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Date: 04/23/2026

Computer and Information Research Scientists

Conduct research into fundamental computer and information science as theorists, designers, or inventors. Develop solutions to problems in the field of computer hardware and software.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Design computers and the software that runs them.
    • Assign or schedule tasks to meet work priorities and goals.
    • Participate in staffing decisions and direct training of subordinates.
    • Maintain network hardware and software, direct network security measures, and monitor networks to ensure availability to system users.
    • Participate in staffing decisions and direct training of subordinates.
    • Direct daily operations of departments, coordinating project activities with other departments.
    • Develop performance standards, and evaluate work in light of established standards.
    • Evaluate project plans and proposals to assess feasibility issues.
    • Analyze problems to develop solutions involving computer hardware and software.
    • Maintain network hardware and software, direct network security measures, and monitor networks to ensure availability to system users.
    • Develop and interpret organizational goals, policies, and procedures.
    • Apply theoretical expertise and innovation to create or apply new technology, such as adapting principles for applying computers to new uses.
    • Direct daily operations of departments, coordinating project activities with other departments.
    • Conduct logical analyses of business, scientific, engineering, and other technical problems, formulating mathematical models of problems for solution by computers.
    • Meet with managers, vendors, and others to solicit cooperation and resolve problems.
    • Participate in multidisciplinary projects in areas such as virtual reality, human-computer interaction, or robotics.
    • Consult with users, management, vendors, and technicians to determine computing needs and system requirements.
    • Approve, prepare, monitor, and adjust operational budgets.

    Skills

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    N/A
    Workplace Documents
    N/A
    Graphic Literacy
    N/A

    Abilities

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    Knowledge

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    Career Video

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    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 135640/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 65.21/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 48,300
    • Yearly Projected Openings 3200

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Investigative: People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Innovation
    • Adaptability
    • Perseverance
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Intellectual Curiosity
    • Attention to Detail

    Tools

    • Camera based vision systems for automated data collection
    • Cinematographic cameras
    • Compact disks CDs
    • Computer servers
    • Content delivery networking equipment
    • Digital camcorders or video cameras
    • Digital cameras
    • Graphics tablets
    • Hard disk arrays
    • Hard disk drives
    • High capacity removable media drives
    • High end computer servers
    • Laser printers
    • Loudspeakers
    • Mainframe computers
    • Microprocessors
    • Multimedia projectors
    • Network interface cards
    • Personal computers
    • Pick or place robots
    • Scanners
    • Stage or projection or studio lighting system
    • Tape arrays

    Technology

    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Application server software
    • Business intelligence and data analysis software
    • Cloud-based management software
    • Clustering software
    • Communications server software
    • Compiler and decompiler software
    • Computer aided design CAD software
    • Configuration management software
    • Data base management system software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Data mining software
    • Development environment software
    • Enterprise application integration software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • File versioning software
    • Geographic information system
    • Graphical user interface development software
    • Graphics or photo imaging software
    • Industrial control software
    • Metadata management software
    • Object or component oriented development software
    • Object oriented data base management software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Portal server software
    • Presentation software
    • Program testing software
    • Project management software
    • Requirements analysis and system architecture software
    • Sales and marketing software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Video creation and editing software
    • Web page creation and editing software
    • Web platform development software

    Tags

    • InDemand occupations are considered a priority by the state of Ohio.

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