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Behavioral Health Researcher Jobs (NOW HIRING)

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Behavioral Health Researcher information

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$30K

$113.1K

$164.5K

How much do behavioral health researcher jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 29, 2026, the average yearly pay for behavioral health researcher in the United States is $113,102.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $67,000.00 and $154,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a behavioral health researcher?

Behavioral Health Researchers are professionals who study the ways in which behavior, mental health, and social factors affect overall health and well-being. They design and conduct studies to understand the causes and outcomes of mental health issues, substance use, and related behaviors. Their work often informs interventions, policies, and programs aimed at improving mental health care and public health. Behavioral Health Researchers typically work in academic, healthcare, government, or nonprofit settings.

What are some common challenges behavioral health researchers face when conducting studies in real-world settings?

Behavioral Health Researchers often encounter challenges such as recruiting and retaining diverse participant populations, addressing ethical considerations around sensitive mental health topics, and navigating privacy regulations like HIPAA. Additionally, balancing rigorous research protocols with the practical realities of clinical and community environments can require flexibility and creative problem-solving. Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams—including clinicians, social workers, and policymakers—is essential to overcome these hurdles and ensure meaningful, applicable research outcomes.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a behavioral health researcher, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Behavioral Health Researcher, you need a strong background in psychology, public health, or related fields, supported by an advanced degree such as a Master's or PhD. Expertise in research methodologies, statistical analysis software (e.g., SPSS, SAS, R), and familiarity with institutional review board (IRB) processes are typically required. Strong communication, critical thinking, and collaboration skills enable effective teamwork and dissemination of findings. These skills and qualifications are essential for producing rigorous research that informs interventions and policy in behavioral health.

What is the difference between Behavioral Health Researcher vs Clinical Psychologist?

AspectBehavioral Health ResearcherClinical Psychologist
CredentialsMaster's or PhD in psychology, public health, or related fieldDoctoral degree (PhD or PsyD) in psychology, licensure required
Work EnvironmentResearch institutions, universities, government agenciesClinics, hospitals, private practices
Employer & IndustryAcademic, government, research organizationsHealthcare, mental health services
Job FocusDesigning and conducting research studies on behavioral health issuesDiagnosing and treating mental health disorders

While both roles focus on behavioral health, a Behavioral Health Researcher primarily conducts studies to advance understanding in the field, whereas a Clinical Psychologist provides direct patient care and therapy. The research role emphasizes data collection and analysis, often within academic or government settings, while clinical psychologists work directly with clients in healthcare environments.

More about Behavioral Health Researcher jobs

What states have the most Behavioral Health Researcher jobs?

States with the most job openings for Behavioral Health Researcher jobs include:

Lead Researcher, Behavioral Health

City of New York

Manhattan, NY • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 14 days ago


City Of New York rating

7.2

Company rating: 7.2 out of 10

Based on 81 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

624th of 852 rated public administrative organizations


Job description

Job Description

ABOUT THE OFFICE:
The Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ) advises the Mayor of the City of New York on criminal justice policy. MOCJ develops and implements strategies, with partners inside and outside government, to reduce crime and incarceration and to promote fairness and legitimacy. MOCJ works with law enforcement, city agencies, non-profits, foundations, and others to implement data-driven strategies that address current crime conditions, prevent offending, and build the strong neighborhoods that ensure enduring safety.
The Research Innovation Policy team drives the development and effective implementation of precision public health and public safety initiatives. Drawing on evidence-based and community-based insights, the Research Innovation operates through four main pillars: data-driven policy development, evaluation, quality assurance, and interagency coordination.
ABOUT THE ROLE:
Reporting into the Executive Director of Research Innovations, and as part of the Policy Unit, the Lead Researcher for Behavioral Health is responsible for driving the development, evaluation, and communication of data-driven policy solutions relating to behavioral health and trauma for justice-involved people. This involves both leveraging existing evidence-based insights to drive policy and crafting a research agenda that supports the resolution of the most pressing issues. It will also involve incorporating nuanced therapeutic messages into trainings, curriculums, external messaging, and other high-impact contexts. The successful candidate must be able to develop and maintain relationships with research, program, agency, community, and justice-involved partners. They must be creative, highly motivated, and able to manage projects from inception through implementation.
The Lead Researcher on Behavioral Health's responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Generating a strategic behavioral health and trauma research agenda to drive policies related to systematic approaches for reducing violence and furthering positive life outcomes for justice-involved people and families, including resolving key barriers to successful implementation.
- Leveraging existing evidence on behavioral health and trauma to further violence reduction.
- Designing and adapting curricula and structured solutions to deliver therapeutic supports.
- Translating and communicating data-driven and clinically relevant research on behavioral health and trauma-informed practices to a wide audience to inform policy and partners.
- Partnering with program staff, communities, and justice-involved people to appropriately weave these strands of wisdom together with research-derived insights to produce effective solutions.
- Developing meaningful indicators that are responsive to nuanced policy issues and that can be embedded into existing integrated data dashboards for ongoing analysis.
- Conceptualizing and managing funded studies implemented by external research partners.
- Identifying creative ways to make causal inferences to address large, multi-faceted policy questions while taking into account complex externalities.
- Preparing insights for publication or for internal use only as appropriate.
**PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER SPECIFIC TO THIS POSITION
RESEARCH PROJECTS COOR(MA)-MGR - 0527A

Qualifications

1. Do you have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university?
2. Do you have an associate degree from an accredited college or university along with two (2) years of experience with administrative, analytic, coordinative, supervisory or liaison responsibilities?
3. Do you have a four-year high school diploma, or its educational equivalent approved by a state's Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization along with four (4) years of experience as described in question "2" above?
4. Do you have a satisfactory combination of education and/or experience equivalent to that described in questions "1," "2," and/or "3" above?

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.


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