Best degree programs for Social Science Research Assistants, ranked by enrollment
19 college programs and 1,790 schools train Social Science Research Assistants. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $61,990 median wage, 30,640 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
19 college programs at 1,790 schools train social science research assistants, graduating 285,447 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Psychology, General. The job pays a median of $61,990 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About 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.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
19 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 42.0101 | 146,449 | 51.3% | 1,567 | $31,426 | $25,250 |
| 2 | CIP 45.1001 | 39,456 | 13.8% | 1,171 | $35,631 | $23,538 |
| 3 | CIP 45.1101 | 27,731 | 9.7% | 1,030 | $34,099 | $25,000 |
| 4 | CIP 45.0603 | 22,866 | 8.0% | 320 | $51,725 | $22,907 |
| 5 | CIP 45.0601 | 19,798 | 6.9% | 638 | $51,725 | $22,907 |
| 6 | Social Sciences, Generalmain feeder CIP 45.0101 | 14,991 | 5.3% | 339 | $35,590 | $24,095 |
| 7 | Behavioral Sciencesmain feeder CIP 30.1701 | 6,635 | 2.3% | 123 | $36,206 | $29,240 |
| 8 | CIP 44.0501 | 5,065 | 1.8% | 165 | $44,740 | $22,000 |
| 9 | CIP 45.0604 | 384 | 0.1% | 42 | $51,725 | $22,907 |
| 10 | CIP 45.0602 | 378 | 0.1% | 28 | $51,725 | $22,907 |
| 11 | CIP 44.0503 | 357 | 0.1% | 25 | $44,740 | $22,000 |
| 12 | CIP 03.0204 | 323 | 0.1% | 19 | $37,946 | $24,125 |
| 13 | CIP 45.1004 | 275 | 0.1% | 21 | $35,631 | $23,538 |
| 14 | CIP 42.2708 | 210 | 0.1% | 16 | $34,454 | $21,878 |
| 15 | CIP 44.0504 | 180 | 0.1% | 14 | $44,740 | $22,000 |
| 16 | CIP 45.1102 | 125 | 0.0% | 10 | $34,099 | $25,000 |
| 17 | CIP 30.4601 | 109 | 0.0% | 21 | — | — |
| 18 | CIP 44.0502 | 97 | 0.0% | 15 | $44,740 | $22,000 |
| 19 | Survey Research/Methodologymain feeder CIP 45.0103 | 18 | 0.0% | 2 | $35,590 | $24,095 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 5,673 | Psychology, General | 43% | $34,565 | 100% |
| 2 | University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 6 feeder programs | 3,350 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 93% | — | 9% |
| 3 | University of Central Florida Orlando, FL Public · 6 feeder programs | 2,161 | Psychology, General | 78% | — | 40% |
| 4 | Florida International University Miami, FL Public · 6 feeder programs | 2,151 | Psychology, General | 74% | — | 55% |
| 5 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ Public · 7 feeder programs | 2,102 | Psychology, General | 0% | — | 67% |
| 6 | Liberty University Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 2,071 | Psychology, General | 65% | $28,911 | 99% |
| 7 | University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI Public · 10 feeder programs | 1,968 | Economics, General | 90% | — | 45% |
| 8 | Florida State University Tallahassee, FL Public · 6 feeder programs | 1,911 | Psychology, General | 86% | — | 24% |
| 9 | University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA Public · 7 feeder programs | 1,738 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 93% | — | 11% |
| 10 | Purdue University Global West Lafayette, IN Public · 2 feeder programs | 1,720 | Behavioral Sciences | 50% | — | — |
| 11 | The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX Public · 7 feeder programs | 1,718 | Psychology, General | 89% | — | 27% |
| 12 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ Public · 10 feeder programs | 1,660 | Psychology, General | 68% | — | 90% |
| 13 | University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 1,643 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 83% | — | 33% |
| 14 | California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 1,600 | Psychology, General | 57% | — | 93% |
| 15 | Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX Public · 6 feeder programs | 1,559 | Psychology, General | 84% | — | 57% |
| 16 | University of South Florida Tampa, FL Public · 6 feeder programs | 1,485 | Psychology, General | 77% | — | 43% |
| 17 | California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA Public · 6 feeder programs | 1,476 | Psychology, General | 70% | — | 91% |
| 18 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL Public · 5 feeder programs | 1,476 | Psychology, General | 91% | — | 24% |
| 19 | East Los Angeles College Monterey Park, CA Public · 5 feeder programs | 1,420 | Social Sciences, General | 37% | — | — |
| 20 | San Diego State University San Diego, CA Public · 7 feeder programs | 1,357 | Psychology, General | 76% | — | 36% |
| 21 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC Public · 6 feeder programs | 1,355 | Behavioral Sciences | 91% | — | 15% |
| 22 | University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD Public · 6 feeder programs | 1,351 | Psychology, General | 89% | — | 45% |
| 23 | University of Houston Houston, TX Public · 7 feeder programs | 1,313 | Psychology, General | 65% | — | 74% |
| 24 | Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ Public · 7 feeder programs | 1,287 | Psychology, General | 84% | — | 58% |
| 25 | Capella University Minneapolis, MN Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 1,270 | Psychology, General | 20% | $19,369 | — |
| 26 | California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA Public · 5 feeder programs | 1,265 | Psychology, General | 69% | — | 46% |
| 27 | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI Public · 6 feeder programs | 1,260 | Economics, General | 93% | — | 16% |
| 28 | University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD Public · 3 feeder programs | 1,242 | Psychology, General | 33% | — | — |
| 29 | Michigan State University East Lansing, MI Public · 8 feeder programs | 1,241 | Psychology, General | 81% | — | 85% |
| 30 | University of Connecticut Storrs, CT Public · 10 feeder programs | 1,238 | Psychology, General | 83% | — | 52% |
| 31 | University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO Public · 5 feeder programs | 1,236 | Psychology, General | 74% | — | 78% |
| 32 | University of Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 10 feeder programs | 1,232 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 96% | $13,333 | 4% |
| 33 | University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA Public · 7 feeder programs | 1,206 | Political Science and Government, General | 87% | — | 29% |
| 34 | California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA Public · 6 feeder programs | 1,155 | Psychology, General | 56% | — | 94% |
| 35 | University of Massachusetts - Amherst Amherst, MA Public · 8 feeder programs | 1,154 | Psychology, General | 83% | — | 60% |
| 36 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN Public · 7 feeder programs | 1,145 | Psychology, General | 85% | — | 80% |
| 37 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 1,133 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 98% | $15,013 | 4% |
| 38 | University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA Public · 5 feeder programs | 1,127 | Psychology, General | 86% | — | 27% |
| 39 | Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus University Park, PA Public · 6 feeder programs | 1,097 | Psychology, General | 86% | — | 61% |
| 40 | University of Georgia Athens, GA Public · 6 feeder programs | 1,079 | Psychology, General | 90% | — | 38% |
| 41 | CUNY Hunter College New York, NY Public · 5 feeder programs | 1,018 | Psychology, General | 57% | — | 54% |
| 42 | Georgia State University Atlanta, GA Public · 6 feeder programs | 1,017 | Psychology, General | 53% | — | 55% |
| 43 | University of California - Davis Davis, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 1,010 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 86% | — | 42% |
| 44 | Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 8 feeder programs | 1,006 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 96% | $15,315 | 4% |
| 45 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 9 feeder programs | 997 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 92% | $26,873 | 10% |
| 46 | University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY Public · 6 feeder programs | 976 | Psychology, General | 75% | — | 74% |
| 47 | New York University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 970 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 88% | $29,023 | 9% |
| 48 | The University of Arizona Global Campus Chandler, AZ Public · 5 feeder programs | 967 | Psychology, General | 11% | $26,445 | — |
| 49 | Boston University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 956 | Psychology, General | 89% | $21,956 | 11% |
| 50 | Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY Public · 7 feeder programs | 941 | Psychology, General | 76% | — | 49% |
What social science research assistants earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $60,250 | 5,300 | 1.48× | 210 | 67,123 |
| New York | $61,210 | 3,040 | 1.59× | 108 | 21,119 |
| Texas | $58,070 | 1,180 | 0.42× | 101 | 17,643 |
| Florida | $50,700 | 1,130 | 0.58× | 45 | 13,623 |
| Virginia | $53,260 | 700 | 0.86× | 56 | 10,120 |
| Massachusetts | $63,480 | — | — | 61 | 9,444 |
| Pennsylvania | $54,610 | 860 | 0.72× | 120 | 9,097 |
| North Carolina | $63,710 | 2,930 | 3.01× | 50 | 8,228 |
| Illinois | $64,890 | 250 | 0.21× | 52 | 7,583 |
| Arizona | $61,680 | 1,020 | 1.59× | 27 | 7,577 |
| New Hampshire | $65,690 | 70 | 0.54× | 14 | 6,742 |
| New Jersey | $62,760 | 370 | 0.44× | 35 | 6,721 |
| Georgia | $66,620 | 1,840 | 1.91× | 51 | 6,131 |
| Ohio | $50,330 | 240 | 0.22× | 72 | 5,756 |
| Maryland | $65,550 | 700 | 1.29× | 28 | 5,739 |
| Michigan | $60,210 | 750 | 0.87× | 46 | 5,713 |
| Indiana | $57,020 | 210 | 0.34× | 47 | 5,530 |
| Minnesota | $44,920 | 300 | 0.52× | 33 | 4,902 |
| Colorado | $50,430 | 100 | 0.17× | 29 | 4,515 |
| Wisconsin | $48,090 | 110 | 0.18× | 30 | 4,315 |
| Connecticut | $60,110 | 50 | 0.15× | 23 | 4,244 |
| Washington | $50,420 | 450 | 0.64× | 20 | 3,704 |
| Tennessee | $46,410 | 140 | 0.21× | 37 | 3,565 |
| Missouri | $65,940 | 750 | 1.29× | 40 | 3,421 |
| Utah | — | 500 | 1.45× | 10 | 2,947 |
| Louisiana | $52,600 | 340 | 0.90× | 23 | 2,930 |
| Oregon | $56,770 | 220 | 0.57× | 17 | 2,903 |
| South Carolina | $64,490 | 500 | 1.11× | 33 | 2,901 |
| District of Columbia | $65,330 | 1,560 | 11.25× | 9 | 2,635 |
| Alabama | $53,080 | — | — | 25 | 2,578 |
| Oklahoma | $69,090 | 100 | 0.29× | 35 | 2,568 |
| Kentucky | $66,390 | 1,190 | 3.02× | 24 | 2,449 |
| Iowa | $40,940 | 140 | 0.45× | 40 | 2,065 |
| Rhode Island | $51,420 | 220 | 2.23× | 9 | 1,654 |
| Kansas | $67,740 | 170 | 0.60× | 26 | 1,605 |
| Nevada | $26,560 | — | — | 6 | 1,412 |
| New Mexico | $50,640 | 50 | 0.30× | 12 | 1,285 |
| Idaho | $62,570 | — | — | 11 | 1,192 |
| Nebraska | $56,190 | 230 | 1.13× | 19 | 1,124 |
| Maine | $50,650 | 120 | 0.95× | 15 | 1,085 |
| West Virginia | $51,140 | 550 | 3.99× | 17 | 1,084 |
| Vermont | $47,510 | 40 | 0.75× | 7 | 800 |
| Montana | $49,860 | 30 | 0.31× | 10 | 639 |
| Delawaremoderate | $68,230 | 40 | 0.47× | 4 | 550 |
| South Dakota | $44,820 | 40 | 0.47× | 9 | 415 |
| Alaskamoderate | $62,230 | 40 | 0.61× | 3 | 176 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Design and create special programs for tasks such as statistical analysis and data entry and cleaning.
- Provide assistance with the preparation of project-related reports, manuscripts, and presentations.
- Prepare tables, graphs, fact sheets, and written reports summarizing research results.
- Perform descriptive and multivariate statistical analyses of data, using computer software.
- Verify the accuracy and validity of data entered in databases, correcting any errors.
- Develop and implement research quality control procedures.
- Prepare, manipulate, and manage extensive databases.
- Perform data entry and other clerical work as required for project completion.
Skills
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Writing3.8
- Active Listening3.8
- Speaking3.4
- Science3.3
- Active Learning3.1
- Mathematics3.1
Knowledge areas
- English Language4.3
- Computers and Electronics3.5
- Administrative3.2
- Mathematics3.1
- Customer and Personal Service3.0
- Education and Training2.9
Abilities
- Oral Expression4.0
- Written Comprehension4.0
- Oral Comprehension4.0
- Written Expression3.8
- Information Ordering3.6
- Deductive Reasoning3.5
Core activities
- Working with Computers4.7
- Processing Information4.7
- Analyzing Data or Information4.5
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.4
- Getting Information4.3
- Documenting/Recording Information4.3
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Social Science Research Assistant
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 19 majors mapped to Social Science Research Assistants19 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 03.0204Environmental/Natural Resource Economics
- 30.1701Behavioral Sciences
- 30.4601History and Political Science
- 42.0101Psychology, General
- 42.2708Psychometrics and Quantitative Psychology
- 44.0501Public Policy Analysis, General
- 44.0502Education Policy Analysis
- 44.0503Health Policy Analysis
- 44.0504International Policy Analysis
- 45.0101Social Sciences, General
- 45.0103Survey Research/Methodology
- 45.0601Economics, General
- 45.0602Applied Economics
- 45.0603Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
- 45.0604Development Economics and International Development
- 45.1001Political Science and Government, General
- 45.1004Political Economy
- 45.1101Sociology, General
- 45.1102Applied/Public Sociology
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Social Science Research Assistant?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Psychology, General, which awarded 146,449 degrees in 2024-25, 51.3% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Social Science Research Assistant?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 19 programs to this occupation. The largest are Psychology, Economics, Political Science and Government, Sociology, plus 6 more. Together they graduate about 285,447 people a year.
How much do social science research assistants earn?+
The median is $61,990 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $38,090 at the 10th percentile to $102,070 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for social science research assistants growing?+
BLS projects a +4.4% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 5,200 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
1,790 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 19 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do social science research assistants work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Research Assistant, Research Associate, Social Research Assistant, Graduate Research Assistant among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 19-4061.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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