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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

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)
34,550 5.7 % $24.24 $50,420 1.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $12.20 $17.04 $22.42 $29.25 $37.73
Annual Wage (2) $25,370 $35,450 $46,640 $60,830 $78,470


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 14,020 2.08 $24.57 $51,110
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 11,240 0.37 $23.08 $48,000
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 2,380 0.04 $22.57 $46,940
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 1,190 0.08 $30.89 $64,250
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 1,190 0.02 $21.54 $44,800

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 14,020 2.08 $24.57 $51,110
Grantmaking and Giving Services 590 0.41 $22.67 $47,160
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 11,240 0.37 $23.08 $48,000
Social Advocacy Organizations 750 0.35 $30.92 $64,310
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 780 0.11 $23.64 $49,170

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Business Schools and Computer and Management Training 30 0.04 $36.63 $76,180
Social Advocacy Organizations 750 0.35 $30.92 $64,310
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 1,190 0.08 $30.89 $64,250
Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations 340 0.08 $29.69 $61,750
Management of Companies and Enterprises 150 0.01 $28.25 $58,770


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 6,290 0.67 2.81 $23.56 $49,000
District of Columbia 2,900 4.07 17.04 $31.45 $65,410
California 2,380 0.14 0.59 $23.86 $49,630
Georgia 2,210 0.50 2.11 $25.42 $52,880
Massachusetts 2,040 0.57 2.39 $26.59 $55,310




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 2,900 4.07 17.04 $31.45 $65,410
Arizona 2,010 0.72 3.01 $26.43 $54,960
New York 6,290 0.67 2.81 $23.56 $49,000
Massachusetts 2,040 0.57 2.39 $26.59 $55,310
Georgia 2,210 0.50 2.11 $25.42 $52,880




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 2,900 4.07 17.04 $31.45 $65,410
New Jersey 110 0.03 0.12 $28.11 $58,480
South Carolina 110 0.06 0.23 $27.27 $56,720
Massachusetts 2,040 0.57 2.39 $26.59 $55,310
Maryland 950 0.35 1.48 $26.57 $55,260





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 4,210 1.34 5.62 $30.04 $62,470
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 3,660 0.39 1.61 $27.96 $58,150
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,830 0.66 2.78 $26.96 $56,070
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 1,240 0.46 1.94 $25.63 $53,310
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 1,080 3.51 14.70 $22.75 $47,330
Tucson, AZ 880 2.39 10.02 $23.73 $49,360
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 870 0.31 1.28 $23.01 $47,850
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 810 0.13 0.56 $22.72 $47,260
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 750 0.16 0.68 $24.43 $50,820
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 650 0.27 1.13 $24.39 $50,740




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 1,080 3.51 14.70 $22.75 $47,330
Tucson, AZ 880 2.39 10.02 $23.73 $49,360
Ann Arbor, MI 450 2.06 8.63 $20.13 $41,860
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 4,210 1.34 5.62 $30.04 $62,470
Champaign-Urbana, IL 130 1.30 5.45 $24.59 $51,140
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC 290 1.29 5.40 $20.34 $42,310
Lincoln, NE 230 1.26 5.28 $23.56 $49,010
Eugene, OR 130 0.84 3.50 (8) (8)
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,830 0.66 2.78 $26.96 $56,070
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR 220 0.63 2.65 $25.73 $53,510




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)
Charleston-North Charleston, SC 40 0.13 0.53 $31.35 $65,210
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 4,210 1.34 5.62 $30.04 $62,470
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 3,660 0.39 1.61 $27.96 $58,150
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA (8) (8) (8) $27.74 $57,690
Springfield, MA-CT 40 0.13 0.56 $27.52 $57,240
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,830 0.66 2.78 $26.96 $56,070
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA 70 0.07 0.28 $26.57 $55,270
Portland-South Portland, ME 70 0.32 1.35 $26.35 $54,810
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI (8) (8) (8) $25.96 $54,000
Dayton, OH 40 0.10 0.41 $25.80 $53,670

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 0.36 1.49 $20.76 $43,180
Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area 50 0.25 1.03 $16.77 $34,880
Western Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 40 0.24 1.00 $17.43 $36,260

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 0.36 1.49 $20.76 $43,180
Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area 50 0.25 1.03 $16.77 $34,880
Western Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 40 0.24 1.00 $17.43 $36,260

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)
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $30.93 $64,330
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $23.71 $49,310
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 70 0.36 1.49 $20.76 $43,180
Western Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 40 0.24 1.00 $17.43 $36,260
Southern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $17.02 $35,400


About May 2018 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 2018 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 29, 2019