Social Science Research Assistants
Assist social scientists in laboratory, survey, and other social science research. May help prepare findings for publication and assist in laboratory analysis, quality control, or data management.
Most important skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Speaking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Science
- Mathematics
Key knowledge
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Administrative
- Mathematics
- Customer and Personal Service
- Education and Training
- Psychology
- Administration and Management
What the work involves
- Prepare, manipulate, and manage extensive databases.
- Provide assistance with the preparation of project-related reports, manuscripts, and presentations.
- Perform descriptive and multivariate statistical analyses of data, using computer software.
- Verify the accuracy and validity of data entered in databases, correcting any errors.
- Prepare tables, graphs, fact sheets, and written reports summarizing research results.
- Develop and implement research quality control procedures.
- Conduct internet-based and library research.
- Present research findings to groups of people.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Investigative, Conventional, Social.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- Bachelor's Degree (52.7% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (29.6%)
- On-the-job training
- Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month (40.3%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 4: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Social Science Research Assistants is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 90% of occupations compared | 31% of surveyed respondents chose “Contact with others about half the time” |
| Dealing with the public | Low | Lower on dealing with the public than 77% of occupations compared | 40% of surveyed respondents chose “Important” |
| Teamwork | Moderate | Lower on teamwork than 60% of occupations compared | 39% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Low | Lower on freedom to make decisions than 72% of occupations compared | 40% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom” |
| Time pressure | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 96% of occupations compared | 47% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week” |
| Conflict situations | Very low | Lower on conflict situations than 98% of occupations compared | 51% of surveyed respondents chose “Never” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Very low | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 94% of occupations compared | 45% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Consequence of error | Very low | Lower on consequence of error than 94% of occupations compared | 53% of surveyed respondents chose “Not serious at all” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: very low
- Conflict situations: very low
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very low
- Consequence of error: very low
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 15.75%
- Contact with others about half the time: 30.74%
- Contact with others most of the time: 24.43%
- Constant contact with others: 29.08%
n = 28, Incumbent 08/2019
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 20.01%
- Fairly important: 23.31%
- Important: 39.97%
- Very important: 3.75%
- Extremely important: 12.97%
n = 28, Incumbent 08/2019
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0%
- Fairly important: 0%
- Important: 22.9%
- Very important: 39.15%
- Extremely important: 37.95%
n = 28, Incumbent 08/2019
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 12.97%
- Limited freedom: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Some freedom: 39.83%
- A lot of freedom: 30.91%
n = 28, Incumbent 08/2019
Time pressure
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 37.33%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 47.16%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 9.02%
- Every day: 6.48%
n = 28, Incumbent 08/2019
Conflict situations
- Never: 51.04%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 23.62%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 17.95%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 7.39%
- Every day: 0%
n = 28, Incumbent 08/2019
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 34.84%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 44.59%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 13.17%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 7.39%
- Every day: 0%
n = 28, Incumbent 08/2019
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 53%
- Fairly serious: 18.58%
- Serious: 19.9%
- Very serious: 0.2%
- Extremely serious: 8.32%
n = 28, Incumbent 08/2019
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O*NET-SOC 19-4061.00 · SOC 19-4061 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8