Phd Research Assistant Salary in the United States

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

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Phd Research Assistant in the United States is $42,480 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $20.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $53,643
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $37,865 to $48,323
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $33,664
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View as table View as graph 25% $37,865 10% $33,664 90% $53,643 75% $48,323 $42,480 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Phd Research Assistant Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $48,323 $4,027 $929 $23
Average $42,480 $3,540 $817 $20
25th Percentile $37,865 $3,155 $728 $18
Check out Phd Research Assistant Job Openings in the United States
Assistant Nurse Manager Cardiology Research

University Hospitals - Cleveland, OH

Research And Development Engineer

LayerZero Power Systems - Aurora, OH

Vice President Research And Development

Bellisio Foods - Columbus, OH

Program Manager

Bestica Inc. - Dayton, OH

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Key Factors That Influence Phd Research Assistant Salaries

A Phd 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 and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Phd Research Assistant Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Phd Research Assistant'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): $41,390
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $41,518
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $42,351
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $45,180
  • Expert (over 8 years): $46,133
Levels Salary
Entry Level Phd Research Assistant$41,390
Intermediate Level Phd Research Assistant$41,518
Senior Level Phd Research Assistant$42,351
Specialist Level Phd Research Assistant$45,180
Expert Level Phd Research Assistant$46,133
$41,390 0 yr
$41,518 < 2 yrs
$42,351 2-4 yrs
$45,180 5-8 yrs
$46,133 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

How Do Phd 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 Phd Research Assistants. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $47,033.
  • California: $46,855.
  • Massachusetts: $46,231.

Top Paying Cities for Phd 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: $53,580
  • San Francisco: $52,993
  • Oakland: $51,876

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

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Customer Service (Mentioned in 9.21% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
  • Food Handling (Mentioned in 2.72% Job Postings): Food Handling means one or more operations of food production, manufacture, offering or displaying for sale, storage, preserving, wrapping, transportation, delivery, importation, exportation, or the licensing or approval for any of such activities.
  • Infection Control (Mentioned in 1.52% Job Postings): Infection control is the discipline concerned with preventing nosocomial or healthcare-associated infection, a practical (rather than academic) sub-discipline of epidemiology. It is an essential, though often underrecognized and undersupported, part of the infrastructure of health care. Infection control and hospital epidemiology are akin to public health practice, practiced within the confines of a particular health-care delivery system rather than directed at society as a whole. Anti-infective agents include antibiotics, antibacterials, antifungals, antivirals and antiprotozoals. Infection control addresses factors related to the spread of infections within the healthcare setting (whether patient-to-patient, from patients to staff and from staff to patients, or among-staff), including prevention (via hand hygiene/hand washing, cleaning/disinfection/sterilization, vaccination, surveillance), monitoring/investigation of demonstrated or suspected spread of infection within a particular health-care setting (surveillance and outbreak investigation), and management (interruption of outbreaks). It is on this basis that the common title being adopted within health care is "infection prevention and control."
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Customer Service 9.21%
Food Handling 2.72%
Infection Control 1.52%
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 Phd Research Assistant's salary.
  • Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 20%.
  • Delegation: Can increase your salary by up to 14%.
  • Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Innovation
$50,976
20%
Delegation
$48,427
14%
Collaboration
$47,577
12%
Initiative
$46,728
10%
Team Management
$45,878
8%
Stewardship
$45,878
8%
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Phd Research Assistant Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Phd 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 May 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Phd Research Assistant

Salaries for a Phd Research Assistant can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $39,692 in 2023 to around $39,224 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Phd Research Assistant salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Phd Research Assistant Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$39,692
2024
$39,661
2025
$39,224
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $39,692
2024 $39,661
2025 $39,224
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Phd Research Assistant

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

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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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