Careers
Westat draws on years of excellence in statistical research and data science, data collection and management, evaluation, and technical assistance while prioritizing community and collaboration to pursue innovation and strategic growth.
Join Us!
Westat is an employee-owned professional services firm that delivers high-quality research and information services that contribute to improvements in health care, education, and many other program areas.
The key to our success has always been our employee-owners, and in addition to our work, we are committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work. Join us and build your career, improving lives through research.
Corporate Jobs
Our corporate job opportunities include research and administrative positions requiring a wide range of expertise, such as designing surveys, analyzing data, evaluating programs, and communicating results. These positions also support research activities, including accounting, contracts, business development and marketing, IT, field services, and more.
Field Data Collector Jobs
Field data collectors are vital to Westat. Our specially trained field staff are essential to obtaining high-quality data by interviewing people in their homes or businesses, by abstracting data from records and databases, by administering standardized tests, and more. Westat’s data collection staff reach out within communities across the nation to get feedback and answers on important topics.
Internship Program
Internships provide real-life exposure to working on meaningful projects and research, while being mentored by the best in the field and experiencing a broad overview on the dynamics of social science research. An internship is education in action, and we’re proud to offer these opportunities across our topic areas.
Westat’s Summer Internship Program is 11 weeks and offers opportunities to undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students to engage in tangible work and educational experiences, learning more about the social science research field and the business of a government contractor.
Westat interns have an opportunity to build their professional work experience and develop a network they can carry forward as they grow their career. To get a glimpse into the experiences of our interns, read more about our recent Summer 2024 Internship Program.
Westat only considers online applications submitted to our company website. We do not use Google Hangouts or WhatsApp for recruiting. Learn more about protecting yourself from Employment Fraud.
Westat’s Corporate Culture
We are dedicated to improving lives through research. We are passionate problem-solvers and approach each challenge from all angles with investigative curiosity. As an employee-owned company, our strength is in our staff, a staff built on the foundation of inclusion and belonging.
Our company is rooted in respect for our team members and our individual differences, and we use all those perspectives to strengthen our teamwork and collaboration. It is from this range of perspectives that we can find solutions to any challenges our clients may face.
OUR MISSION
We improve lives by delivering exceptional data-driven research and technical assistance, fostering insights and solutions to advance health, education, and social and economic opportunity.
OUR VALUES
Meaningful work. We are passionate about work that has a positive impact on individuals and society.
Uncompromising excellence. We bring integrity and rigor to deliver quality in everything we do.
Client commitment. We serve our clients with dedication, expertise, deep understanding, and humility.
Innovative solutions. Our shared curiosity and problem-solving helps us push the boundaries of what is possible.
Inclusion and belonging. We foster a welcoming and collaborative culture that respects, empowers, and supports the growth and well-being of all.
Employee ownership. As employee owners, we act in the best interests of Westat, are good stewards of company resources, and share in our collective success.
OUR FOCUS
Client-centric. Our pledge is to put the client first, meeting their challenges with innovation, insight, and commitment to open, responsive, and reliable relationships. Just because what we do for clients today is working, we continually look for new strategies to meet tomorrow’s needs. We don’t rest on our laurels; we continue to explore best methods moving forward.
Collaborative. The foundation of Westat, since our very first day in 1963, is collaboration. As we’ve grown, our cross-area collaboration has set us apart from our competitors and is a draw to clients, where we can strategically apply our experts and expertise to tailor research strategies that meet research needs. You get the opportunity to work with the best and the brightest in a range of projects.
Balanced. We work to live, not live to work. Our company understands you have a life outside of work. We support and encourage initiatives that allow you to pursue your interests and allow time and energy for your family, volunteering, and health-related activities.
We provide additional benefits like employee discounts and social and personal growth opportunities. Our in-house Be Well@Westat program offers resources for mental, financial, and physical health.
Inclusion and Belonging
We foster a welcoming and collaborative culture that respects, empowers, and supports the growth and well-being of all. We aim to create an environment where everyone is valued, respected, and supported to grow and thrive.
We believe that our greatest strength draws on the different backgrounds, cultures, perspectives, and experiences of our employees. A broad range of thought drives our innovation and creativity, enriches our work, and serves as a cornerstone of our role as an industry leader.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Our unwavering commitment to these principles is our way of doing business. Qualified applicants are considered in a nondiscriminatory manner regardless of race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, genetic information, or any other protected status under applicable law.
At Westat, we are uniquely united.
Total Rewards and Benefits
Our Total Rewards program is our comprehensive company-branded package of benefits for you to participate in. Our outlook is to assist and support you with your overall well-being, from health and wellness to career progression, compensation, and retirement savings. We strive to provide positive and engaging work experiences so you can excel and have a fulfilling career.
Health and Insurance Coverage
Our staff is our most important asset. Providing you with the health care and insurance benefits you need is key. Through Be Well@Westat, we provide eligible employees a range of packages that help them meet their unique needs.
-
Health Care
A healthy you is a productive you, so we provide a range of providers and options within those choices so that you can find a health plan that works best for you, including HMOs, traditional health plans, and high-deductible plans. Do you have a preferred provider? Are you looking for flexibility in options? Westat has a range of health care selections for you.
-
Dental Care
Not all companies offer dental care plans, but we do. We recognize that dental health is tied to physical health and well-being, so we provide you with health care plans with dental care, as well as individual dental plans, so that you have the leverage to get the care you want.
-
Vision Care
Our health care plans provide discounted vision services, but we also provide other vision care programs where you can expand your options to more providers, including private practices and other retailers. Some of our options expand to online retailers so you can focus on the exact frames or eye care options for that discerning look.
-
Health Savings and Spending Accounts
Get pre-tax savings by opting in for health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts, depending on the health care plan you choose. These options are great ways to build up health care expense reserves as well as meet those expenses throughout the year or over time.
Other Insurance
-
Accident Insurance
Accidents happen and by their very nature are unexpected and may cause significant expense if there is a serious injury. To help, we provide accident insurance plans that help cover out-of-pocket medical expenses as well as non-medical expenses that help cover travel costs to see doctors as you recover.
-
Critical Illness Insurance
A catastrophic illness, like cancer or a stroke, can be a significant financial burden. It’s something you don’t plan for, but you can plan to handle…just in case. Westat offers a plan to help you with medical expenses for unexpected critical illnesses.
-
Disability Insurance
We offer basic long-term disability at no cost; that’s right, at no cost to you. This insurance can provide you the peace of mind against the unforeseen, like a disability, illness, injury, or the birth of a child leaves you unable to work. Westat also offers employees the option to elect short-term disability insurance.
-
Life Insurance
We’ve got you covered. Westat offers basic life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment coverage at no cost to you…again, at no cost to you. You can opt to add supplemental life insurance to fit your needs. In case of your spouse’s or domestic partner’s unexpected death, this benefit can be helpful to those left behind.
-
Legal and ID Theft Insurance
With so much of our personal information available on the web, we’re vulnerable to scams and ID theft. Our staff can choose individual or family coverage to help work through these unforeseen and costly issues that could drain us emotionally and financially.
-
Pet Insurance
Our pets are important members of our families, and we want to keep them safe and healthy, too. We offer insurance for cats and dogs through ASPCA© Pet Health Insurance to help offset the cost of keeping all family members, including these 4-legged ones, healthy.
Leave Programs for Salaried Staff
-
Vacation Leave
Taking time off to recharge your batteries is important to your personal health as well as maintaining the quality of your work. You’ll accrue vacation hours every pay period based on your grade and years of service.
-
Sick Leave
If you’re sick, we want you to take time off to get well. And sick leave provides income protection when you or your family member is ill, disabled, or receiving medical care.
-
Family and Medical Leave
Life happens. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) protects your job so that you can focus on important family needs like taking leave to care for a new baby, adopting a child, taking care of yourself or a family member with a serious health condition, qualifying exigencies related to the foreign deployment of a military member, or taking care of a servicemember with a serious injury or illness.
-
Parental Leave
We recognize the importance of early bonding with children. Westat offers parental leave so you can be home at those crucial early days of your family’s new arrival and not worry about losing ground at work. This benefit applies to fostering and adopting children, too.
Retirement Plan
Building Your Financial Security
ESOP
We are proud employee owners of our company. We recognize that our individual efforts and commitment make a difference in the overall success of the company, fueling the continued high value of our work to clients and society. Each year since 1977, through our Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), eligible employee participants are allocated stock. Every day you work at Westat, you’re recognized for your commitment with this unique deferred compensation program.
401(k)
Our defined contribution 401(k) provides you with tax-deferred, retirement-oriented benefits. Westat matches employee contributions up to 5%. With a 401(k), you can make pre-tax and/or Roth contributions and build that safety net, a cushion for your future.
Career Development
We are committed to providing an environment where you can fully develop throughout your career and pursue the work that interests you. The range of work is invigorating. Whether it’s contributing to research to ensure the safety of the blood supply, supporting clinical trials to eradicate chronic and infectious diseases, or supporting educators to improve student success, you can do it at Westat.
Career Progression and Growth
Our Career Progression Framework program helps you outline your professional growth goals with career advancement opportunities that align to your skills and interests. We provide you the flexibility to navigate your career, whether you are just starting out, in mid-career, or focused on executive roles. We are committed to ensuring opportunities for progression and growth.
Professional Development
Stay on the cutting edge of your work by joining Westat. We provide eligible employees the opportunity to attend professional conferences, join professional associations to enhance the scope of your network, and get in-house technical training. We’ll support you in tuition and textbook reimbursement for relevant education programs that keep your skills sharp.
Working at Westat
On-Site and Hybrid Work
At Westat, we embrace flexible work arrangements that empower our team to balance their professional and personal lives effectively. Our staff often work in an on-site or hybrid model, depending on their roles and responsibilities, maintaining seamless productivity while meeting personal and family needs. Employees in a hybrid work arrangement are expected to be on site a minimum of 4 days per month, with core business hours from 10 am to 3 pm (ET), ensuring a reliable framework for collaboration. Please note our corporate headquarters will be moving from Rockville, Maryland, to Bethesda, Maryland, in late 2025.
Headquarters—Rockville, Maryland
Our headquarters campus is centrally located in the Washington, DC, metro region, close to our clients and easily accessible from the interstate, metro rail, and bus lines.
Café
Our sunny on-site café on our headquarters campus is a great place to take a coffee break, sit down and enjoy a tasty meal, have a meeting with colleagues or clients, or even grab a meal to take home. Our culinary staff whip up some great breakfast and lunch options, and our grab-and-go meals are a great option, too, including a made-to-order selection.
Fitness Center
The fitness center on our headquarters campus has state-of-the-art strength and aerobic equipment, lockers and showers, and a dedicated group exercise room. The fitness center is available to all employees at no cost so that you can get in a good workout without having to find a gym.
Satellite Offices
Our clients and partners are located across the nation and around the globe. We’ve established offices near them to more nimbly meet their challenges and needs. Our satellite offices provide clients the flexibility to reach out to us for timely solutions to their research needs.
Travel Subsidy and Parking
We subsidize all staff who use public transit, offering them the opportunity to make pre-tax deductions to a transit account for the purpose of traveling to work. Parking for staff is free at all Westat offices. Charging stations for electric vehicles are available at our Rockville campus.
Headquarters Move Announcement
We’re excited to announce that our headquarters will be relocating to Bethesda, Maryland, in the last quarter of 2025. This move brings numerous advantages as it is strategically positioned near our clients and partners, tailored to our operational requirements, and designed to enhance the working experience for staff.
Our new address will be 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland. Situated just 10 miles south of our current campus, this location offers exceptional accessibility. It’s conveniently located directly across from the Bethesda Metro station on the Red Line and the bus depot. Also, it provides easy access to the Washington Beltway and I-270, and has on-site free parking.
The amenities at our new location will support a productive and enjoyable work environment. From hybrid and full-time onsite offices to conference facilities, a café, and a fitness center, we’re committed to providing a space that meets the needs of our team. Just outside our new office door are many great restaurants, retailers, and arts venues in the bustling urban center.
As we approach the move-in date, we’ll keep you updated with any developments. We look forward to welcoming you to our new headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland.
Proudly Employee Owned
Westat is 100% employee-owned. Our Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) allows staff to earn stock and share in company profits. We believe that employee ownership has been a key factor in our growth—we share a commitment to excellence and support each other in our mission to provide the best solutions for our clients. Our engagement in our work can and does make a difference in our success.
Corporate Awards and Recognition
Great Place to Work
Westat is proud to be certified by Great Place to Work® for 2024. This recognition is based on what current employees say about their experience working at Westat through a company-wide survey. Great Place to Work certification is recognized worldwide. Survey questions cover employee experiences related to compensation, workplace culture, and leadership. In 2024, 81% of Westat respondents said it’s a great place to work compared to 57% of employees at a typical U.S.-based company.
Military Spouse Employment Partnership
Westat is an official partner with the U.S. Department of Defense’s Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP), part of the ranks of employers that have hired 180,000+ military spouses across the country. MSEP connects military spouses with hundreds of partner employers who have committed to recruit, hire, promote, and retain military spouses.
Military spouses often face barriers to rewarding and long-term employment because of their frequent relocations. MSEP and its partners work to overcome these issues by providing employment connections for these qualified spouses. We are honored to partner with MSEP, which gives us direct access to a skilled, motivated, and adaptable workforce.
Forbes Awards
Westat regularly ranks on the Forbes “Best of” lists, which spotlight employers based on size, as well as best employers for veterans, and more. Rankings are based on independent surveys and are across professional sectors. We are proud to be recognized consistently from employees on these issues.