SOC 19-4061 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Social Science Research Assistants — Philadelphia
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD · 2 metro areas compared
The median wage for Social Science Research Assistants in Philadelphia, PA is $61,760 per year, close to the national median of $61,990 for the same occupation.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +4.4%
- Openings per year
- 5,200
- Typical entry-level education
- Bachelor's degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
The median wage for Social Science Research Assistants in Philadelphia, PA is $61,760 per year, close to the national median of $61,990 for the same occupation. Half of workers earn between $48,630 and $75,140. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $48,230 and the ninetieth at $82,920.
Employment stands at 560, or 0.2 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, Harrisburg records the highest median at $50,450. Of the 713 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 362nd.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $48,230 | −22.2% |
| 25th | $48,630 | −21.6% |
| Median (50th) | $61,760 | −0.4% |
| 75th | $75,140 | +21.2% |
| 90th | $82,920 | +33.8% |
| Mean | $63,190 | +1.9% |
Other metro areas in Pennsylvania
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harrisburg | $50,450 | 40 | |
| 2 | Pittsburgh | $50,070 | 170 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Philadelphia run 2.6% above the national average, so the median of $61,760 buys what $60,195 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 2.9% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$61,760as reported by BLSLocal price level
102.6US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$60,195US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $61,760 a year, 0.4% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $48,230 to $82,920 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 560 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Harrisburg, at $50,450.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Social Science Research Assistants in Philadelphia, PA?
The median annual wage is $61,760, or $29.69 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $61,990, so pay in Philadelphia, PA is 0.4% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Philadelphia, PA earns more than $82,920 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $48,230 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Harrisburg, at $50,450 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 560 jobs in this occupation in Philadelphia, PA. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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