What are the main factors that influence a Research Associate's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Research Associate's salary?

A Research Associate's salary grows with experience: a Staff Nurse - RN - Research (0-0 years)earns $92,943, a Research Associate (0-2 years)earns $60,128, a Clinical Research Associate II (2-4 years)earns $69,590, a Scientist - Clinical Research (4-7 years)earns $98,798, a Clinical Research Manager (7+ years)earns $106,761,

What are the highest paying states for a Research Associate?

Research Associate salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Research Associate roles are District of Columbia $67,324, California $67,069, Massachusetts $66,175. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Research Associate roles make?

Salaries for Research Associate level roles vary by specialization: Principal Research Associate: $164,216; Market Research Associate: $127,827; Equity Research Associate: $116,438; Consulting Associate, Research: $84,374; Clinical Research Associate: $72,580.

How do different companies affect a Research Associate's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Research Associate roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Research Associate Salary in the United States

How much does a Research Associate make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Research Associate in the United States is $60,806 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $29.

However, a Research Associate's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $78,426
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $52,413 to $70,029
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $44,771

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Research Associate Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$70,029	$5,836	$1,347	$34
Average	$60,806	$5,067	$1,169	$29
25th Percentile	$52,413	$4,368	$1,008	$25

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Check out Research Associate Job Openings in the United States

Research Senior Associate/ Senior Data Analyst

Team NEO - Cleveland, OH

Clinical Research Associate II

AtriCure, Inc. - Mason, OH

Senior Clinical Research Associate - Bilingual

AtriCure, Inc. - Mason, OH

Experienced Clinical Research Associate - Hematology/Oncology

Medpace - Cincinnati, OH

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Key Factors That Influence Research Associate Salaries

A Research Associate's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Research Associate Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Research Associate's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $92,943
Early Career (1-2 years): $60,128
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $69,590
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $98,798
Expert (over 8 years): $106,761

Levels	Salary
Staff Nur... Level Research Associate	$92,943
Research ... Level Research Associate	$60,128
Clinical ... Level Research Associate	$69,590
Scientist... Level Research Associate	$98,798
Clinical ... Level Research Associate	$106,761

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Research Associate Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Research Associates. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $67,324.
California: $67,069.
Massachusetts: $66,175.

District of Columbia $67,324 California $67,069 Massachusetts $66,175 Washington $65,932 New Jersey $65,907 Alaska $65,822 Connecticut $64,983 New York $64,643

Hawaii $63,554 Rhode Island $63,043 Maryland $62,697 Minnesota $62,223 Colorado $62,040 Illinois $61,979 Oregon $61,748 Delaware $61,578

New Hampshire $61,471 Virginia $61,231 Pennsylvania $60,532 Nevada $60,180 North Dakota $60,064 Michigan $59,882 Wisconsin $59,815 Vermont $59,681

Texas $59,310 Maine $59,286 Arizona $59,249 Ohio $59,207 Georgia $58,647 Indiana $58,367 Wyoming $58,313 Utah $58,228

Iowa $58,191 Kansas $57,899 Louisiana $57,814 North Carolina $57,784 Missouri $57,772 Florida $57,534 Montana $57,407 Nebraska $57,285

Kentucky $57,218 South Carolina $56,975 Tennessee $56,823 Idaho $56,762 New Mexico $56,318 Oklahoma $56,221 Alabama $55,862 South Dakota $55,260

Arkansas $54,932 West Virginia $54,756 Mississippi $54,227

Top Paying Cities for Research Associates

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $76,694
San Francisco: $75,855
Oakland: $74,256

San Jose, CA $76,694

San Francisco, CA $75,855

Oakland, CA $74,256

New York, NY $70,011

Paramus, NJ $69,160

Queens Village, NY $69,157

Passaic, NJ $69,099

Bergenfield, NJ $69,094

Stamford, CT $68,960

Huntington, NY $68,935

Newark, NJ $68,486

Bridgeport, CT $68,357

Vallejo, CA $68,236

New Brunswick, NJ $68,212

Petaluma, CA $68,175

Middlesex, NJ $68,060

Somerset, NJ $68,017

Santa Cruz, CA $67,938

Boston, MA $67,567

Monterey, CA $67,354

Seattle, WA $67,215

Santa Rosa, CA $67,203

Los Angeles, CA $67,184

Juneau, AK $67,026

Washington, DC $66,959

Orange, CA $66,743

Santa Ana, CA $66,582

Long Beach, CA $66,522

Anaheim, CA $66,509

Anchorage, AK $66,479

Santa Maria, CA $66,297

Everett, WA $66,284

Danbury, CT $66,070

Bremerton, WA $65,986

Tacoma, WA $65,768

New Suffolk, NY $65,766

Sacramento, CA $65,749

Santa Barbara, CA $65,682

Trenton, NJ $65,616

San Diego, CA $65,616

Brockton, MA $65,549

Fairbanks, AK $65,400

Lompoc, CA $65,245

Lowell, MA $65,195

Ventura, CA $65,184

Nashua, NH $65,172

Stockton, CA $65,166

Modesto, CA $64,722

Poughkeepsie, NY $64,588

Olympia, WA $64,472

Kennewick, WA $64,472

New Haven, CT $64,448

Lawrence, MA $64,229

Hartford, CT $64,168

Riverside, CA $64,156

New Bedford, MA $64,095

Richland, WA $64,095

Bakersfield, CA $64,010

San Bernardino, CA $63,986

New Britain, CT $63,980

Atlantic City, NJ $63,980

New London, CT $63,956

Norwich, CT $63,937

Portsmouth, NH $63,925

Boulder, CO $63,796

Portland, OR $63,712

Worcester, MA $63,706

Minneapolis, MN $63,518

Philadelphia, PA $63,433

Honolulu, HI $63,232

Saint Paul, MN $63,203

Vineland, NJ $63,189

Providence, RI $63,013

Chicago, IL $62,837

Bellingham, WA $62,764

Springfield, MA $62,715

Baltimore, MD $62,697

Chico, CA $62,545

Pittsfield, MA $62,381

Manchester, NH $62,265

Spokane, WA $61,998

Denver, CO $61,992

Albany, NY $61,706

Troy, NY $61,681

Nassau, NY $61,616

Schenectady, NY $61,554

Wilmington, DE $61,505

Burlington, VT $61,420

Salem, OR $61,396

Portland, ME $61,207

Yakima, WA $61,146

Rochester, MN $60,958

Reno, NV $60,927

Fresno, CA $60,927

Milwaukee, WI $60,873

Detroit, MI $60,812

Ann Arbor, MI $60,802

Allentown, PA $60,794

Colorado Springs, CO $60,690

Syracuse, NY $60,660

Carson City, NV $60,660

Houston, TX $60,575

Eugene, OR $60,544

Gary, IN $60,471

Springfield, OR $60,423

Bismarck, ND $60,411

Galveston, TX $60,368

Medford, OR $60,277

Fort Collins, CO $60,252

Concord, NH $60,222

Austin, TX $60,204

Mesa, AZ $60,076

Reading, PA $60,070

Phoenix, AZ $60,064

Dallas, TX $60,046

Saint Cloud, MN $59,987

Madison, WI $59,906

Utica, NY $59,742

Rochester, NY $59,644

Des Moines, IA $59,638

Raleigh, NC $59,632

Atlanta, GA $59,541

Battle Creek, MI $59,523

Salt Lake City, UT $59,505

Lancaster, PA $59,413

Harrisburg, PA $59,328

Kansas City, MO $59,267

Champaign, IL $59,255

Kansas City, KS $59,255

Fort Worth, TX $59,249

Columbus, OH $59,239

Boca Raton, FL $59,225

Pittsburgh, PA $59,201

Richmond, VA $59,176

Indianapolis, IN $59,164

Cleveland, OH $59,158

Las Vegas, NV $59,085

Cincinnati, OH $59,085

Petersburg, VA $58,994

Huntsville, AL $58,903

Lansing, MI $58,862

Lebanon, PA $58,854

Pueblo, CO $58,848

Appleton, WI $58,830

Buffalo, NY $58,805

Dayton, OH $58,787

Racine, WI $58,775

Charlotte, NC $58,769

Saint Louis, MO $58,751

York, PA $58,714

Elkhart, IN $58,714

Gastonia, NC $58,703

Billings, MT $58,688

Beaumont, TX $58,672

Lorain, OH $58,659

Benton Harbor, MI $58,647

Toledo, OH $58,635

Binghamton, NY $58,605

Rock Hill, SC $58,599

Rockford, IL $58,568

Springfield, IL $58,544

Elyria, OH $58,538

Fargo, ND $58,538

Flagstaff, AZ $58,495

Fort Lauderdale, FL $58,459

Duluth, MN $58,422

Miami, FL $58,422

Cheyenne, WY $58,380

Grand Forks, ND $58,380

Bangor, ME $58,246

Cedar Rapids, IA $58,179

Durham, NC $58,153

Louisville, KY $58,149

Grand Rapids, MI $58,136

Hialeah, FL $58,130

Casper, WY $58,045

Scranton, PA $57,972

New Orleans, LA $57,954

Virginia Beach, VA $57,948

Akron, OH $57,918

Peoria, IL $57,838

Sarasota, FL $57,826

Nashville, TN $57,784

Omaha, NE $57,784

Green Bay, WI $57,784

Baton Rouge, LA $57,753

Charleston, SC $57,741

Jamestown, NY $57,711

Davenport, IA $57,711

Tucson, AZ $57,680

Saint Petersburg, FL $57,644

Tampa, FL $57,632

Evansville, IN $57,595

Port Arthur, TX $57,595

Bradenton, FL $57,571

Santa Fe, NM $57,461

Orlando, FL $57,352

Clearwater, FL $57,334

Canton, OH $57,206

La Crosse, WI $57,206

Albuquerque, NM $57,170

Newport News, VA $57,164

High Point, NC $57,145

Ogden, UT $57,121

Corpus Christi, TX $57,072

Norfolk, VA $57,036

Laramie, WY $57,036

Rock Island, IL $56,999

Saginaw, MI $56,987

Jacksonville, FL $56,981

Salisbury, NC $56,969

Boise, ID $56,957

Moline, IL $56,926

Fort Myers, FL $56,908

Memphis, TN $56,896

Tulsa, OK $56,866

Waterloo, IA $56,829

Spartanburg, SC $56,768

Lincoln, NE $56,738

Fort Wayne, IN $56,726

Provo, UT $56,720

Cedar Falls, IA $56,647

San Antonio, TX $56,622

Greensboro, NC $56,598

South Bend, IN $56,592

Savannah, GA $56,525

Muskegon, MI $56,501

Birmingham, AL $56,495

Winston Salem, NC $56,465

Lake Charles, LA $56,318

Anderson, IN $56,306

Lexington, KY $56,288

Augusta, GA $56,270

Greenville, SC $56,270

Lima, OH $56,221

Wichita, KS $56,215

Tuscaloosa, AL $56,215

Columbia, SC $56,160

Springfield, OH $56,148

Asheville, NC $56,051

Bloomington, IN $56,008

Knoxville, TN $55,789

Shreveport, LA $55,783

Wilmington, NC $55,704

Roanoke, VA $55,704

Topeka, KS $55,595

Frankfort, KY $55,588

Oklahoma City, OK $55,546

Chillicothe, OH $55,522

Longview, TX $55,516

Melbourne, FL $55,510

Sioux Falls, SD $55,412

Mobile, AL $55,406

Terre Haute, IN $55,382

Altoona, PA $55,345

Amarillo, TX $55,303

Killeen, TX $55,285

Fayetteville, AR $55,236

Chattanooga, TN $55,218

Sioux City, IA $55,163

Idaho Falls, ID $55,151

Lynchburg, VA $55,102

Gainesville, FL $55,023

Portsmouth, OH $54,993

Little Rock, AR $54,981

Lafayette, LA $54,956

Youngstown, OH $54,956

Daytona Beach, FL $54,920

Clarksville, TN $54,914

Pensacola, FL $54,908

Temple, TX $54,903

Hopkinsville, KY $54,725

Erie, PA $54,713

Florence, SC $54,689

Charleston, WV $54,591

Great Falls, MT $54,561

Macon, GA $54,476

Tallahassee, FL $54,470

Fayetteville, NC $54,458

Waco, TX $54,446

Helena, MT $54,403

Pine Bluff, AR $54,380

Vincennes, IN $54,306

Lubbock, TX $54,281

Alamogordo, NM $54,245

Twin Falls, ID $54,190

Rapid City, SD $54,172

Jackson, MS $54,062

Huntington, WV $54,058

Greenville, MS $54,056

Parkersburg, WV $53,994

Montgomery, AL $53,983

Wichita Falls, TX $53,923

Springfield, MO $53,923

Biloxi, MS $53,892

Monroe, LA $53,831

Johnstown, PA $53,789

Sumter, SC $53,764

Columbus, GA $53,758

Pascagoula, MS $53,643

Abilene, TX $53,643

Kingsport, TN $53,485

Albany, GA $53,485

Gulfport, MS $53,467

Alexandria, LA $53,266

Fort Smith, AR $53,114

El Paso, TX $52,950

Las Cruces, NM $52,676

Harlingen, TX $52,522

Pocatello, ID $52,512

Florence, AL $52,433

Brownsville, TX $52,421

Mcallen, TX $52,293

Dothan, AL $52,208

Columbus, MS $51,847

Altus, OK $51,563

Lawton, OK $51,448

Pierre, SD $51,229

What Skills Can Increase a Research Associate's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Integrity (Mentioned in 5.09% Job Postings): Is about having strong principles and values, which you demonstrate through your conduct in the work environment. A common integrity definition states that people with integrity do the right thing even when nobody is watching.
Oncology (Mentioned in 2.46% Job Postings): Designing, constructing, and repairing dental prosthetics and restorative and orthodontic devices to help patients correct dental conditions.
Data Collection (Mentioned in 1.46% Job Postings): Data collection is the process of gathering and measuring information on targeted variables in an established system, which then enables one to answer relevant questions and evaluate outcomes. Data collection is a component of research in all fields of study including physical and social sciences, humanities, and business. While methods vary by discipline, the emphasis on ensuring accurate and honest collection remains the same. The goal for all data collection is to capture quality evidence that allows analysis to lead to the formulation of convincing and credible answers to the questions that have been posed.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Integrity	5.09%
Oncology	2.46%
Data Collection	1.46%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Research Associate's salary.

Line Management: Can increase your salary by up to 33%.
Dedication: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Patient Safety: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Line Management	$80,872	33%
Dedication	$66,278	9%
Patient Safety	$65,062	7%
Accountability	$64,454	6%
Communicates Effectively	$64,454	6%
Communication Skills	$63,846	5%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Research Associate's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Research Associates enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Research Associate with a Bachelor's Degree is between $64,284 and $68,801).

Research Associate Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Research Associate

No Diploma 0.3%

High School 2.7%

Associates 1.9%

Bachelors 61.9%

Masters 26.5%

Doctorate 6.6%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.3%
High School	2.7%
Associates	1.9%
Bachelors	61.9%
Masters	26.5%
Doctorate	6.6%

view as graph

Research Associate Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Research Associate's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 01, 2026

$52,413

Average $60,806/year

$70,029

$4,368

Average $5,067/month

$5,836

$1,008

Average $1,169/week

$1,347

$25

Average $29/hour

$34

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$70,029	$5,836	$1,347	$34
Average	$60,806	$5,067	$1,169	$29
25th Percentile	$52,413	$4,368	$1,008	$25

Salaries of jobs related to Research Associate

Salary Trends for Research Associate

Salaries for a Research Associate can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $55,596 in 2023 to around $55,606 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Research Associate salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Research Associate Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$55,596

2024

$55,704

2025

$55,606

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$55,596
2024	$55,704
2025	$55,606
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Research Associate

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