5 of the Most Popular Types of Scientific Associate Jobs in 2026

See what kind of roles similar to Scientific Associate jobs are hiring now

Top Types Of Scientific Associate Jobs

• Associate Scientist

  Salary range: $58,000 - $85,000

  An associate scientist takes on more responsibilities than an assistant scientist, supporting research and each experiment under the lead scientist, often in a laboratory environment. As an associate scientist, there are many industries you can work in, including the research field where the lead scientist oversees your project, and you help author papers. Many pharmaceutical companies hire associate scientists to analyze samples to develop drugs and assist with preclinical and clinical studies. Private companies need you to produce specialty chemicals for their clients. Materials scientists at the associate level conduct research and test the properties of metals, plastics, and other materials for their use in new products and packaging. Some positions have duties that include training other team members and overseeing students and fellows.

• Research Associate

  Salary range: $54,500 - $77,000

  As a research associate, you conduct research and analysis as directed by a senior researcher or project manager. Researchers work in a number of fields, including medical science, the social sciences, natural sciences, finance, management, and academia. Your specific duties and responsibilities differ depending on the field in which you work, but some features of your work are similar across industries. You typically do primary and secondary source research, organize and process data, analyze said data, and report on your findings to lead researchers or clinicians.

• Clinical Research Associate

  Salary range: $60,000 - $109,500

  Clinical Research Associate is a popular job search query. Most salaries for Clinical Research Associate jobs pay between $60,000 (25th percentile) and $109,500 (75th percentile) annually. There are plenty of open positions nationwide for Clinical Research Associate job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.

• Research

  Salary range: $18,000 - $37,500

  Research is a popular job search query. Most salaries for Research jobs pay between $18,000 (25th percentile) and $37,500 (75th percentile) annually. Take a look at the variety of open positions nationwide for Research job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.

• Clinical Research

  Salary range: $81,000 - $122,500

  Clinical Research is a popular job search query. Most salaries for Clinical Research jobs pay between $81,000 (25th percentile) and $122,500 (75th percentile) annually. There are plenty of open positions nationwide for Clinical Research job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.