What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Social Science Research Assistants in the U.S. earn more than $61,990 a year — the middle 80% land between $38,090 and $102,070. About 30,640 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Social Science Research Assistants”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Professionals earn about ₹38,298 a month on average — around ₹4.6 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$61,990typical pay / year
30,640people in this work
$102,070+top 10% earn
₹4.6 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Keeping the record5
Perform data entry and cleaning
+Clean the newest ledger of baptism records from 1850–1870: standardise date formats to YYYY-MM-DD, remove…
Perform data entry and cleaning
+Clean the newest ledger of baptism records from 1850–1870: standardise date formats to YYYY-MM-DD, remove exact duplicates, flag uncertain entries with provenance notes, then save the cleaned table and send a summary of 10 flagged cases to Dr. Patel.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsO*NET
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Supervise survey interviewers
+Run the morning check on three interviewers: confirm each has their consent scripts, paired interviewer…
Supervise survey interviewers
+Run the morning check on three interviewers: confirm each has their consent scripts, paired interviewer schedule, and battery of tablets; call Ravi if anyone lacks training and reassign rounds so all neighbourhoods get covered by 10am.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsO*NET
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Recruit and schedule research participants.
+Recruit ten participants aged 60–75 from the neighbourhood list, phone those with highest match scores, offer…
Recruit and schedule research participants.
+Recruit ten participants aged 60–75 from the neighbourhood list, phone those with highest match scores, offer three available slots this week, record consent preferences and mobility needs, and confirm appointments with a reminder text 48 hours before each session.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptionsO*NET
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Present research findings to groups
+Prepare a 12-minute talk for Friday's faculty-student forum summarising our oral-history themes, include…
Present research findings to groups
+Prepare a 12-minute talk for Friday's faculty-student forum summarising our oral-history themes, include three representative quotes, one slide of methodology limitations, and email the slide deck and speaker notes to Dr. Morales by Wednesday noon.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptionsO*NET
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Track laboratory supplies and expenses
+Update the lab supplies ledger with receipts from last month, flag items below reorder level, allocate each…
Track laboratory supplies and expenses
+Update the lab supplies ledger with receipts from last month, flag items below reorder level, allocate each purchase to the correct grant code, and email a reconciled expenses list to Dr. Alvarez and the lab manager by Tuesday after checking vendor invoices match bank transactions.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptionsO*NET
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The daily work11
Adhere to organisational guidelines
+Check the research project folder for missing consent forms and confidentiality checks, align the methods…
Adhere to organisational guidelines
+Check the research project folder for missing consent forms and confidentiality checks, align the methods section with the service safeguarding and data-retention rules, and add a compliance note for the supervisor ahead of Friday’s team meeting.
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Support social scientists in laboratory work
+Prepare lab support for Dr. Ana Ruiz and PhD student Mark: list required archival sources, consent forms…
Support social scientists in laboratory work
+Prepare lab support for Dr. Ana Ruiz and PhD student Mark: list required archival sources, consent forms adapted for community partners, contact each service user scheduled this week to confirm availability, and book the shared reading room for Tuesday morning.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptions
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Create tables, graphs, and reports
+Produce clean tables and three charts summarising interview counts by cohort, timeline of document dates, and…
Create tables, graphs, and reports
+Produce clean tables and three charts summarising interview counts by cohort, timeline of document dates, and basic demographic breakdown, then draft a two‑page report for Professor Lewis to review by Thursday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft PowerPointjob descriptions
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Verify accuracy and validity of data
+Check the dataset from last month's fieldwork for missing values, inconsistent coding, and duplicate records,…
Verify accuracy and validity of data
+Check the dataset from last month's fieldwork for missing values, inconsistent coding, and duplicate records, correct obvious entry errors, log every change in the audit sheet, and flag doubtful cases to Dr. Patel.
The tools that do the workIBM SPSS StatisticsMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions
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Negotiate with social service users
+Call each scheduled service user to negotiate appointment times and preferred support needs, record agreed…
Negotiate with social service users
+Call each scheduled service user to negotiate appointment times and preferred support needs, record agreed adjustments in the participant plan, and confirm any travel or accessibility requirements with the project coordinator.
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Involve service users and carers in care planning
+Organise a care‑planning session with carers and two service users, prepare a concise agenda that centres…
Involve service users and carers in care planning
+Organise a care‑planning session with carers and two service users, prepare a concise agenda that centres participants' priorities, circulate pre‑reading and an options sheet, and capture agreed actions with named owners.
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Conduct internet and library research
+Assemble primary and secondary source summaries on 19th-century local charities, pull relevant digitised…
Conduct internet and library research
+Assemble primary and secondary source summaries on 19th-century local charities, pull relevant digitised newspapers and catalogue references, and deliver a folder of annotated PDFs and a one-page research brief for Dr. Patel by Tuesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Officejob descriptionsO*NET
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Code data for computer entry
+Create a clean coded dataset from the interview transcripts: generate consistent variable names, map…
Code data for computer entry
+Create a clean coded dataset from the interview transcripts: generate consistent variable names, map responses to the agreed codebook, enter the first 100 records with validation rules and send the sample for Rachel to review by Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelIBM SPSS Statisticsjob descriptionsO*NET
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Manage research projects
+Set up the project plan with milestones, assign tasks to Tom, Aisha and myself, schedule fortnightly…
Manage research projects
+Set up the project plan with milestones, assign tasks to Tom, Aisha and myself, schedule fortnightly check-ins, and export the timeline and budget summary so Prof. Green can sign off at next Monday's meeting.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft ExcelESCOjob descriptions
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Screen potential subjects to determine their suitability as study participants.
+Screen the volunteer roster against inclusion criteria, call any borderline candidates to verify archival…
Screen potential subjects to determine their suitability as study participants.
+Screen the volunteer roster against inclusion criteria, call any borderline candidates to verify archival experience and availability, record decisions with reasons in the recruitment log, and prepare a short suitability report for the ethics panel by Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft OutlookO*NET
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Perform needs assessments or consult with clients to determine the types of research and information required.
+Run intake consultations with the faculty requestors to clarify research questions, priorities and…
Perform needs assessments or consult with clients to determine the types of research and information required.
+Run intake consultations with the faculty requestors to clarify research questions, priorities and deliverables, draft a one-page scope with required sources and a timeline, and circulate it to Dr. Morales for approval within three working days.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WordO*NET
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Says who?
These are the pages we read to build this. Open any of them and check us.
The logs, files & records this job keeps
Shared with other careers — the same record means something different in each.
Related careers
Same family of work — each with its own tasks and prompts.
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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses