Research Associate
Salary surveys & compensation benchmarks
5 compensation survey reports publish salary benchmarks for Research Associate. Compare what each vendor covers and pick the right one for your organization.
Role summary
Independently performs components of a research program as directed by a senior member of the research team. May be involved in designing certain aspects of research projects and independently conducts work complementary to the overall research objectives. Requires a minimum of a master’s (or equivalent) degree, or bachelor’s (or equivalent) degree plus at least 2 years of post-bachelor’s work experience in a role that is demonstrably similar to that of a research assistant.
Job summary sourced from the Empsight benchmark job library.
Reports covering Research Associate
ERI Economic Research Institute
The Croner Company
Research Associate salary survey FAQ
- Which compensation surveys cover Research Associate pay?
- 5 surveys publish Research Associate benchmarks, including data from ERI Economic Research Institute, The Croner Company, CUPA-HR. The full list is on this page; click into any one for scope, methodology, and pricing.
- How does Research Associate pay vary by industry and geography?
- Compensation for Research Associate varies by industry, region, company size, and revenue. Most surveys above publish cuts on those dimensions. Industry-specific surveys (healthcare, tech, financial services, etc.) typically report meaningfully different ranges than cross-industry surveys for the same role.
- What is the typical salary range for Research Associate?
- CompShop is a directory of compensation-survey publishers, not a salary aggregator. Actual Research Associate ranges live in the surveys listed on this page. Most publishers report 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile salary data plus total cash compensation.
- How often should I refresh Research Associate pay benchmarks?
- Annually is the standard cadence for primary roles. Survey data older than two years is generally too stale for setting current pay ranges, especially in hot segments. Most publishers above release annual editions; a few offer semi-annual updates for fast-moving markets.