13 of the Best Types of Research Jobs in 2026

Discover some great types of Research jobs that are hiring now.

High Paying Research Jobs

• Research Director

  Salary range: $135,500 - $229,000

  The qualifications for a Research Director include a bachelor’s degree and five or more years of experience in a related position, such as Research Assistant or Research and Development Supervisor. Many employers also require a master’s degree and some a doctorate for a director-level position. Job skills needed include leadership, effective communication, research abilities, active listening, and project management. You can find Research Director jobs in various settings, including medical facilities, educational institutions, and corporations. Duties and responsibilities for a career as a Research Director include managing the research and development team, utilizing current research methods to collect and interpret data, and developing strategies to improve existing products and services.

• Freelance Research

  Salary range: $50,500 - $128,500

  Freelancers are self-employed. As a freelancer, you provide work to clients and invoice them for it. The type of clients you have depends on what kind of services you offer. Your clients can be individuals or companies. A full-time freelancer often has assignments from multiple clients at once. Some common services that people provide as freelancers are: writing, editing, graphic design, web design, marketing, programming, accounting, and bookkeeping. Freelancing is ideal for those who prefer to be their own boss and are willing to market themselves to meet their income goals.

• Research Executive

  Salary range: $58,000 - $120,500

  The different types of executive jobs include upper- and senior-level management as well as the C-suite—the highest levels of senior management. The C-suite executives have the word “chief” at the beginning of their titles: Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) are the most common. Companies with a heavy reliance on information technology may also have a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Other executive jobs include vice president and director of various departments.

• Research Manager

  Salary range: $72,000 - $114,500

  A research manager needs several qualifications. You need a bachelor’s degree in marketing, statistics, economics, psychology, or another related field. Employers often prefer an advanced degree or graduate degree in the social sciences. After graduation, you need several years of experience working with clients and consulting on business problems using research and data analysis. You need excellent project management skills and deductive reasoning capabilities. You must also develop extensive technical knowledge, including experience with Microsoft Excel and PowerBI. It is also helpful to develop familiarity with Lean/Agile methods. A research manager must be a good team player.

• Research Coordinator

  Salary range: $61,000 - $99,500

  A research coordinator supervises the daily activities of a study and monitors the activities of the subjects and researchers. As a research coordinator, your duties revolve around making sure that the study is conducted ethically and does not violate the research guidelines of the governing board or other agency. In short, you are responsible for making sure the study has as few flaws in its methodology as possible. You are also in charge of most administrative tasks. In this role, you can work on medical, technological, psychological, or other types of research projects, but you may work on clinical research most often.

• Summer Research

  Salary range: $53,000 - $92,000

  Summer jobs are an integral part of American culture for students in their teens and beyond, but not all summer jobs are created equal. The difference between a great summer and an awful one can be the right job. According to Forbes, some good summer jobs for teens are camp counselor, golf caddy, nanny, food service, retail sales, and, of course, internships.

• Research Internship

  Salary range: $53,000 - $92,000

  An Internship is a position within your desired field that pays little or no money but offers you the opportunity to gain real-world experience. This may set you apart for your future job search. Generally, Internships are almost expected by employers on an entry-level candidate’s resume. You are much more of an asset to an employer if you have some work experience.

• Temp Research

  Salary range: $32,500 - $75,500

  Temp Research is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Temp Research jobs pay between $32,500 (25th percentile) and $75,500 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Temp Research job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• Research From Home

  Salary range: $44,000 - $70,000

  Research From Home is a common job search query. Most salaries for Research From Home jobs pay between $44,000 (25th percentile) and $70,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Research From Home job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• Junior Research

  Salary range: $34,000 - $69,000

  Junior Research is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Junior Research jobs pay between $34,000 (25th percentile) and $69,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Junior Research job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• Virtual Research

  Salary range: $42,500 - $57,000

  A virtual job refers to a job that can be performed outside of an employer’s office. Also known as remote, work from home, or telecommuting jobs, these positions have become increasingly common because of technology like telephones, internet, email, and video conference calls, which help to facilitate employer-employee communication.

• Entry Level Research

  Salary range: $34,000 - $51,500

  Entry-level jobs are positions that do not require any previous experience in the role. Most entry-level jobs are aimed at high school or college graduates as a starting point for a future career goal. A college student may have majored in their ideal career field, but will still need to start in an entry-level position to train in a real-world environment. Some students move from internships into entry-level jobs, but most entry-level jobs do not expect a candidate to have any prior employment or on-site training.

• Research Apprentice

  Salary range: $36,000 - $50,000

  Research Apprentice is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Research Apprentice jobs pay between $36,000 (25th percentile) and $50,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Research Apprentice job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.