Social Science Research Assistants pay in the U.S.
$66,140avg. a year
$31.80 an hour · 30,640 employed
Social Science Research Assistants in the U.S. earn an average of $66,140 a year and a median of $61,990. Pay is highest in Georgia ($78,740) and lowest in Nevada ($32,700).
$61,990Median pay
$31.80Average hourly
+23%Avg. pay since 2020
30,640Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for social science research assistants
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
11,840 jobs
Georgia
$78,740
$37.85 an hour
2100 jobs
Oklahoma
$75,960
$36.52 an hour
3500 jobs
South Carolina
$73,790
$35.48 an hour
4700 jobs
Maryland
$73,310
$35.25 an hour
51,560 jobs
District of Columbia
$72,920
$35.06 an hour
61,190 jobs
Kentucky
$70,300
$33.80 an hour
75,300 jobs
California
$70,260
$33.78 an hour
8250 jobs
Illinois
$69,900
$33.61 an hour
9370 jobs
New Jersey
$69,260
$33.30 an hour
1040 jobs
Delaware
$67,240
$32.33 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Social Science Research Assistants pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $55k$55k–$62k$62k–$66k$66k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $90,820 | $43.66 |
| Bowling Green, KY | $88,200 | $42.41 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $86,880 | $41.77 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $80,080 | $38.50 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $79,650 | $38.29 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $79,230 | $38.09 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $73,440 | $35.31 |
| Columbia, SC | $72,860 | $35.03 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Social Science Research Assistants pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $52,590 | $53,080 | – |
| Alaska | $66,830 | $62,230 | 40 |
| Arizona | $61,990 | $61,680 | 1,020 |
| California | $70,260 | $60,250 | 5,300 |
| Colorado | $52,370 | $50,430 | 100 |
| Connecticut | $62,260 | $60,110 | 50 |
| Delaware | $67,240 | $68,230 | 40 |
| District of Columbia | $72,920 | $65,330 | 1,560 |
| Florida | $54,530 | $50,700 | 1,130 |
| Georgia | $78,740 | $66,620 | 1,840 |
| Idaho | $63,150 | $62,570 | – |
| Illinois | $69,900 | $64,890 | 250 |
| Indiana | $62,450 | $57,020 | 210 |
| Iowa | $40,040 | $40,940 | 140 |
| Kansas | $60,630 | $67,740 | 170 |
| Kentucky | $70,300 | $66,390 | 1,190 |
| Louisiana | $55,140 | $52,600 | 340 |
| Maine | $54,530 | $50,650 | 120 |
| Maryland | $73,310 | $65,550 | 700 |
| Massachusetts | $63,310 | $63,480 | – |
| Michigan | $60,480 | $60,210 | 750 |
| Minnesota | $48,410 | $44,920 | 300 |
| Missouri | $61,550 | $65,940 | 750 |
| Montana | $48,920 | $49,860 | 30 |
| Nebraska | $54,460 | $56,190 | 230 |
| Nevada | $32,700 | $26,560 | – |
| New Hampshire | $64,660 | $65,690 | 70 |
| New Jersey | $69,260 | $62,760 | 370 |
| New Mexico | $66,400 | $50,640 | 50 |
| New York | $66,500 | $61,210 | 3,040 |
| North Carolina | $65,260 | $63,710 | 2,930 |
| Ohio | $54,650 | $50,330 | 240 |
| Oklahoma | $75,960 | $69,090 | 100 |
| Oregon | $61,180 | $56,770 | 220 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,080 | $54,610 | 860 |
| Rhode Island | $64,380 | $51,420 | 220 |
| South Carolina | $73,790 | $64,490 | 500 |
| South Dakota | $41,910 | $44,820 | 40 |
| Tennessee | $47,860 | $46,410 | 140 |
| Texas | $65,950 | $58,070 | 1,180 |
| Vermont | $54,280 | $47,510 | 40 |
| Virginia | $59,810 | $53,260 | 700 |
| Washington | $56,120 | $50,420 | 450 |
| West Virginia | $63,270 | $51,140 | 550 |
| Wisconsin | $52,660 | $48,090 | 110 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$71,420
2,610 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$63,990
2,290 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$73,440
2,170 jobsAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$90,820
990 jobsSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$86,880
710 jobsSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$72,190
670 jobsLouisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
$79,230
570 jobsPhoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
$62,720
570 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do social science research assistants make?
The average is $66,140 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $61,990 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $31.80, and the median is $29.81 an hour.
Which state pays social science research assistants the most?
Georgia, with an average of $78,740 a year. The best-paying metro area is Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA at $90,820.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $38,090 a year, and the top 10% earn over $102,070.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 19-4061. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.