What Do Research Assistants Do?
Wondering what the job is really like for research assistants?
You've come to the right place.
Keep reading to find detailed information about what research assistants 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.
Research Assistants Overview & Description
Let's get started with the basics about research assistants by taking a look at a simple description and popular job titles.
Research Assistants 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 Research Assistants
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 research assistants can be found.
Best Industries for Research Assistants
Research Assistants 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 research assistants can be found working in the Education and Hospitals (State Government) sector. In 2022, about 45.2% of all jobs for research assistants 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 Research Assistants Do on a Daily Basis?
So you have a high-level understanding of what research assistants 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 research assistants 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 research assistants tackle each day.
Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for research assistants, as well as common skills - interpersonal qualities and attributes - that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Research Assistants
Based on 11,716 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Research Assistants
| 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 Research Assistants
| 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 research assistants, 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 research assistants, 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 Research Assistants
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 research assistants.
| 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 research assistants? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for research assistants.
How much do research assistants make?
Research Assistants: How do you become one?
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