Temporary Research Assistant Salary in the United States

How much does a Temporary Research Assistant make in the United States?

As of April 01, 2026, the average salary for a Temporary Research Assistant in the United States is $61,050 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $29.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $74,959
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $52,944 to $68,331
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $45,564
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View as table View as graph 25% $52,944 10% $45,564 90% $74,959 75% $68,331 $61,050 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Temporary Research Assistant Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $68,331 $5,694 $1,314 $33
Average $61,050 $5,088 $1,174 $29
25th Percentile $52,944 $4,412 $1,018 $25
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Key Factors That Influence Temporary Research Assistant Salaries

A Temporary Research Assistant'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 Do Temporary Research Assistant 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 Temporary Research Assistants. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $67,595.
  • California: $67,338.
  • Massachusetts: $66,441.

Top Paying Cities for Temporary Research Assistants

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: $77,003
  • San Francisco: $76,246
  • Oakland: $74,555

What Skills Can Increase a Temporary Research Assistant's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 12.21% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
  • Data Analysis (Mentioned in 2.9% Job Postings): Data analysis is a process of inspecting, cleansing, transforming, and modeling data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making. Data analysis has multiple facets and approaches, encompassing diverse techniques under a variety of names, and is used in different business, science, and social science domains. In today's business world, data analysis plays a role in making decisions more scientific and helping businesses operate more effectively. Data mining is a particular data analysis technique that focuses on modeling and knowledge discovery for predictive rather than purely descriptive purposes, while business intelligence covers data analysis that relies heavily on aggregation, focusing mainly on business information. In statistical applications, data analysis can be divided into descriptive statistics, exploratory data analysis (EDA), and confirmatory data analysis (CDA). EDA focuses on discovering new features in the data while CDA focuses on confirming or falsifying existing hypotheses. Predictive analytics focuses on application of statistical models for predictive forecasting or classification, while text analytics applies statistical, linguistic, and structural techniques to extract and classify information from textual sources, a species of unstructured data. All of the above are varieties of data analysis.
  • Financial Services (Mentioned in 1.78% Job Postings): A services provided by the finance industry, which encompasses a broad range of businesses that manage money. These services involve banking, brokerage, mortgages, credit cards, payment services, real estate, investment funds, taxes and accounting.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 12.21%
Data Analysis 2.9%
Financial Services 1.78%
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 Temporary Research Assistant's salary.
  • Cell Biology: Can increase your salary by up to 25%.
  • Cell Culture: Can increase your salary by up to 24%.
  • Immunology: Can increase your salary by up to 21%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Cell Biology
$76,313
25%
Cell Culture
$75,702
24%
Immunology
$73,871
21%
Process Development
$72,039
18%
Troubleshooting
$72,039
18%
Biochemistry
$71,429
17%
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How Education impacts a Temporary Research Assistant's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Temporary Research Assistants 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 Temporary Research Assistant with a Bachelor's Degree is between $59,152 and $63,325).

Temporary Research Assistant Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Temporary Research Assistant
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.3%
High School 0.9%
Associates 0.7%
Bachelors 41.3%
Masters 37.5%
Doctorate 19.4%
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Temporary Research Assistant Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Temporary Research Assistant'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 April 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Temporary Research Assistant

Salaries for a Temporary Research Assistant can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $54,368 in 2023 to around $52,913 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Temporary Research Assistant salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Temporary Research Assistant Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$54,368
2024
$53,754
2025
$52,913
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $54,368
2024 $53,754
2025 $52,913
2026
View More
2027
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Most common benefits for Temporary Research Assistant

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Temporary Research Assistant

Here are companies hiring for Temporary Research Assistant and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Temporary Research Assistant Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Temporary Research Assistant job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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