Research Associate III Salary in the United States

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

As of February 01, 2026, the average salary for a Research Associate III in the United States is $98,296 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $47.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $113,268
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $90,194 to $106,133
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $82,817
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View as table View as graph 25% $90,194 10% $82,817 90% $113,268 75% $106,133 $98,296 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Research Associate III Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $106,133 $8,844 $2,041 $51
Average $98,296 $8,191 $1,890 $47
25th Percentile $90,194 $7,516 $1,734 $43
Check out Research Associate III Job Openings in the United States
Associate Research Director

Two Six Technologies - ARLINGTON, VA

Records Support Associate III

Koniag Government Services - WASHINGTON, DC

Operations Research Analyst Associate

MITRE Corporation - BEDFORD, MA

Operations Research Analyst Associate

MITRE Corporation - MCLEAN, VA

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Key Factors That Influence Research Associate III Salaries

A Research Associate III'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 III Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Research Associate III'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): $70,213
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $81,675
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $98,858
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $130,249
  • Expert (over 8 years): $159,072
Levels Salary
Research ... Level Research Associate III$70,213
Research ... Level Research Associate III$81,675
Research ... Level Research Associate III$98,858
Research ... Level Research Associate III$130,249
Research ... Level Research Associate III$159,072
$70,213 0 yr
$81,675 < 2 yrs
$98,858 2-4 yrs
$130,249 5-8 yrs
$159,072 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Research Associate IIIs

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: $123,980
  • San Francisco: $122,762
  • Oakland: $120,039

What Skills Can Increase a Research Associate III's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 13.05% 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 2.91% 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.
  • SOP (Mentioned in 1.68% Job Postings): SOP is A standard operating procedure is a set of step-by-step instructions compiled by an organization to help workers carry out routine operations.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 13.05%
Data Analysis 2.91%
SOP 1.68%
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 III's salary.
  • Oncology: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
  • Team Development: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Biotechnology: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Oncology
$106,159
8%
Team Development
$105,177
7%
Biotechnology
$105,177
7%
Process Development
$104,194
6%
Immunology
$104,194
6%
Collaboration
$102,228
4%
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How Education impacts a Research Associate III's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Research Associate IIIs enter the field with a Master's Degree or MBA 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 III with a Master's Degree or MBA is between $102,607 and $109,390).

Research Associate III Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Research Associate III
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 1.0%
High School 1.6%
Associates 1.3%
Bachelors 28.0%
Masters 34.6%
Doctorate 33.5%
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Research Associate III Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Research Associate III'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 February 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Research Associate III

Salaries for a Research Associate III can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $105,814 in 2023 to around $103,882 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Research Associate III salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Research Associate III Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$105,814
2024
$105,444
2025
$103,882
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $105,814
2024 $105,444
2025 $103,882
2026
View More
2027
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Most common benefits for Research Associate III

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

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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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