Research Technicians: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of research technicians about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for research technicians to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of research technicians expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for research technicians.
What Education & Experience is Needed for Research Technicians?
Do research technicians need a degree? What kind of experience do research technicians typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for research technicians to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for Research Technicians
Jobs Postings for Research Technicians By Education
- Bachelor's degree: 9,825 (44%)
- Master's degree: 5,485 (25%)
- No Education Listed: 3,076 (14%)
- High School or GED: 2,181 (10%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 1,655 (7%)
A bachelor's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of research technicians. According to job data, a bachelor's degree was required for 44% of positions. In 25% of job listings a master's degree was required and in 14% of postings no education level was listed.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Research Technicians
Jobs Postings for Research Technicians By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 2,143 (20%)
- 2-3 Years: 3,823 (36%)
- 4-6 Years: 3,166 (30%)
- 7-9 Years: 680 (6%)
- 10+ Years: 784 (7%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for research technicians. In 36% of job postings for Research Technicians, employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience. In 30% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 4-6 years of experience, while 0-1 years of experience was sought in 20% of job postings for research technicians.
What Kind of Degree Do Research Technicians Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for research technicians, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 21 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective research technicians, and in 2021 a total of 52,188 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective research technicians.
Top Degree Programs for Research Technicians
Top 5 Degree Programs for Research Technicians (2021)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Humanities/Humanistic Studies. | 22,283 |
| Social Sciences, General. | 18,699 |
| Behavioral Sciences. | 4,169 |
| Social Sciences, Other. | 2,381 |
| Learning Sciences. | 1,541 |
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Humanities/Humanistic Studies. | 22,283 |
| Social Sciences, General. | 18,699 |
| Behavioral Sciences. | 4,169 |
| Social Sciences, Other. | 2,381 |
| Learning Sciences. | 1,541 |
| Gerontology. | 1,176 |
| Health Policy Analysis. | 318 |
| Adult Development and Aging. | 299 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services, Other. | 286 |
| Medical/Health Humanities. | 281 |
| Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods. | 235 |
| Public Policy Analysis, Other. | 114 |
| Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. | 97 |
| Education Policy Analysis. | 86 |
| Demography and Population Studies. | 77 |
| History and Political Science. | 66 |
| Geography and Environmental Studies. | 40 |
| Energy and Environmental Policy. | 17 |
| Anthrozoology. | 13 |
| Applied Demography. | 6 |
| Linguistics and Anthropology. | 4 |
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What Skills Do Research Technicians Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by research technicians to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for research technicians, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Research Technicians
Based on 16,545 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Research Technicians
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Economics | 5,204 | 31% |
| Data Analysis | 3,447 | 21% |
| Project Management | 3,144 | 19% |
| Transportation Planning | 2,687 | 16% |
| Statistics | 2,631 | 16% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Research Technicians
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Research | 8,943 | 54% |
| Communications | 6,706 | 41% |
| Writing | 5,526 | 33% |
| Planning | 4,858 | 29% |
| Management | 4,695 | 28% |
Based on 16,545 job postings related to research technicians, economics was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 31% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for data analysis, project management, transportation planning, statistics and data collection were also highly sought.
As for common skills, research was the most desired skill found in job postings for research technicians, followed by communications, writing, planning, management and presentations.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Economics | 5,204 | 31% |
| Data Analysis | 3,447 | 21% |
| Project Management | 3,144 | 19% |
| Transportation Planning | 2,687 | 16% |
| Statistics | 2,631 | 16% |
| Data Collection | 2,267 | 14% |
| Finance | 1,986 | 12% |
| R (Programming Language) | 1,952 | 12% |
| Python (Programming Language) | 1,668 | 10% |
| Marketing | 1,663 | 10% |
| Traffic Control | 1,606 | 10% |
| Geographic Information Systems | 1,500 | 9% |
| SAS (Software) | 1,337 | 8% |
| Computer Science | 1,269 | 8% |
| SQL (Programming Language) | 1,268 | 8% |
| Statistical Analysis | 1,253 | 8% |
| Business Development | 1,231 | 7% |
| Public Policies | 1,228 | 7% |
| Stata | 1,157 | 7% |
| Urban Planning | 1,130 | 7% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Research | 8,943 | 54% |
| Communications | 6,706 | 41% |
| Writing | 5,526 | 33% |
| Planning | 4,858 | 29% |
| Management | 4,695 | 28% |
| Presentations | 4,219 | 26% |
| Operations | 3,824 | 23% |
| Microsoft Excel | 3,067 | 19% |
| Detail Oriented | 2,612 | 16% |
| Leadership | 2,577 | 16% |
| Coordinating | 2,552 | 15% |
| Problem Solving | 2,369 | 14% |
| Customer Service | 2,256 | 14% |
| Microsoft Office | 2,134 | 13% |
| Mathematics | 2,036 | 12% |
| Verbal Communication Skills | 1,888 | 11% |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | 1,859 | 11% |
| Forecasting | 1,828 | 11% |
| Innovation | 1,671 | 10% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 1,565 | 9% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about research technicians? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for research technicians.
What do research technicians do?
How much do research technicians make?
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