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Entry Level Research Assistant Jobs in California

Generalist AI, Inc

Research Assistant

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$150K - $200K/yr

We are looking for a Research Assistant to help design, run, and analyze experiments at the ... This is an entry-level research role for individuals with less than 3 years of research experience ...

Donor Network West

Research Assistant

Fresno, CA

$16.53 - $19.92/hr

POSITION SUMMARY The Research Assistant provides an opportunity for intern-level introductory ... The candidates will have completed at least a basic entry-level college biology course and be ...

Donor Network West

Research Assistant

Fresno, CA · On-site

$16.53 - $19.92/hr

POSITION SUMMARY The Research Assistant provides an opportunity for intern-level introductory ... The candidates will have completed at least a basic entry-level college biology course and be ...

Donor Network West

Research Assistant

Fresno, CA · On-site

$16.53 - $19.92/hr

POSITION SUMMARY The Research Assistant provides an opportunity for intern-level introductory ... The candidates will have completed at least a basic entry-level college biology course and be ...

Care Access

Clinical Research Assistant

Santa Clarita, CA · On-site

$19 - $33/hr

How This Role Makes a Difference The Clinical Research Assistant is an entry level clinical position and is designed to fully integrate the individual in the Care Access Research process while ...

System One

Research Operations Associate

San Diego, CA · On-site

$24 - $29.40/hr

... entry level Research Operations Associate. Ideal candidates should have a Bachelor's degree in ... Prepare presentations, reports, and operational summaries. * Assist with special projects and ...

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All JobsResearch JobsEntry Level Research Assistant JobsEntry Level Research Assistant Jobs in California

Entry Level Research Assistant information

See California salary details

$24.7K

$47.2K

$67.6K

How much do entry level research assistant jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 27, 2026, the average yearly pay for entry level research assistant in California is $47,205.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $40,000.00 and $51,300.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does an entry level research assistant do?

An Entry Level Research Assistant supports researchers by collecting data, conducting literature reviews, and assisting with experiments or surveys. They may also help analyze findings, maintain research records, and prepare reports or presentations. This role is common in academic, medical, or corporate research settings and provides valuable experience for those pursuing a research career. Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and basic knowledge of research methods are essential for success in this position.

What are typical daily responsibilities for an entry level research assistant?

As an Entry Level Research Assistant, your daily tasks often include collecting and organizing data, maintaining accurate research records, conducting literature reviews, and assisting with the preparation of reports or presentations. You may also help set up experiments, coordinate participant interviews or surveys, and ensure all research protocols are followed. Collaboration is common—expect to work closely with senior researchers, project managers, and other assistants. This hands-on role is an excellent opportunity to gain practical experience in the research field and develop valuable technical and analytical skills.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in an entry level research assistant position, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Entry Level Research Assistant, you need a bachelor's degree in a relevant field, keen analytical and organizational skills, and a basic understanding of research methods. Familiarity with data analysis software like SPSS or Excel, as well as experience handling databases or survey tools, is commonly required. Attention to detail, effective time management, and strong teamwork and communication skills help you excel in the position. These competencies are crucial for ensuring accurate data collection, reliable results, and productive collaboration with research teams.

How hard is it to get a job as an entry level research assistant?

Securing an entry level research assistant position typically requires a relevant bachelor's degree, strong organizational skills, and familiarity with research methods or data analysis tools. Competition can vary depending on the field and location, but internships or related coursework can improve chances of hiring.

Is an entry level research assistant a good first job?

An entry level research assistant position can be a good first job for individuals interested in gaining experience in research, data collection, and analysis. It often provides foundational skills, exposure to academic or industry environments, and may require basic knowledge of tools like Excel or statistical software. This role can help build a professional network and clarify career interests in research or related fields.

What qualifications are needed to be an entry level research assistant?

Entry level research assistants typically need a high school diploma or equivalent, with many positions preferring or requiring a bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as science, social science, or humanities. Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and proficiency with data collection tools or software are also important qualifications.

What are popular job titles related to Entry Level Research Assistant jobs in California?

For Entry Level Research Assistant jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Entry Level Research Assistant jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Entry Level Research Assistant jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Entry Level Research Assistant jobs?

Cities in California with the most Entry Level Research Assistant job openings:

Entry Level Research Assistant jobs near you
Infographic showing various Entry Level Research Assistant job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 76% Full Time, 12% Part Time, and 12% Contract. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $47,205 per year, or $22.7 per hour.

Research Assistant

Generalist AI, Inc

San Mateo, CA • On-site

$150K - $200K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted yesterday

Job description

About the Role:
We are looking for a Research Assistant to help design, run, and analyze experiments at the intersection of machine learning and robotics. This is an entry-level research role for individuals with less than 3 years of research experience, and is designed to be a potential career path towards eventually contributing as a Research Scientist.
At Generalist, we are building foundation models for robots. These models improve through a tight feedback loop: design experiments, collect data, train or fine-tune models, evaluate them in the real world, analyze results, and repeat. This role helps make that loop faster, more rigorous, and more reliable.
You will work closely with ML researchers and robotics engineers to run robot experiments, design evaluation tasks, brainstorm ideas, collect data, interpret results, and document repeatable workflows.
A major part of this role is helping ensure our evaluations are trustworthy. We care deeply about experimental design, controls, hands-on iteration, sample sizes, variance, repeatability, and statistical rigor.
You'll be responsible for:
  • Running structured experiments on robot platforms
  • Setting up physical tasks, materials, fixtures, and benchmarks for robot evaluations
  • Collecting high-quality robot data and tracking experimental conditions
  • Measuring real-world success rates across tasks, robots, and model variants
  • Designing evaluations with attention to controls, repeatability, statistical rigor, and sources of bias
  • Analyzing results to help distinguish real model improvements from noise
  • Synthesizing findings and communicating them clearly to ML researchers and engineers
  • Preparing robots, sensors, workspaces, and materials for rollouts and evaluations
  • Helping kick off training jobs, run evaluations, and organize results
  • Beta testing internal and third-party tools for teaching robots new skills
  • Troubleshooting physical setups, hardware issues, and procedural bottlenecks
  • Writing clear documentation and playbooks so others can reproduce workflows
  • Improving experimental reliability, data quality, and operational throughput over time
You might thrive in this role if you:
  • Have experience running experiments, lab studies, field studies, data collection workflows, or structured evaluations
  • Think carefully about experimental design, confounding factors, controls, sample sizes, variance, and what conclusions the data can actually support
  • Are diligent and detail-oriented, especially when tasks are repetitive but subtle differences matter
  • Enjoy hands-on work with physical systems, equipment, materials, or instruments
  • Are comfortable following protocols while also noticing when something is wrong or could be improved
  • Can coordinate many moving parts: robots, materials, tasks, data, model versions, metrics, and documentation
  • Communicate clearly and can summarize what happened, what changed, and what the evidence suggests
  • Are curious about machine learning and robotics, even if you are not yet an expert in either
  • Have some exposure to programming, data analysis, robotics, hardware, electronics, mechanical assembly, or experimental tooling
  • Prefer fast iteration, careful measurement, and empirical progress over abstract theory alone
About Generalist
At Generalist, we are on a mission to make general-purpose robots a reality. We believe the industries and homes of the future will depend on humans and machines working together in new ways. Robots can help us build more and get more done.
We build embodied foundation models, starting with a focus on dexterity. This requires advancing the frontiers of data, models, and hardware, to enable robots to intelligently interact with the physical world.
The company embraces both large-scale AI and robotics as core to its DNA. Our team of researchers, roboticists, and company builders come from OpenAI, Boston Dynamics, Google DeepMind, and other frontier labs-with a track record of shipping AI breakthroughs. Before Generalist, we pioneered large embodied multimodal models and vision-language-action models (PaLM-E, RT-2, Gemini Robotics), launched and scaled ChatGPT and GPT-4 to hundreds of millions of users, engineered the foundations of autonomous driving, built next-generation robots (Atlas, Spot, Stretch) and pushed the limits of what they can do (from parkour to manipulation, and testing robustness).
We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other applicable legally protected characteristic.

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