Research Assistant Professor Jobs in California

Research Assistant Professor jobs in California are concentrated in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, where major research universities and life science institutions maintain large faculty pipelines. UC San Francisco, UCLA, and UC San Diego are among the most established employers of research assistant professors, with consistent openings in biomedical sciences, computational biology, and public health. California stands as one of the most active markets in the country for early-career academic researchers, with demand running across both bench and translational research tracks. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.

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Overview

Open roles28
Top employerUniversity of Southern California
Top cityLos Angeles, CA
Cities hiring7
Work type67% On-site
Top industryEducation

Showing 5 of 28+ Research Assistant Professor jobs

Assistant Research Professor: Center for Education, Identity and Social Justice
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Added 2d ago
Assistant Research Professor: Center for Education, Identity and Social Justice
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
Higher Education
Research & Academia
Teaching & Instruction
$95k - $100k/yr
Doctoral degree
10,000+

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Associate or Full Professor (Ladder, In-Residence) Infectious Diseases Translational Researcher
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Added 5d ago
Associate or Full Professor (Ladder, In-Residence) Infectious Diseases Translational Researcher
UC San Diego
San Diego, California
Biotech & Life Sciences
Clinical Trials & Medical Research
Data Science
Research & Academia
$173k - $240k/yr
10,000+

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Research Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy (Research Track)
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Added 1w ago
Research Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy (Research Track)
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
Biotech & Life Sciences
Clinical Trials
Research & Academia
$105k - $112k/yr
Doctorate in Pharmacology
10,000+

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Assistant Professor - Fintech and Cyber Risk - Industrial Engineering & Operations Research
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Added 1w ago
Assistant Professor - Fintech and Cyber Risk - Industrial Engineering & Operations Research
University of California Berkeley
Berkeley, California
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Data Science
ML (Machine Learning)
$111k - $163k/yr
Experience equivalent to degree accepted
10,000+

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Research Professor of Urology (Part-Time)
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Added 2w ago
Research Professor of Urology (Part-Time)
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
Clinical Trials
Laboratory Research
Research & Academia
10,000+

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See All 28 Research Assistant Professor Jobs in California

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Research Assistant Professor Jobs by City in California

Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.

Los Angeles
12 jobs
San Diego
8 jobs
Duarte
3 jobs
Berkeley
2 jobs
Monrovia
1 job
Pasadena
1 job
Sacramento
1 job

Research Assistant Professor Job Market in California

A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.

Who's Hiring

University of Southern California9 open roles
UC San Diego8 open roles
City of Hope4 open roles

Top Industries Hiring

  • Education
  • Healthcare & Medical Services

What California Employers Look For

The qualifications that appear most often in research assistant professor jobs across California.

  • PhD or equivalent doctoral degree in a relevant scientific or academic discipline
  • Active record of peer-reviewed publications demonstrating independent research contributions
  • Experience securing or contributing to extramural grant funding from agencies like NIH or NSF
  • Demonstrated ability to mentor graduate students or postdoctoral researchers
  • Proficiency with discipline-specific research methods, tools, or laboratory techniques
  • Strong written communication skills for manuscript preparation and grant applications

Research Assistant Professor Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions

How do you become a research assistant professor in California?

Becoming a research assistant professor in California requires a completed doctoral degree in your field and a postdoctoral research appointment at a university or research institute. California institutions typically expect candidates to show an emerging independent research program, peer-reviewed publications, and some experience with grant writing. There is no state-issued license or board examination for this academic role, so your academic record and research output are the primary credentials reviewed.

Which companies hire research assistant professors in California?

Employers hiring research assistant professors in California right now include University of Southern California, UC San Diego, and City of Hope, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. California's dense concentration of research universities, academic medical centers, and federally funded research institutes makes it one of the most active states for these appointments year-round.

Which California cities have the most research assistant professor jobs?

Los Angeles, San Diego, and Duarte have the most research assistant professor openings in California. The Bay Area and Los Angeles dominate because of their large University of California campuses, academic medical centers, and proximity to biotech and pharmaceutical corridors, while San Diego's concentration of Scripps Research, Salk Institute, and UC San Diego sustains strong demand in life sciences.

Are there remote research assistant professor jobs in California?

Yes, but they're rare. About 33% of research assistant professor openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting how lab-based and clinically embedded most of these roles are. The portions most likely to allow remote or hybrid arrangements are computational, bioinformatics, and social or behavioral science positions where the work centers on data analysis and writing rather than physical laboratory access.

How can I get hired as a research assistant professor in California with little or no experience?

The most realistic entry path is completing a postdoctoral fellowship at a California research institution before applying, since most research assistant professor appointments treat postdoc experience as a baseline requirement. UC campuses, Cedars-Sinai, Stanford Health Care, and Children's Hospital Los Angeles all run structured postdoctoral programs that serve as direct pipelines. Candidates transitioning from a senior research scientist or research associate role can also make competitive applications, particularly if they hold first-author publications and have contributed to grant proposals.

Where can I find and apply to research assistant professor jobs in California?

You can find and apply to research assistant professor jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings updated in real time. Search the listings to find roles that match your discipline and institution type, then apply directly to the ones that fit your background and career stage.

See All 28 Research Assistant Professor Jobs in California

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