Social Science Research Assistants

What Social Science Research Assistants Do

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.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

None

On-the-job training

None

Self-employed

4.9%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• English Languageimportance 4.3/5
• Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.5/5
• Administrativeimportance 3.2/5
• Mathematicsimportance 3.1/5
• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.0/5
• Education and Trainingimportance 2.9/5
• Psychologyimportance 2.5/5
• Administration and Managementimportance 2.5/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• Spend Time Sitting4.7/5
• E-Mail4.6/5
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.3/5
• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.2/5
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.2/5
• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.0/5

Related Careers

• Data Scientists
• Survey Researchers
• Natural Sciences Managers
• Statisticians
• Statistical Assistants
• Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary
• Computer Systems Analysts
• Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Architectural and Civil Drafters96% skill match
• Medical Dosimetrists96% skill match
• Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health94% skill match
• Electrical and Electronics Drafters93% skill match
• Physicists92% skill match
• Computer and Information Systems Managers92% skill match
• Survey Researchers91% skill match
• Industrial-Organizational Psychologists91% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.4/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.1/5
• Systems Analysisimportance 3.0/5
• Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.9/5
• Coordinationimportance 2.9/5
• Systems Evaluationimportance 2.9/5
• Time Managementimportance 2.9/5
• Instructingimportance 2.6/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Attention to Detail
• Dependability
• Intellectual Curiosity
• Integrity
• Achievement Orientation
• Perseverance
• Cautiousness

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• InvestigativeHigh
• ConventionalHigh
• SocialLow
• RealisticLow
• EnterprisingLow
• ArtisticLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where social science research assistants make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Athens-Clarke County, GA16.21× national avg
2. 2Greenville, NC9.27× national avg
3. 3Lansing-East Lansing, MI8.54× national avg
4. 4Columbia, MO7.76× national avg
5. 5Lexington-Fayette, KY6.60× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Survey ResearchersAdvancement
• Computer and Information Systems ManagersCareer Change
• Medical DosimetristsCareer Change
• Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including HealthLateral Move

See the full career path from Social Science Research Assistants →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.