% |
| Report Writing | 1,253 | 11% |
| Time Management | 1,042 | 9% |
Most In-Demand Jobs for Life Science Research Professionals
Top 5 Posted Job Titles
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Research Scientists | 3,374 | 15.7% |
| Research Assistants | 6,007 | 27.9% |
| Research Analysts | 2,907 | 13.5% |
| Research Associates | 3,525 | 16.4% |
| UX Research Assistants | 837 | 3.9% |
According to job postings that were published between September 2021 and August 2022, the top job sought by employers was research scientists, with 1,283 unique job postings. Research assistants were second, with 916 postings, followed by research analysts, research associates and ux research assistants.
Expand the section below to see unique job postings for all occupations related to life science research professionals.
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Research Scientists | 3,374 | 15.7% |
| Research Assistants | 6,007 | 27.9% |
| Research Analysts | 2,907 | 13.5% |
| Research Associates | 3,525 | 16.4% |
| UX Research Assistants | 837 | 3.9% |
| Research Data Analysts | 1,628 | 7.6% |
| Manager Research Analysts | 346 | 1.6% |
| Research Specialists | 503 | 2.3% |
| Research Coordinators | 576 | 2.7% |
| Research Interviewers | 271 | 1.3% |
| Principal Scientists | 177 | 0.8% |
| Economics Research Assistants | 189 | 0.9% |
| Social Science Research Assistants | 215 | 1% |
| Psychometricians | 92 | 0.4% |
| University Assistants | 170 | 0.8% |
| Social Science Research Analysts | 207 | 1% |
| Classroom Assistants | 87 | 0.4% |
| Behavioral Scientists | 138 | 0.6% |
| Quantitative Researchers | 74 | 0.3% |
| Research Study Assistants | 230 | 1.1% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information for life science research professionals? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for life science research professionals.
How much do life science research professionals make?
Life Science Research Professionals: How do you become one?
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