Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

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)
26,200 4.1 % $20.39 $42,410 1.9 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $11.14 $13.83 $18.66 $23.91 $31.52
Annual Wage (2) $23,170 $28,760 $38,800 $49,720 $65,550


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)
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 11,610 0.41 $19.37 $40,280
Scientific Research and Development Services 9,620 1.53 $20.53 $42,700
Local Government (OES Designation) 920 0.02 $21.68 $45,090
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 770 0.07 $19.46 $40,480
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 680 0.01 $21.30 $44,310

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 9,620 1.53 $20.53 $42,700
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 11,610 0.41 $19.37 $40,280
Social Advocacy Organizations 380 0.19 $23.93 $49,770
Monetary Authorities-Central Bank 40 0.18 $23.20 $48,250
Grantmaking and Giving Services 150 0.12 $20.44 $42,520

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Management of Companies and Enterprises (8) (8) $24.80 $51,590
Social Advocacy Organizations 380 0.19 $23.93 $49,770
Monetary Authorities-Central Bank 40 0.18 $23.20 $48,250
Educational Support Services 150 0.11 $22.85 $47,520
State Government (OES Designation) 400 0.02 $21.96 $45,680


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 0.64 3.12 $17.14 $35,650
Arizona 2,650 1.11 5.45 $17.97 $37,370
District of Columbia 2,450 3.80 18.60 $23.99 $49,890
Massachusetts 2,420 0.77 3.75 $27.27 $56,730
California 1,910 0.14 0.67 $20.07 $41,740




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 2,450 3.80 18.60 $23.99 $49,890
Arizona 2,650 1.11 5.45 $17.97 $37,370
Massachusetts 2,420 0.77 3.75 $27.27 $56,730
New York 5,370 0.64 3.12 $17.14 $35,650
Indiana 1,260 0.46 2.25 $21.74 $45,210




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Jersey 250 0.07 0.32 $31.87 $66,280
Massachusetts 2,420 0.77 3.75 $27.27 $56,730
Maryland 580 0.24 1.15 $27.19 $56,560
Rhode Island 50 0.12 0.59 $26.96 $56,070
Alaska 30 0.11 0.53 $24.53 $51,020





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 2,720 1.18 5.76 $24.17 $50,280
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 2,460 0.49 2.38 $18.75 $39,000
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 2,270 1.35 6.62 $27.56 $57,330
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 1,540 0.91 4.45 $16.62 $34,580
Ann Arbor, MI 1,220 6.38 31.25 $15.55 $32,340
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 1,070 2.53 12.41 $15.65 $32,550
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 840 3.14 15.40 $21.43 $44,560
Bloomington, IN 700 9.56 46.80 (8) (8)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 530 0.14 0.68 $21.62 $44,980
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 440 0.20 0.97 (8) (8)




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)
Bloomington, IN 700 9.56 46.80 (8) (8)
Ann Arbor, MI 1,220 6.38 31.25 $15.55 $32,340
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 840 3.14 15.40 $21.43 $44,560
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 1,070 2.53 12.41 $15.65 $32,550
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 2,270 1.35 6.62 $27.56 $57,330
Eugene-Springfield, OR 160 1.21 5.92 $19.60 $40,760
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 2,720 1.18 5.76 $24.17 $50,280
Olympia, WA 100 1.03 5.04 $23.84 $49,580
Charlottesville, VA 100 1.01 4.95 $18.15 $37,750
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 1,540 0.91 4.45 $16.62 $34,580




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)
Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD Metropolitan Division 430 0.78 3.83 $28.13 $58,500
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 2,270 1.35 6.62 $27.56 $57,330
Providence-Fall River-Warwick, RI-MA 60 0.11 0.54 $26.86 $55,870
Memphis, TN-MS-AR (8) (8) (8) $26.49 $55,100
Baltimore-Towson, MD 130 0.11 0.53 $25.11 $52,240
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division 180 0.19 0.93 $24.23 $50,410
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 2,720 1.18 5.76 $24.17 $50,280
Indianapolis-Carmel, IN 300 0.34 1.68 $23.94 $49,800
Olympia, WA 100 1.03 5.04 $23.84 $49,580
Spokane, WA 30 0.15 0.76 $23.59 $49,080

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 110 0.59 2.89 $19.32 $40,190

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 110 0.59 2.89 $19.32 $40,190

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 110 0.59 2.89 $19.32 $40,190


About May 2011 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 mean 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 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012