The average pay for a Research Director is $39.55 per hour.
The average pay for a Research Director is $101,365 per year.
Job Description
A research director oversees an organization's research and development department. The research director drives team members to use the scientific method to push the boundaries of human knowledge and develop new technologies that expand the frontier of an industry.
Read More...- Developing research objectives and writing proposals.
- Manage the research budget and the allocation of funds.
- Design methods for evaluating the effectiveness of research programs.
- Oversee the operation of laboratories and research sites and ensure compliance with institutional and government regulations.
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Common Career Paths
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Research Directors who transition into a VP or Senior Research Director role may receive large pay increases as the latter position pays an average $157K per year. The most common career progression for Research Directors leads to becoming a Director of Research & Analytical Services, where pay is typically $101K. However, many Research Directors also opt to become VPs of Research, a position that pays $150K on average.
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Popular Skills
Research Directors report using a deep pool of skills on the job. Most notably, facility with Product Development, Clinical Research, and People Management are correlated to pay that is significantly above average, leading to increases of 30 percent, 14 percent, and 8 percent, respectively. Those listing Technical Writing as a skill should be prepared for drastically lower pay. Budget Management and Proposal Writing also typically command lower compensation. It is often found that people who know Data Analysis are also skilled in Project Management and Market Research.
Pay by Experience Level
Pay by Experience for a Research Director has a positive trend. An entry-level Research Director with less than 5 years of experience can expect to earn an average total compensation of $75,000 based on 86 salaries provided by anonymous users. Average total compensation includes tips, bonus, and overtime pay. A Research Director with mid-career experience which includes employees with 5 to 10 years of experience can expect to earn an average total compensation of $101,000 based on 175 salaries. An experienced Research Director which includes employees with 10 to 20 years of experience can expect to earn an average total compensation of $117,000 based on 260 salaries. A Research Director with late-career experience which includes employees with greater than 20 years of experience can expect to earn an average total compensation of $125,000 based on 106 salaries.
Pay Difference by Location
For Research Directors, San Francisco provides a pay rate that is 41 percent greater than the national average. Research Directors can also look forward to large paychecks in cities like San Diego (+20 percent), Chicago (+20 percent), New York (+17 percent), and Miami (+14 percent). Research Directors' salaries are heavily influenced by location — Research Directors in Raleigh bring in salaries that are 39 percent lower than the national average. Employers also pay below the national average in Minneapolis (18 percent lower) and Philadelphia (15 percent lower).
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Gender
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Female
54 % |
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Male
46 % |
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Job Satisfaction
| Extremely satisfied |
Rated 5 out of 5 based on 175 votes. |
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