Social Science 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.
- O*NET-SOC code
19-4061.00 - Preparation Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$61,990
Employment, U.S.30,640
Median hourly wage$29.81
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $38,090 | $48,620 | $61,990 | $77,760 | $102,070 |
By state (46)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $53,080 | ||
| Alaska | 40 | $62,230 | 0.61 |
| Arizona | 1,020 | $61,680 | 1.59 |
| California | 5,300 | $60,250 | 1.48 |
| Colorado | 100 | $50,430 | 0.17 |
| Connecticut | 50 | $60,110 | 0.15 |
| Delaware | 40 | $68,230 | 0.47 |
| District of Columbia | 1,560 | $65,330 | 11.25 |
| Florida | 1,130 | $50,700 | 0.58 |
| Georgia | 1,840 | $66,620 | 1.91 |
| Idaho | $62,570 | ||
| Illinois | 250 | $64,890 | 0.21 |
| Indiana | 210 | $57,020 | 0.34 |
| Iowa | 140 | $40,940 | 0.45 |
| Kansas | 170 | $67,740 | 0.60 |
| Kentucky | 1,190 | $66,390 | 3.02 |
| Louisiana | 340 | $52,600 | 0.90 |
| Maine | 120 | $50,650 | 0.95 |
| Maryland | 700 | $65,550 | 1.29 |
| Massachusetts | $63,480 | ||
| Michigan | 750 | $60,210 | 0.87 |
| Minnesota | 300 | $44,920 | 0.52 |
| Missouri | 750 | $65,940 | 1.29 |
| Montana | 30 | $49,860 | 0.31 |
| Nebraska | 230 | $56,190 | 1.13 |
| Nevada | $26,560 | ||
| New Hampshire | 70 | $65,690 | 0.54 |
| New Jersey | 370 | $62,760 | 0.44 |
| New Mexico | 50 | $50,640 | 0.30 |
| New York | 3,040 | $61,210 | 1.59 |
| North Carolina | 2,930 | $63,710 | 3.01 |
| Ohio | 240 | $50,330 | 0.22 |
| Oklahoma | 100 | $69,090 | 0.29 |
| Oregon | 220 | $56,770 | 0.57 |
| Pennsylvania | 860 | $54,610 | 0.72 |
| Rhode Island | 220 | $51,420 | 2.23 |
| South Carolina | 500 | $64,490 | 1.11 |
| South Dakota | 40 | $44,820 | 0.47 |
| Tennessee | 140 | $46,410 | 0.21 |
| Texas | 1,180 | $58,070 | 0.42 |
| Utah | 500 | Not available | 1.45 |
| Vermont | 40 | $47,510 | 0.75 |
| Virginia | 700 | $53,260 | 0.86 |
| Washington | 450 | $50,420 | 0.64 |
| West Virginia | 550 | $51,140 | 3.99 |
| Wisconsin | 110 | $48,090 | 0.18 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clinical Data Managers | 4 | 0.966 |
| 2 | Survey Researchers | 5 | 0.960 |
| 3 | Clinical Research Coordinators | 4 | 0.954 |
| 4 | Business Intelligence Analysts | 4 | 0.953 |
| 5 | Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 4 | 0.953 |
| 6 | Biostatisticians | 5 | 0.952 |
| 7 | Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | 4 | 0.949 |
| 8 | Loan Interviewers and Clerks | 3 | 0.949 |
| 9 | Statistical Assistants | 4 | 0.948 |
| 10 | Health Informatics Specialists | 5 | 0.948 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Social Science Research Assistants, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | Judgment and Decision Making | 0.88 | 0.953 |
| Statistical Assistants | Mathematics | 1.00 | 0.948 |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | Service Orientation | 1.25 | 0.942 |
| Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists | Persuasion | 0.88 | 0.937 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Social Science Research Assistants, excluding software Social Science Research Assistants already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| STATISTICA | 4 of 20 | 15.4x |
| Teradata Database | 6 of 20 | 5.2x |
| LexisNexis | 6 of 20 | 4.9x |
| Insightful S-PLUS | 4 of 20 | 9.7x |
| Apache Hadoop | 5 of 20 | 5.6x |
| Data visualization software | 4 of 20 | 8.4x |
| Microsoft Project | 10 of 20 | 2.3x |
| Microsoft SharePoint | 9 of 20 | 2.5x |
| Minitab | 6 of 20 | 4.0x |
| Qlik Tech QlikView | 5 of 20 | 4.7x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.75 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.75 | 4.12 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.38 | 3.75 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.38 | 3.12 |
| Science | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.38 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.88 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.62 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 2.88 | 3.12 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.88 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.88 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.50 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.38 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.38 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.50 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.38 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.25 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.50 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 4.25 | 4.71 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.47 | 4.17 |
| Administrative | 3.24 | 4.54 |
| Mathematics | 3.09 | 4.07 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.02 | 3.34 |
| Education and Training | 2.92 | 3.24 |
| Psychology | 2.53 | 2.64 |
| Administration and Management | 2.47 | 2.65 |
| Law and Government | 2.16 | 1.82 |
| Communications and Media | 2.15 | 1.74 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 2.12 | 2.59 |
| Economics and Accounting | 2.10 | 2.39 |
| Biology | 2.02 | 1.62 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 1.92 | 1.98 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.92 | 1.50 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.92 | 0.89 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.81 | 1.70 |
| Telecommunications | 1.78 | 1.08 |
| Chemistry | 1.75 | 1.17 |
| Public Safety and Security | 1.73 | 1.40 |
| Foreign Language | 1.53 | not rated |
| Design | 1.52 | not rated |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.43 | 1.49 |
| Transportation | 1.43 | 0.98 |
| History and Archeology | 1.42 | 1.05 |
| Geography | 1.41 | 1.10 |
| Mechanical | 1.29 | not rated |
| Physics | 1.27 | not rated |
| Production and Processing | 1.24 | not rated |
| Engineering and Technology | 1.22 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.20 | not rated |
| Building and Construction | 1.00 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.00 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Oral Expression | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Written Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Oral Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Written Expression | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Information Ordering | 3.62 | 3.38 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.50 | 3.75 |
| Near Vision | 3.38 | 3.75 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.25 | 3.50 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.25 | 3.50 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.12 | 3.50 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Selective Attention | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Number Facility | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Originality | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 2.88 | 3.12 |
| Far Vision | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Visualization | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Perceptual Speed | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Finger Dexterity | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Memorization | 2.38 | 2.75 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.38 | 2.50 |
| Time Sharing | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Auditory Attention | 1.88 | 1.50 |
| Trunk Strength | 1.88 | 1.38 |
| Depth Perception | 1.75 | 1.50 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 1.75 | 1.50 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Dynamic Strength | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Manual Dexterity | 1.25 | not rated |
| Reaction Time | 1.12 | not rated |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 1.00 | not rated |
| Control Precision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Explosive Strength | 1.00 | not rated |
| Extent Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Coordination | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.00 | not rated |
| Multilimb Coordination | 1.00 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Rate Control | 1.00 | not rated |
| Response Orientation | 1.00 | not rated |
| Sound Localization | 1.00 | not rated |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.00 | not rated |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.00 | not rated |
| Stamina | 1.00 | not rated |
| Static Strength | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Excel in demand
- Microsoft Office software in demand
- Microsoft PowerPoint in demand
- Python in demand
- R in demand
- Adobe Illustrator hot
- Adobe InDesign hot
- C++ hot
- ESRI ArcGIS software hot
- Extensible markup language XML hot
- IBM SPSS Statistics hot
- JavaScript hot
- Microsoft Access hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft SQL Server hot
- Microsoft Visual Basic hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- Oracle Java hot
- Perl hot
- SAS hot
- Structured query language SQL hot
- Tableau hot
- The MathWorks MATLAB hot
- Appletree
- Database software
- Graphics software
- Online library databases
- Qualtrics Insight
- REDCap Research Electronic Data Capture
- StataCorp Stata
All 33
- Statistical software
- Video development software
- Web browser software
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athens-Clarke County, GA | 310 | 16.21 | $52,890 |
| Greenville, NC | 150 | 9.27 | $53,140 |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | 370 | 8.54 | $64,220 |
| Columbia, MO | 160 | 7.76 | $65,050 |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | 370 | 6.60 | $51,780 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 300 | 6.49 | $51,140 |
| Bowling Green, KY | 100 | 6.05 | $84,680 |
| Tucson, AZ | 390 | 5.06 | $61,680 |
| Charlottesville, VA | 110 | 4.95 | $53,260 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 190 | 4.31 | $43,060 |