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Researcher job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected researcher job growth rate is 17% from 2018-2028.
About 20,800 new jobs for researchers are projected over the next decade.
Researcher salaries have increased 14% for researchers in the last 5 years.
There are over 104,323 researchers currently employed in the United States.
There are 30,498 active researcher job openings in the US.
The average researcher salary is $67,145.
Year![]() ![]() | # Of Jobs![]() ![]() | % Of Population![]() ![]() |
---|---|---|
2021 | 104,323 | 0.03% |
2020 | 108,325 | 0.03% |
2019 | 108,796 | 0.03% |
2018 | 94,999 | 0.03% |
2017 | 89,593 | 0.03% |
Year![]() ![]() | Avg. Salary![]() ![]() | Hourly Rate![]() ![]() | % Change![]() ![]() |
---|---|---|---|
2025 | $67,145 | $32.28 | +3.1% |
2024 | $65,150 | $31.32 | +4.7% |
2023 | $62,229 | $29.92 | +3.3% |
2022 | $60,234 | $28.96 | +1.9% |
2021 | $59,089 | $28.41 | --2.1% |
Rank![]() ![]() | State![]() ![]() | Population![]() ![]() | # of Jobs![]() ![]() | Employment/ 1000ppl ![]() ![]() |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,052 | 30% |
2 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 203 | 29% |
3 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,147 | 15% |
4 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 414 | 10% |
5 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 574 | 9% |
6 | New York | 19,849,399 | 1,615 | 8% |
7 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 727 | 8% |
8 | California | 39,536,653 | 2,765 | 7% |
9 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 385 | 7% |
10 | Delaware | 961,939 | 63 | 7% |
11 | Vermont | 623,657 | 43 | 7% |
12 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 777 | 6% |
13 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 516 | 6% |
14 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 340 | 6% |
15 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 111 | 6% |
16 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 63 | 6% |
17 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 60 | 6% |
18 | Alaska | 739,795 | 43 | 6% |
19 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 300 | 5% |
20 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 168 | 5% |
Rank![]() ![]() | City![]() ![]() | # of Jobs![]() ![]() | Employment/ 1000ppl ![]() ![]() | Avg. Salary![]() ![]() |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Annapolis | 12 | 30% | $71,739 |
2 | Cambridge | 9 | 8% | $84,922 |
3 | Towson | 4 | 7% | $72,823 |
4 | Dundalk | 4 | 6% | $72,603 |
5 | East Hartford | 3 | 6% | $104,498 |
6 | Brooklyn Center | 2 | 6% | $49,581 |
7 | Warren | 4 | 3% | $66,850 |
8 | Boulder | 3 | 3% | $48,389 |
9 | Cupertino | 2 | 3% | $91,434 |
10 | Baltimore | 6 | 1% | $72,502 |
11 | Washington | 6 | 1% | $63,274 |
12 | Boston | 5 | 1% | $85,095 |
13 | Atlanta | 3 | 1% | $48,678 |
14 | New York | 4 | 0% | $76,074 |
15 | Detroit | 3 | 0% | $66,511 |
16 | San Diego | 3 | 0% | $80,664 |
17 | Chicago | 2 | 0% | $60,556 |
Santa Fe College
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Washington State University
Purdue University
University of Nebraska - Omaha
Albion College
Ohio State University
Western Washington University
University of Texas at Austin
Vanderbilt University
Fairfield University
Duquesne University
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
University of St Andrews
Seattle University
Christopher Vitek Ph.D.: I love being a population biologist because it allows me to work with a lot of other people and help public health offices learn how to control vector-borne diseases. The work is interesting and has an end result that can provide some use to the public. One thing that people may not like is that population biology often uses a lot of math and mathematical modeling to help predict growth and distribution patterns. You don’t need to be an expert, but you should be comfortable with math.
Dr. Michael Marchetti: I think it is hard to know how to maximize one's salary potential at the outset, other than being a good team player and having the skills and personality to 'fill in' and pivot as needed by an employer. With scientists, the interest in the scientific questions/problems/goals often times drive the practitioners in the discipline rather than a huge 'paycheck touchdown' type approach.
Luz Garcini PhD, MPH: Build a unique niche and new skills (another language), disseminate your work via high impact networks/avenues, get mentoring in negotiation.
Jeff Heslep: Find a starting job that gives you a wide range of work to perform. The more experience you can gain during the first few years will help you to hone your skills, decide what areas interest you the most, and give you the opportunity to choose. Learn as much as you can about the various equipment, analytical techniques, processes, and how to troubleshoot minor problems. Take the initiative and ask to learn how to use instruments you aren't familiar with. It is unlikely someone will deny you the opportunity to broaden your knowledge. Take every chance you have to network and get to know the people within your local biotechnology industry. Networking plays a major role in employment opportunities. Work on your written and verbal communication skills. Communicating well will help you stand out. Being able to effectively convey complex scientific concepts in such a way that anyone can understand it can be a powerful skill.
Jacob Nordman: The very first thing to do, probably before you even apply for a PhD program, is ask yourself, “What do I want to do with my PhD?” In my field of neuroscience, that usually means one of 3 things: academia, industry, or policy. All three have different requirements and so involve different priorities. If the answer is academia, the most important requirement is publications, awards, and grants. These are what will make you appealing to labs and departments. If the answer is industry, having hands on experience with state-of-the-art techniques relevant to your field, along with the requisite high-profile papers, will make you appealing to employers. Either way, knowing what you will want to do will help you craft a graduate school experience that best equips you to compete in an extraordinarily competitive job marker.
Lindsey du Toit: Take every opportunity you can to learn, network, and build an effective team of people that bring a greater breadth and depth of skills and expertise to the work on which you will be focusing. Cultivate a life-long sense of intellectual curiosity and learning. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Treat ignorance as an opportunity to learn. Questions demonstrate you want to understand the situation/problem effectively and that you are paying attention. Always demonstrate integrity in your work. It is one of the most valuable traits you can bring to your career. Be kind and supportive of your colleagues.
Purdue University
Romance Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
Yan Cong: Develop some in-demand skills such as programming or generating content from text models via prompt engineering, et cetera. Get experience and extra income via paid summer internships.
University of Nebraska - Omaha
Neurobiology And Neurosciences
Andrew Riquier Ph.D.: Apply for the positions you want, even if you feel underqualified. I know plenty of people who have applied for jobs they didn't quite meet the requirements for, and got hired for other reasons. In my experience, many recent graduates choose to take time to strengthen their resumes by retaking classes, working jobs they don't particularly want to get experience, etc. There is some value in that, particularly if you have been unsuccessful attaining the position you want, or if you want to see if you even enjoy that type of work. But if you are confident in what you want to do, go for it; in the worst-case scenario, you are in the same position you would be if you hadn't applied, but now you have experience applying and have potentially gained a contact in the field.
Dr. Andrea Francis: Overall, students who get a degree in a social science field, such as psychology, anthropology, sociology, or political science become experts at understanding motivation in different contexts. At Albion, we want our social science graduates to be well-versed in data interpretation as well as written and oral presentation skills, all of which are critical skills that employers want to see from new college graduates. The combination of understanding how to evaluate data as well as a understanding both individual motives and the systems in which individuals make those decisions makes students with social science degrees uniquely qualified to work on and solve problems in any domain that involves individuals and social systems. For example, some students in psychology go on to obtain social work masters degrees while others go on to analyze large datasets for educational or business groups. Thus, depending on the nature of the system, a social scientist may be asked to work with clients, students, or constituents on an individual basis, collect or analyze data, conduct program evaluations, or even create new marketing strategies.
Ohio State University
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, And Group Studies
Dr. Judson Jeffries: Introduce yourself to some of the more noteworthy people in the field at conferences. Establish a relationship with those folks. I am not saying that your circle should include only the most celebrated academics in your field, but you want to get to know maybe 3 to 4 such persons for the following reasons: 1) to position oneself to get sage, counsel and advice from seasoned academics 2) to learn about various opportunities that may not be publicly advertised and 3) at some point the person 's department will need people to evaluate that person for tenure and promotion. Some departments will ask the junior professor for a list of names. At that point the junior professor will be equipped to provide that list. Finally, go into those fields understanding that you have a responsibility to advocate on behalf of those historically marginalized groups that you're studying. What's more, that person needs to understand that what comes with that is doing research that addresses some of the challenges those groups face.
Dr. Judson Jeffries: Easy, have a vita that clearly shows strong credentials such as publications and the like, which will help said person get multiple interviews, which may lead to multiple offers. Once that person gets multiple offers, that person cannot be shy about negotiating. Everything is negotiable.
Dr. Judson Jeffries: Grant writing ability. Scholars will become increasingly reliant on securing grants as universities and colleges continue to tighten their belts. This is especially true for state schools where some state legislatures are not as generous with funding as they once were. The state supported The Ohio State University is one such example. There are many more.
Josh Kaplan Ph.D.: Demonstrating a skill set that is unique, such as experience with a rare technical research approach, or demonstrating that you can save your employer money by utilizing free resources, can be used to negotiate a higher salary.
Autumn Mathias Ph.D., LCSW: Similar to my answer for the first question, I think that this begins during college as students
build their overall portfolio of knowledge and skills. In addition to strategically selecting
courses, students might think about different volunteer activities (both on and off campus) and
experiential learning opportunities that could help them to further develop skills and build
professional connections. For instance, students can ask professors if there are opportunities for
them to work as a research assistant, or develop their own independent research project. In
addition, students can complete internships with public or private organizations within
community, or even through study abroad programs. In some cases, internships can provide a
bridge to employment post-graduation in that organization.
After students graduate and secure employment, they might consider different ways to engage in
professional development and continuing education. This can occur both within and outside
employer-sponsored activities. For instance, graduates might consider online courses on software
such as Excel, ArcGIS, Python, Tableau, or R. In addition, graduates may think of creative ways
to take leadership on projects in their respective organizations, and/or make a significant
contribution to their organization that will showcase their professional strengths. Finally,
graduates may consider pursuing graduate degrees according to their professional goals, such as
a Master of Social Work (MSW), Master of Public Health (MPH), Juris Doctor (JD), Master's in
Education (M.Ed.), or a Master of Public Administration (MPA).
Autumn Mathias Ph.D., LCSW: My general advice for undergraduate students majoring in sociology would be to begin thinking
(as early as possible) about how studying sociology might prepare you for different careers.
Explore resources online, including the websites of professional organizations such as the
American Sociological Association and the Society for the Study of Social Problems, and
occupational outlook data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition, I would advise
students to speak with their academic advisors, professors, and their college/university career
services personnel about their specific interests, strengths, and opportunities to further develop
various transferable skills throughout (and beyond) their college career. For some students, this
may mean taking certain electives (such as those geared towards maximizing research skills),
and/or adding a minor or a second major. This can also include internships and other experiential
learning opportunities. In addition, students should think about which subfields of sociology
interest them most, and how they see themselves applying their knowledge in a specific field.
Some subfields include urban sociology, medical sociology, political sociology, global and
transnational sociology, law and crime, social inequality, collective behavior, economic
sociology, environmental sociology, and the sociology of education. Sociology students develop
knowledge and skills that are valuable to several fields, including education, legal assistance,
business, public relations, human services/social work, government, public health, urban
planning, criminal justice, market and/or user experience research, and administration. Sociology
students learn to apply a historically and theoretically grounded lens to understanding human
behavior, social institutions, and the interactions between various actors in society across
national and cultural contexts. In addition, they develop both qualitative and quantitative
research skills and are uniquely positioned to apply these skills in a variety of roles to find
solutions to social problems. Accordingly, they are encouraged to develop both cultural humility
and cultural competence, which is critical for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in any
professional setting. As a result, sociology graduates may pursue jobs including (but not limited
to) the following: research assistant at a non-profit organization, probation officer, community
health worker, residential counselor, case manager, legislative aide, policy analyst, and user
experience researcher for a corporation.
In terms of job searching, I would recommend consulting with professors, advisors, and your
college/university's career services office on the best strategies for highlighting your transferable
skills and tailoring your resume and cover letter to specific job postings. Many organizations
utilize AI to review and narrow down job application materials before they are even reviewed by
human eyes. Also, I would encourage graduates to keep an open mind as they search job postings
as their knowledge and skills can be applied in a variety of settings. Additionally, students may
think about whether or not their long-term career goals require a graduate degree. Some
employers offer tuition reimbursement for graduate education.
Autumn Mathias Ph.D., LCSW: I think it is important for graduates to look at projections on the Bureau of Labor Statistics
website and to conduct general research on the state of certain industries at the time of
graduation. For instance, the tech industry is currently very saturated; some people who started
positions as user experience researchers just a few years ago were laid off. Individuals who have
years of experience in these positions will then have an advantage in securing new positions.
That being said, I believe that quantitative research skills in particular are advantageous for many
positions. This includes attaining coding skills and learning coding languages such as Python, R,
and Java.
In addition to the tech industry, the higher education market for individuals with a Master's
degree or PhD in sociology for tenure-track, full-time assistant professor positions in sociology
proves to remain highly competitive, as there are far more graduates than full-time positions.
That being said, some Master's programs emphasize an applied focus that prepares students for a
variety of research and evaluation positions.
In relation to research skills focused on data collection and analysis, sociology majors develop
writing and presentation skills that are crucial to success in any field. Also, the major's emphasis
on a critical global perspective along with cultural humility, cultural competence, empathy, and
overall interpersonal skills are sought-after skills in many fields. For instance, the U.S. is
experiencing a serious shortage of mental health professionals. Although some mental health
positions require a bachelor's or Master's degree in social work, others are also open to
individuals with a bachelor's degree in sociology or psychology.
University of Texas at Austin
Slavic, Baltic And Albanian Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
Mary Neuburger: Network as much as possible, online (LinkedIn or social media) and at events related to Russian studies or policy. These tend to be open to the public at most large er universities and some smaller. Attend, ask good questions, and introduce yourself to people. Make sure you highlight all of the skills you have gained on your CV-include projects in courses, extracurricular activities, study abroad etc.
Mary Neuburger: Language skills are always important, as well as research skills, and experience working on team projects. I also think deep interdisciplinary knowledge of Russia and its sphere of influence will continue to be important, as well as teachnical skills and knowledge of the information environment-and especially disinformation. UT Austin has a new Global Disinformation Lab, in which study of Russian disinformation (among other things) is carried out.
Mary Neuburger: Increase your experience and education in the field. Think about a Russian Studies master's program, for which you can get funding and gain more education and professional experience. UT Austin is looking for good applicants! Also think about doing workshops in various technical skills or platforms to bolster your resume. Think about initiating a club, small organization or project, and taking a leadership role. Highlight these efforts on your cv.
Vanderbilt University
Theological And Ministerial Studies
Phillis Sheppard Ph.D.: I tell recent graduates to read the contract and the faculty manual. Make sure you understand the long term implications of your early salary. Second, plan for retirement now; do not wait until you are making the salary of your fantasies. Take advantage of opportunities to learn about financial health and management. Third, position yourself. Write and publish directly and clearly in your field of study and adjacent areas. Fourth, create a plan with vision for the career you think you want. Finally, one way or the other, you will carve out a career or job, but a vocation is nurtured by paying attention to where you experience passion and a deep sense of belonging. A vocation is where your heart and intellect find a meaningful place in responding to the world's needs. Your salary best positions you when it supports your whole life and commitments.
Phillis Sheppard Ph.D.: I think it can be easy to immerse oneself in a specific area of study and become well informed, but isolated. I encourage graduate students to also expose themselves to the many co-curricular learning opportunities and intellectual ideas that will stretch and deepen their approach. Many of us have been taught to interrogate ideas that differ from our own. Graduate studies invite and require us to interrogate our own ideas and convictions too.
Phillis Sheppard Ph.D.: I tell recent graduates read the contract and the faculty manual. Make sure you understand the long term implications of your early salary. Second, plan for retirement now; do not wait until you are making the salary of your fantasies. Take advantage of opportunities to learn about financial health and management. Third, position yourself. Write and publish directly and clearly in your field of study and adjacent areas. Fourth, create a plan with vision for the career you think you want. Finally, one way or the other, you will carve out a career or job, but a vocation is nurtured by paying attention to where and you experience passion and a deep sense of belonging. A vocation is where your heart and intellect find a meaningful place in responding to the world's needs. Your salary best positions you when it supports you whole life and commitments.
Fairfield University
Human Development, Family Studies, And Related Services
Alessandra Bryant PhD, LMFT: -Human development is an interdisciplinary major with multiple avenues to pursue post-bachelor's degree. You really need to pursue a master's degree post bachelor's to ensure job security post-grad. Have an idea in mind of what you'd like to pursue-whether it be education or mental health.
Alessandra Bryant PhD, LMFT: -Research proficiency-get involved in undergrad if you can. As the field progresses, we need innovative thinkers to keep advancing our knowledge.
Alessandra Bryant PhD, LMFT: -Pursue a master's degree in a more specific human development related field. Do your research-look for reputable programs in areas with earning potential post-grad.
Duquesne University
School of Law
Jan Levine: Formal recognition from one or both of the two major leading research companies, Westlaw and Lexis, is usually helpful, but pluses would also be listing experience doing research and applying it for a law review article or upper-level course paper, as a research assistant for a faculty member, or for a judge or law firm during an externship/internship or summer job.
Jan Levine: While research skills are important, conveying what was found is even more important. Legal research is not conducted in isolation as an experiment in the bibliography; what matters is using what's found to solve a legal problem. So that means demonstrating the application of the fruits of research in a written document, such as an office memorandum, appellate brief, law review article, or another professional setting or context.
Jan Levine: Understanding how to plan a research effort, knowing how to update research, so it is timely, finding materials online and in print (which is often ignored or downplayed), demonstrating a critical examination of sources (i.e., reading them closely and coming up with an independent professional assessment of the reliability and validity of the materials), and knowing to find and use non-legal sources of information to apply to a legal problem (including talking with experts, going beyond online and print research). Plus, good researchers know how to use librarians and secondary sources of the law to expand the scope of their work and to be more efficient in their research (both in time and cost). Finally, the ability to organize material is crucial to a well-conducted search for material.
Jan Levine: Efficiency in research, clarity in explanation of the use of researched materials, and having a conscious plan of how to conduct research.
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Humanities Department
Mario Jimenez Chacon: The skills that stand out the most demonstrate that the candidate knows how to do independent, sustained, and relevant research. For example, having received some type of grant stands out because it shows that the researcher can formulate their ideas clearly in writing and that the ideas are relevant for their field of research. Also, a candidate who can engage in interdisciplinary research stands out; having the ability to have a conversation with multiple disciplines is an indispensable quality to have as a researcher in our times.
Mario Jimenez Chacon: Interpersonal skills, work ethic, the ability to work in teams, flexibility, and communication skills are all fundamental soft skills. Researchers are also humans and work with humans, so it's essential to have these soft skills to create a welcoming research community.
Mario Jimenez Chacon: Of course, a researcher needs to have the ability to perform high-level, intense research; therefore, a qualified researcher needs to have the hard skills associated with their field, for example, the appropriate certification/ degrees or the ability to use technology effectively. Moreover, nowadays, a researcher needs to dominate more than one language; being multilingual is a skill that makes the candidate really stand out.
Mario Jimenez Chacon: The skills that will make you earn the most depend very much on their field of research. However, doing the best research possible all the time, having great interpersonal skills, and understanding that one must never stop learning will make you an outstanding candidate in any field.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Department of Environmental Sciences
Dr. Sharon Locke Ph.D.: Quantitative literacy skills stand out. Environmental science students who have not shied away from taking courses requiring math and computational skills indicate a student is willing to persist in a challenging area. This might be demonstrated by using statistical software such as R and Python or working with large databases.
Dr. Sharon Locke Ph.D.: -Strong written and oral communication are most important. If you cannot write well, you cannot be a successful scientist. Period.
-Evidence of skills in working as part of a team of diverse people and ability to understand the culture and language across scientific/technical disciplines--for example, an environmental chemist who understands something about policy or an environmental health specialist that would be able to collect and interpret data collected from community members.
-Willingness to be a lifelong learner.
-Something that helps an applicant stand out, such as experience with project management software or a foreign language.
Dr. Sharon Locke Ph.D.: -How to use and calibrate field equipment such as water sampling or water quality measurement.
-How to design a research study/experimental design.
-GIS skills
-Environmental statistics skills
-Knowledge of lab and field safety protocols
-Something that helps an applicant to stand out, such as drone pilot certification.
Dr. Sharon Locke Ph.D.: Quantitative skills such as statistics, computer programming, and GIS.
University of St Andrews
Graduate School for Interdisciplinary Studies
Dr. Jeffrey Hughes: Evidence of working between and across disciplinary boundaries. Evidence of new and innovative research premised on multiple disciplines. Evidence of synergies developed from combining one or more research disciplines.
Dr. Jeffrey Hughes: The ability to communicate to academics and practitioners from out-with immediate disciplinary boundaries. The ability to listen to differing perspectives and work to understand differing perspectives through bridging knowledge gaps.
Dr. Jeffrey Hughes: This would be dependent upon the disciplines involved and would be hugely varied.
Dr. Jeffrey Hughes: I would suggest that cultivating the above skills would result in increased earning potential.
Seattle University
Department of Anthropology and Sociology
Harriet Phinney Ph.D.: Understanding human diversity, Difference is viewed not as an obstacle but as an opportunity for generating new ideas, etc.
Harriet Phinney Ph.D.: Understanding human diversity, effective communication (speaking and writing: the ability to convey complex ideas respectfully to a diverse audience) across differences, adept at working in groups, yet also independent thinkers.
Harriet Phinney Ph.D.: Empirical data collection: Research skills for collecting original data, analyzing the data, writing up the information collected, and presenting it in a professional manner.
Harriet Phinney Ph.D.: Anthropologists are analysts and researchers with sharp thinking skills who have the ability to collect, manage, evaluate, and interpret large volumes of data on human behavior.