Salary AI Book a Demo

Research Data Associate Salary in the United States

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

As of November 01, 2026, the average salary for a Research Data Associate in the United States is $74,497 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $36.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $94,416
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $64,925 to $84,923
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $56,209
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs
Loading...

Key Factors That Influence Research Data Associate Salaries

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

How Do Research Data 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 Data Associates. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $82,484.
  • California: $82,171.
  • Massachusetts: $81,076.

Top Paying Cities for Research Data 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: $93,964
  • San Francisco: $92,935
  • Oakland: $90,976

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

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 14.03% 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 3.43% 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.
  • Cell Biology (Mentioned in 1.78% Job Postings): Utilizing techniques to study cell structures and functions for further research on human anatomy, physiology, and medications.
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 14.03%
Data Analysis 3.43%
Cell Biology 1.78%
See More Skills

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 Data Associate's salary.

  • Oncology: Can increase your salary by up to 20%.
  • Biotechnology: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
  • Clinical Trial: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Oncology $89,397
20%
Biotechnology $84,182
13%
Clinical Trial $81,947
10%
Get Latest Data

Research Data Associate Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Research Data Associate roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 50% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average. In contrast, Research Data Associate positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Transportation typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Research Data Associate as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Research Data Associate

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Pharmaceuticals$93,122$45.025%
Biotechnology$89,397$43.020%
Financial Services$89,397$43.020%
Healthcare$85,672$41.015%
Energy & Utilities$81,947$39.010%

How Education impacts a Research Data Associate's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Research Data Associates 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 Data Associate with a Master's Degree or MBA is between $81,016 and $89,067).

Research Data Associate Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Research Data Associate
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.7%
High School 0.7%
Associates 54.7%
Bachelors 15.8%
Masters 54.7%
Doctorate 28.7%
View as Graph

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

Understanding how a Research Data 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 November 01, 2026
$64,925
Average $74,497/year
$84,923
$5,410
Average $6,208/month
$7,077
$1,249
Average $1,433/week
$1,633
$31
Average $36/hour
$41
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $84,923 $7,077 $1,633 $41
Average $74,497 $6,208 $1,433 $36
25th Percentile $64,925 $5,410 $1,249 $31

Most common benefits for Research Data Associate

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Research Data Associate

Here are companies hiring for Research Data Associate and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Research Data Associate Job

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

For Employees

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Get a Salary Increase

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

Search Job Openings

For Employers

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Adjust Employee Salary

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Price My Industry Jobs

FAQ about Research Data Associate

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Research Data Associate?

The Pharmaceuticals industry offers the highest average compensation for Research Data Associate roles, with salaries approximately 25% above the market median.

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.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst