Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2017

19-4061 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. Excludes "Graduate Teaching Assistants" (25-1191).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
31,500 4.8 % $23.57 $49,030 1.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $11.23 $16.34 $22.12 $29.04 $37.19
Annual Wage (2) $23,360 $33,980 $46,000 $60,400 $77,350


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scientific Research and Development Services 11,860 1.83 $24.58 $51,130
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 11,040 0.37 $21.90 $45,550
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 2,090 0.04 $23.23 $48,310
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 1,180 0.09 $27.40 $56,990
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 870 0.12 $21.28 $44,250

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scientific Research and Development Services 11,860 1.83 $24.58 $51,130
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 11,040 0.37 $21.90 $45,550
Social Advocacy Organizations 730 0.35 $29.07 $60,460
Monetary Authorities-Central Bank 60 0.32 $26.49 $55,110
Grantmaking and Giving Services 440 0.31 $21.96 $45,680

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations 460 0.11 $29.59 $61,540
Social Advocacy Organizations 730 0.35 $29.07 $60,460
Management of Companies and Enterprises 140 0.01 $27.82 $57,860
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 1,180 0.09 $27.40 $56,990
Monetary Authorities-Central Bank 60 0.32 $26.49 $55,110


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York 5,370 0.58 2.64 $23.58 $49,050
District of Columbia 3,030 4.27 19.35 $28.63 $59,550
California 2,310 0.14 0.63 $26.32 $54,750
Georgia 2,080 0.48 2.19 $24.79 $51,560
Massachusetts 1,950 0.55 2.50 $26.69 $55,510




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 3,030 4.27 19.35 $28.63 $59,550
Arizona 1,820 0.67 3.04 $25.60 $53,250
New York 5,370 0.58 2.64 $23.58 $49,050
Massachusetts 1,950 0.55 2.50 $26.69 $55,510
Georgia 2,080 0.48 2.19 $24.79 $51,560




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 3,030 4.27 19.35 $28.63 $59,550
New Jersey 150 0.04 0.17 $27.97 $58,170
Massachusetts 1,950 0.55 2.50 $26.69 $55,510
California 2,310 0.14 0.63 $26.32 $54,750
Maryland 960 0.36 1.63 $25.93 $53,930



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Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 3,550 1.41 6.38 $28.34 $58,950
New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 3,190 0.48 2.15 $27.73 $57,680
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA NECTA Division 1,660 0.90 4.09 $27.40 $57,000
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 930 0.21 0.95 $26.16 $54,420
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 930 3.10 14.02 $19.72 $41,020
Tucson, AZ 820 2.24 10.12 $22.16 $46,090
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division 780 0.21 0.97 $21.08 $43,840
Silver Spring-Frederick-Rockville, MD Metropolitan Division 770 1.31 5.94 $26.08 $54,240
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 580 1.29 5.85 $19.26 $40,070
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 570 0.63 2.83 $23.32 $48,510


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Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 930 3.10 14.02 $19.72 $41,020
Tucson, AZ 820 2.24 10.12 $22.16 $46,090
Ann Arbor, MI 430 2.02 9.16 (8) (8)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 3,550 1.41 6.38 $28.34 $58,950
Silver Spring-Frederick-Rockville, MD Metropolitan Division 770 1.31 5.94 $26.08 $54,240
Eugene, OR 200 1.30 5.88 $23.07 $47,990
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC 280 1.30 5.90 $19.89 $41,370
Lincoln, NE 230 1.29 5.86 $23.13 $48,110
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 580 1.29 5.85 $19.26 $40,070
Champaign-Urbana, IL 120 1.18 5.36 (8) (8)


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Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI Metropolitan Division (8) (8) (8) $33.07 $68,790
Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley, CA Metropolitan Division 180 0.15 0.70 $31.25 $64,990
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 120 0.08 0.37 $29.03 $60,370
Newark, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division 50 0.04 0.19 $28.73 $59,770
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 3,550 1.41 6.38 $28.34 $58,950
New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 3,190 0.48 2.15 $27.73 $57,680
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA (8) (8) (8) $27.49 $57,190
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA NECTA Division 1,660 0.90 4.09 $27.40 $57,000
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA 40 0.04 0.19 $27.20 $56,580
San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division 460 0.41 1.86 $26.48 $55,080

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 70 0.35 1.58 $20.08 $41,770

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 70 0.35 1.58 $20.08 $41,770

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 70 0.35 1.58 $20.08 $41,770
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $19.70 $40,970


About May 2017 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2017 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 30, 2018