Skip to content
Medium Risk Stable

Research Assistant

Research assistants support scientific investigations by collecting data, conducting experiments, analyzing results, and preparing reports.

$52,000
Median Salary
180,000
Total Employed
3
Career Transitions
AI Risk Score
0 %
Medium Risk

Higher risk than 66% of jobs in our database

How we calculate this score →
Pivot Score 61/100

Moderate pivot potential — some transitions require new skills.

Share

Automation Risk Analysis

Real-time market signals

AI Can Do This Today
5/10 Moderate
Job Postings
-8%
as AI tools increase productivity
Automation Timeline
3-5 years for routine tasks
until major impact

Why This Job Faces Uncertainty

AI tools accelerating literature reviews and data analysis

Automated data collection reducing manual research tasks

Machine learning handling statistical analysis

Creative research design and hypothesis generation still human domain

Leaving This Role: 30K+ as AI amplifies researcher productivity
Competition Level: Moderate - AI skills increasingly required
Your Head Start: Important - learn AI tools to stay competitive

Don't panic. Here's your plan.

Get Your Personal Action Plan

Job Market Data

Real trends from multiple job platforms

Moderate Demand
Current Employment
32.9K
BLS (2026)
Projected Growth
0%
2024-2034
Annual Openings
0
per year (growth + replacements)

Listing Trends

4 sources tracked
🇺🇸 United States
22.4K listings
Adzuna (22.4K)
🇩🇪 Germany
2 listings
Adzuna (2) Arbeitsagentur (0)
🇫🇷 France
31.2K listings
Adzuna (31.1K) France Travail (45)
🇪🇸 Spain
8 listings
Adzuna (8)
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
1.5K listings
Adzuna (969) Reed (547)
Sources: AdzunaArbeitsagenturFrance TravailReed
Updated Feb 25, 2026

Career Transitions

Safe career paths based on your existing skills

Data Scientist

12-18 months
30%
Salary Change +90%
Skill Overlap
60%

Skills to Learn

Machine LearningPythonStatistical Modeling

Clinical Data Manager

6-12 months
25%
Salary Change +63%
Skill Overlap
65%

Skills to Learn

Clinical TrialsData ManagementRegulatory Knowledge

UX Researcher

6-12 months
35%
Salary Change +55%
Skill Overlap
55%

Skills to Learn

User ResearchSurvey DesignQualitative Analysis

Essential Reading

Deepen your knowledge with these recommended books.

Research Design

John Creswell

"Essential guide to quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research. Foundation for academic research careers."

Get This Book

Writing Your Dissertation

Derek Swetnam

"Practical guide to academic writing and research documentation. Essential for those pursuing graduate degrees."

Get This Book

The Craft of Research

Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams, Joseph Bizup, William T. FitzGerald

"The definitive guide to every stage of the research process with over 750,000 copies sold, covering finding and evaluating sources, building arguments, and writing up results for research assistants at any level."

Get This Book

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. This doesn't affect our recommendations.

Recommended Courses

Start your transition today with these courses

★ Start Here Professional Certificate

Data Science Professional Certificate

IBM on Coursera

Duration 6 months
Price $49/month
Rating ★ 4.6

Skills You'll Learn

PythonMachine LearningData Visualization
Enroll Now →

Clinical Research Coordinator

ACRP

Duration 40 hours
Price $895
Rating ★ 4.7

Skills You'll Learn

Clinical TrialsGCPRegulatory Compliance
Enroll Now →

Research Methods and Design

edX

Duration 8 weeks
Price $199
Rating ★ 4.5

Skills You'll Learn

Research DesignStatistical AnalysisScientific Writing
Enroll Now →

Related Jobs

Similar careers you might want to explore

55%

Paralegal

$59,200
35%

K-12 Teacher

$66,397
45%

Graphic Designer

$57,990
50%

Market Research Analyst

$68,230
Back All Jobs

Success! Here's your free guide:

Download AI Pivot Playbook (PDF) →

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.