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Educational Researcher information

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$28.2K

$106.2K

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How much do educational researcher jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 12, 2026, the average yearly pay for educational researcher in Iowa is $106,233.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $62,900.00 and $144,600.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does an educational researcher do?

An Educational Researcher investigates learning processes, teaching methods, and educational policies to improve education systems. They collect and analyze data, conduct studies, and evaluate programs to identify best practices. Their work informs educators, policymakers, and institutions on effective teaching strategies and curriculum development. Educational Researchers may work in universities, government agencies, or research organizations. Their insights help enhance student outcomes and advance the field of education.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an educational researcher?

Educational Researchers need strong analytical skills, expertise in research design, and typically a graduate degree in education, psychology, or a related field. Familiarity with statistical analysis software (such as SPSS, R, or NVivo), survey tools, and sometimes IRB certification is important. Excellent written communication, attention to detail, and collaboration skills help researchers share findings and work effectively with teams. These competencies are crucial to ensure research quality, generate meaningful insights, and contribute to evidence-based educational improvements.

How do you become an educational researcher?

To become an educational researcher, individuals typically need a bachelor's degree in education, psychology, or a related field, followed by a master's or doctoral degree such as an Ed.D. or Ph.D. in education or research methods. Gaining experience through internships, research assistant positions, and developing skills in data analysis, statistics, and research design are also important for this role.

How much do educational researchers get paid?

Educational researchers typically earn a median annual salary of around $60,000 to $80,000, depending on experience, education level, and location. Senior roles or those with advanced degrees and specialized skills can earn higher salaries, often exceeding $100,000 annually.

What degree do I need for educational researcher?

Educational researchers typically need at least a master's degree in education, psychology, or a related field, with many positions requiring a doctoral degree such as a Ph.D. in education or a similar discipline. Advanced research skills, familiarity with statistical tools, and experience in educational settings are also important for this role.

What are popular job titles related to Educational Researcher jobs in Iowa?

For Educational Researcher jobs in Iowa, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Educational Researcher jobs in Iowa look for?

The top searched job categories for Educational Researcher jobs in Iowa are:

Educational Researcher jobs near you
Infographic showing various Educational Researcher job openings in Iowa as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 76% Full Time, 22% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 93% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $106,233 per year, or $51.1 per hour.

Senior UX Designer/Researcher (Accessibility Specialist)

Des Moines, IA • On-site

Mbi Llc
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Job description

Senior UX Designer/Researcher (Accessibility Specialist)

  • 04-Sep-2026 to 18-Sep-2026 (UTC)
  • Des Moines, IA, USA
  • Full Time
  • 40 Weekly Hours
Complete Description:

- The Department of Management (DOM) Division of Information Technology (DoIT) is seeking a highly skilled, communication-focused Senior UX Designer / Researcher to join our digital modernization team.

- We are looking for a dedicated user experience and user research specialist. Front-end development skills are entirely optional, though any coding ability serves as a welcome asset.

- In this position, you will closely collaborate with our lead UX/Accessibility Architect to scale high-quality digital standards across enterprise initiatives.

- You will possess specialized UX research capabilities that do not exist on the current team, taking ownership of user testing and UI optimization.

- This role requires an immediate start to support a high-priority modernization pipeline for the Iowa Department of Education (DOE) Student Reporting in Iowa (SRI) initiative—advancing a large-scale project phase with tight milestones, with additional cross-agency support for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and other state projects as needed.

- The client prefers local or regional candidates who can attend occasional in-office meetings. Travel and related expenses will not be reimbursed.

Purpose

- Pure UX research and design role. No coding expected.

- Graduates of ISU HCI (Human Computer Interaction) program highly desired.

Primary Focus

- UX research

- User-centered design

- Wireframes and prototypes

- Design recommendations

- Design documentation and annotations

Required Skills

- Advanced Figma

- UX research methodologies

- User flow creation

- Prototyping

- Accessibility (WCAG)

- Stakeholder collaboration

Preferred Experience

- Card sorting

- Usability testing

- Google UX Certification

- Formal UX/HCI education

Research Experience Desired:

- Heat maps

- Crazy Egg or similar analytics tools

- Card sorting

- User behavior analysis

Screening Priorities

- UX research experience

- Accessibility knowledge

- Design thinking methodology

- Analytics-driven recommendations

No Coding Required

- No .NET

- No SQL

- No front-end development

Core Responsibilities

- User Experience Research: Design, plan, and execute formal user experience research to evaluate complex workflows, ensuring applications are intuitive and efficient for educators and state employees.

- Usability Testing: Moderate hands‑on user testing sessions and run usability labs to actively identify and resolve workflow friction.

- Heuristic Evaluation: Audit early layouts and interfaces against usability best practices and design standards.

- User Journey & Persona Mapping: Translate complex district data reporting and environmental workflows into clear, intuitive user journeys and behavioural personas.

- Information Architecture: Structure massive, data‑heavy reporting categories logically using techniques like card sorting.

- Accessibility Alignment: Integrate digital accessibility from the ground up, aligning design systems and user research with WCAG standards to ensure digital services are universally accessible to all Iowans.

- Collaborative Design: Partner with our lead Architect to scale technical user experience and research practices across multi‑agency initiatives, chatbot interfaces, and global state projects.

- Clear Communication: Collaborate effectively with cross‑functional agency teams, product owners, and technical stakeholders to clearly articulate design findings and research data.

Required Technical Skills & Qualifications

- Senior UX Design Expertise: Extensive experience designing responsive web application interfaces, wireframes, and interactive prototypes.

Specialized UX Research Skills:

- Demonstrated mastery in moderating user testing sessions, executing usability labs, performing heuristic evaluations, mapping user journeys, and managing information architecture.

- WCAG 2.2 Level AA Mastery: Practical knowledge of implementing WCAG 2.2 Level AA requirements, focus management, keyboard navigation mechanics, and color contrast principles within visual layouts.

- Strong Communicator: Ability to clearly explain user research insights, interface design choices, and usability standards to technical team members, developers, and agency stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications (Optional Assets)

- Front‑end engineering experience writing semantic HTML5 and modern, responsive CSS/SASS.

- Experience integrating interface designs into Angular or MVC .NET framework environments.

- Experience utilizing or extending the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS).

Required Skill sets

- User Experience Research, Usability testing, Usability labs, Heuristic evaluation, User journey mapping, Persona development, Information architecture, Card sorting, Wireframing, Interactive prototyping, UX design, WCAG 2.2 Level AA compliance, Focus management, Keyboard navigation mechanics, Color contrast requirements, Accessibility auditing, technical communication, Design system vs usage

Fill the skill matrix below:

Skill

Amount

Candidate's No. of years of experience

Demonstrated mastery in moderating user testing sessions, executing usability labs, performing heuristic evaluations, mapping user journeys, and

Required

Required

8

WCAG 2.2 Level AA Mastery: Practical knowledge of implementing WCAG 2.2 Level AA requirements, focus management, keyboard navigation mechanics, and

Required

color contrast principles within visual layouts.

Required

8

Strong Communicator: Ability to clearly explain user research insights, interface design choices, and usability standards to technical team members,

Required

developers, and agency stakeholders.

Required

Front‑end engineering experience writing semantic HTML5 and modern, responsive CSS/SASS.

Required

8

Experience integrating interface designs into Angular or MVC .NET framework environments.

Required

8

Experience utilizing or extending the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS).

Required

8

User Experience Research, Usability testing, Usability labs, Heuristic evaluation, User journey mapping, Persona development

Required

8

Required

8

Keyboard navigation mechanics, Color contrast requirements, Accessibility auditing, technical communication, Design system vs usage

Required

8

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