How to Become a Research Associate

Research associates are a vital part of today's business world. Employed in many industries, a research associate's role can vary. A research associate may conduct historical, social, cultural, scientific, or artistic research for an organization. But his or her responsibilities aren’t limited to just research. Other responsibilities can range from analyzing financial data, researching case-studies, to writing articles on the latest market trends. Depending on the field, a research associate may also be asked to travel around the world to conduct field interviews, meet with executives, and even observe on a work floor.

Working in the Field of Market Research

In the emphasis in market research, a research associate's job entails compiling data on competitors and rival business companies; studying past sales in order to anticipate future numbers; and working on promoting products by determining everything from the design of the package to the price of the product. This information can be obtained through various means which may including market research surveys, or focus groups.  It may also be obtained by interviewing individuals through face-to-face interviews, email, or phone.



Educational Requirements

To begin a career as a research associate, a bachelor's degree is required, but a graduate degree is usually preferred by employers. It is recommended that this degree have an emphasis in an area such as accounting, business, business management, finance, health services, public health, public policy or marketing – depending on the field in which an individual desires to work in.

Since communicating research findings will most likely be a part of this career, excellent verbal and writing skills are required. Remember that as a research associate or a research analyst, you have to make regular presentations to the management of the company and thus, proper communication is a must.

A working knowledge of computer programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and email and the Internet are essential to communicate with others, and to record data that is found while researching. A lot of research associates also work intensely with company databases.

Typing skills are also important if you are working in the market research field.  As mentioned before, many research associates in this field will conduct surveys, so it is important to be able to type responses to interview questions – sometimes while conducting the actual interview.

Pay Scale for a Research Associate

The average salary of a research associate with a bachelor's degree and one to four years of experience is $40,668 annually. With over 10 years of experience, a research associate can be up to $54,000.  However, research associates with graduate degrees can make as much as $75,000 a year.