Skills by role family · Q3 2026
Most requested skills for science and research jobs in Australia
Measured from 652 tracked Australian job ads in this family.
Most requested skills
- 01Python111 ads, 17%
- 02Data analysis90 ads, 14%
- 03Stakeholder engagement77 ads, 12%
- 04Project management75 ads, 12%
- 05R70 ads, 11%
- 06Data annotation69 ads, 11%
- 07Machine learning55 ads, 8.4%
- 08Statistical analysis49 ads, 7.5%
- 09Data collection44 ads, 6.8%
- 10Microsoft Office41 ads, 6.3%
- 11Quality assurance41 ads, 6.3%
- 12Quality Control41 ads, 6.3%
- 13Scientific writing39 ads, 6.0%
- 14Technical report writing39 ads, 6.0%
- 15Continuous improvement36 ads, 5.5%
- 16Research36 ads, 5.5%
- 17Technical writing36 ads, 5.5%
- 18Laboratory testing35 ads, 5.4%
- 19Data management33 ads, 5.1%
- 20Regulatory compliance33 ads, 5.1%
- 21Microsoft Excel31 ads, 4.8%
- 22Sample preparation31 ads, 4.8%
- 23communication26 ads, 4.0%
- 24Data interpretation25 ads, 3.8%
- 25Quantitative research25 ads, 3.8%
| Skill | Ads | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Python | 111 | 17% |
| Data analysis | 90 | 14% |
| Stakeholder engagement | 77 | 12% |
| Project management | 75 | 12% |
| R | 70 | 11% |
| Data annotation | 69 | 11% |
| Machine learning | 55 | 8.4% |
| Statistical analysis | 49 | 7.5% |
| Data collection | 44 | 6.8% |
| Microsoft Office | 41 | 6.3% |
| Quality assurance | 41 | 6.3% |
| Quality Control | 41 | 6.3% |
| Scientific writing | 39 | 6.0% |
| Technical report writing | 39 | 6.0% |
| Continuous improvement | 36 | 5.5% |
| Research | 36 | 5.5% |
| Technical writing | 36 | 5.5% |
| Laboratory testing | 35 | 5.4% |
| Data management | 33 | 5.1% |
| Regulatory compliance | 33 | 5.1% |
| Microsoft Excel | 31 | 4.8% |
| Sample preparation | 31 | 4.8% |
| communication | 26 | 4.0% |
| Data interpretation | 25 | 3.8% |
| Quantitative research | 25 | 3.8% |
Experience asked for
Stated in 24% of this family’s ads · n = 154 stated values · Q3 2026
Work rights in these ads
n = 652 ads. Cells below the publication threshold are omitted.
| Requirement | Ads | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Citizenship required | Not published | — |
| Permanent residency required | Not published | — |
| Security clearance required | Not published | — |
| Sponsorship offered | Not published | — |
| Sponsorship possible | Not published | — |
Read the Australian job application glossary for the terms.
Work arrangement
| Arrangement | Ads | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Onsite | 108 | 17% |
| Hybrid | 92 | 14% |
| Remote | 130 | 20% |
| Flexible | 31 | 4.8% |
| Not stated | 291 | 45% |
How to use this on your resume
Open a role example to see these ideas in Offer Underway’s Modern resume template. Its mint highlights show matching terms from that role’s job-ad data. In your own application, use the actual employer’s ad and evidence from your experience.
- Mirror the exact skill names you can support with evidence.
- Put the top skills you can demonstrate in your Skills section and in experience bullets.
- Do not list skills you cannot evidence.
- Check a specific ad with the Australian job ad checker.
The ATS resume keywords guide shows how to choose wording without claiming experience you do not have.
Browse Australian resume examples for worked examples of evidence-based bullets.
Method and limitations
How this data is collected. OfferUnderway tracks job ads from Australian employer career sites and job boards. Each ad is counted once, even if it appears on several sites. Fields such as role family, skills, work arrangement and work-rights requirements are extracted from the ad text by an AI model and checked against the ad; some extraction errors are possible.
What it covers. Ads with an Australian location that were live at any point between 1 July 2026 and 30 September 2026. It is not every job ad in Australia: coverage depends on the sources OfferUnderway tracks, and some industries are better covered than others.
Thresholds. A breakdown is shown only when it is based on at least 30 ads; a skill is listed only when it appears in at least 15 ads and 3% of the relevant group.
Snapshot. Generated 17 October 2026. Figures are not revised after publication; corrections are noted on this page.
Questions about these skills
Which skills appear most often in science and research job ads?
Across 652 Australian science and research job ads tracked by OfferUnderway in Q3 2026, the most requested skills were Python (17%), Data analysis (14%), Stakeholder engagement (12%), Project management (12%), R (11%). These figures describe the tracked catalogue, not every job ad in Australia.
Are these skills mandatory for every role?
Frequency is not proof that a skill is mandatory for a particular job. Read the employer’s ad and distinguish requirements from preferences. Only include skills you can support with your own experience.
How many ads is this based on?
This family includes 652 active Australian job ads tracked by OfferUnderway in Q3 2026. Families need at least 200 ads; small cells and infrequent skills are suppressed.
Build a resume for a real science and research job
Use the frequency list as a starting point, then tailor your resume to the employer’s actual requirements and your own experience.