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Entry Level Researcher Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Research Assistant

San Mateo, CA ยท On-site

$150K - $200K/yr

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 ...

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Entry Level Account Manager - Chico, CA Chico, CA, USA Job Summary: Medical Diagnostic Laboratories ... Our main theme of research is in the field of Gynecology, Infectious Diseases, Infectious Arthritis ...

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Entry Level Account Manager - Sacramento, CA Sacramento, CA, USA Job Summary: Medical Diagnostic ... Our main theme of research is in the field of Gynecology, Infectious Diseases, Infectious Arthritis ...

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Entry Level Account Manager - Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA, USA Medical Diagnostic Laboratories ... Our main theme of research is in the field of Gynecology, Infectious Diseases, Infectious Arthritis ...

Our main theme of research is in the field of Gynecology, Infectious Diseases, Infectious Arthritis ... As an Entry Level Account Manager, you will be responsible for maintaining a large client base of ...

Our main theme of research is in the field of Gynecology, Infectious Diseases, Infectious Arthritis ... As an Entry Level Account Manager, you will be responsible for maintaining a large client base of ...

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Showing results 1-20

Entry Level Researcher information

See California salary details

$29.6K

$111.6K

$162.3K

How much do entry level researcher jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 18, 2026, the average yearly pay for entry level researcher in California is $111,621.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $66,100.00 and $152,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What types of projects do entry level researchers typically work on, and how are their responsibilities structured within a research team?

Entry level researchers often assist with data collection, literature reviews, and preliminary data analysis under the guidance of senior team members. They are usually assigned specific tasks within larger projects, such as conducting experiments, managing databases, or preparing reports. Collaboration is key, as entry level researchers frequently work alongside experienced researchers and support staff, allowing them to learn industry best practices and gradually take on more complex responsibilities. This structure provides excellent opportunities for mentorship and skill development within a collaborative team environment.

What is the difference between Entry Level Researcher vs Research Assistant?

AspectEntry Level ResearcherResearch Assistant
Required CredentialsBachelor's degree often in related fieldBachelor's degree or ongoing education in similar field
Work EnvironmentIndependent or team-based research projects, labs, or fieldworkSupporting research activities, data collection, lab work
Employer & Industry UsageUniversities, research institutes, private companiesUniversities, labs, government agencies
Common Search & ComparisonEntry Level Researcher vs Research Assistant

The main difference between an Entry Level Researcher and a Research Assistant lies in their roles and responsibilities. Entry Level Researchers often work independently on specific projects, requiring a bachelor's degree and some research experience. Research Assistants typically support senior researchers by handling data collection and lab tasks. Both roles are common in academic and research settings, but the Entry Level Researcher position may involve more independent work and project management.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Entry Level Researcher, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Entry Level Researcher, you need strong analytical thinking, attention to detail, and a relevant bachelor's degree in a field like science, social science, or humanities. Familiarity with data analysis tools such as Excel, SPSS, or qualitative coding software, as well as experience with literature review databases, is typically required. Effective communication, curiosity, and problem-solving skills help you stand out by enabling clear reporting and creative investigation. These skills are crucial for delivering accurate, insightful research findings that support organizational goals and further knowledge in your field.

What Does an Entry-Level Researcher Do?

As an entry-level researcher, you do primary research and draft reports and analyses for your supervisors. Entry-Level researchers work in many different fields. Although your specific duties may vary based on your field, your responsibilities are typically to gather and analyze data, check sources, assist senior researchers with lab work or interviews, and set up information technology for studies. Researchers work in natural and environmental science, public policy, government, banking, pharmaceuticals, clinical and medical research, law, news and entertainment, and a variety of academic settings.

What does an Entry Level Researcher do?

An Entry Level Researcher assists with collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data under the supervision of senior researchers. They may conduct literature reviews, help design experiments or surveys, and organize research materials. Their role is essential in supporting the research process, ensuring accurate data collection, and contributing to reports or publications. This position is often a starting point for those interested in a research career in academic, corporate, or governmental settings.
What are the most commonly searched types of Researcher jobs in California? The most popular types of Researcher jobs in California are:
What are popular job titles related to Entry Level Researcher jobs in California? For Entry Level Researcher jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Entry Level Researcher jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Entry Level Researcher jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Entry Level Researcher jobs? Cities in California with the most Entry Level Researcher job openings:
Infographic showing various Entry Level Researcher job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Locum Tenens, 85% Full Time, 12% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 96% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $111,621 per year, or $53.7 per hour.

Research Assistant

Generalist AI, Inc

San Mateo, CA โ€ข On-site

$150K - $200K/yr

Full-time

Posted 22 days ago


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.