The market research salary and compensation survey was conducted online from June 5 to June 23, 2017 among Quirk’s subscribers. In total we received 2,637 responses. We received 858 usable surveys from client-side researchers (corporate market research) and 1,422 usable surveys from provider-side researchers (market research company employees). An interval (margin of error) of 1.9 at the 95 percent confidence level was achieved. (Not all respondents answered all questions.)
For a complete survey results follow the link below:
Market research salaries by job title
Market research CEO/president salary by:
| Region in which located | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 11 | $185,909 | $41,182 | $19,818 | $17,818 | $264,727 | |||||||
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 8 | $223,125 | $25,000 | $5,625 | $2,500 | $256,250 | |||||||
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 17 | $182,529 | $16,353 | $31,176 | $7,000 | $237,059 | |||||||
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 6 | $140,833 | $41,833 | $24,167 | $9,333 | $216,167 | |||||||
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 12 | $182,417 | $103,000 | $61,917 | $5,750 | $353,083 | |||||||
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | 2 | $214,500 | $37,500 | $19,500 | $22,500 | $294,000 | |||||||
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | 2 | $112,500 | $60,000 | $10,000 | $0 | $182,500 | |||||||
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | 3 | $139,667 | $89,667 | $103,333 | $3,333 | $336,000 | |||||||
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 6 | $153,000 | $56,667 | $15,833 | $12,500 | $238,000 | |||||||
| Canada | 3 | $137,000 | $41,667 | $14,333 | $10,000 | $203,000 | |||||||
| Mexico | |||||||||||||
| Central and South America | 1 | $172,000 | $33,000 | $0 | $32,000 | $237,000 | |||||||
| Eastern Europe | 1 | $49,000 | $4,000 | $0 | $0 | $53,000 | |||||||
| Western Europe | 5 | $130,800 | $45,200 | $0 | $28,400 | $204,400 | |||||||
| Asia | 4 | $128,750 | $5,500 | $0 | $6,500 | $140,750 | |||||||
| Middle East | 2 | $120,000 | $30,000 | $150,000 | $6,000 | $306,000 | |||||||
| Africa | 1 | $12,000 | $3,000 | $0 | $0 | $15,000 | |||||||
| Australia/New Zealand | 1 | $250,000 | $0 | $0 | $30,000 | $280,000 | |||||||
| Mean | 85 | $167,776 | $43,471 | $29,271 | $10,141 | $250,659 | |||||||
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < $1 Million US dollars | 21 | $92,429 | $4,238 | $16,238 | $6,143 | $119,048 | |||||||
| $1M - $3M | 12 | $144,000 | $45,583 | $46,750 | $7,000 | $243,333 | |||||||
| $3M - $6M | 17 | $158,353 | $59,294 | $23,588 | $11,647 | $252,882 | |||||||
| $6M - $10M | 6 | $182,833 | $38,000 | $48,000 | $30,833 | $299,667 | |||||||
| $10M - $50M | 18 | $240,389 | $75,556 | $45,111 | $7,389 | $368,444 | |||||||
| $50M - $100M | 6 | $203,167 | $44,333 | $3,333 | $20,500 | $271,333 | |||||||
| $100M - $300M | 2 | $272,500 | $62,500 | $7,500 | $0 | $342,500 | |||||||
| $300M - $500M | 1 | $110,000 | $30,000 | $0 | $0 | $140,000 | |||||||
| $500M - $1 Billion | |||||||||||||
| >$1 Billion US dollars | 2 | $301,000 | $21,000 | $25,000 | $5,000 | $352,000 | |||||||
| Mean | 85 | $167,776 | $43,471 | $29,271 | $10,141 | $250,659 | |||||||
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| 0 | |||||||||||||
| 1 - 2 | 12 | $102,333 | $8,167 | $40,167 | $6,667 | $157,333 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 15 | $139,467 | $48,867 | $35,667 | $7,400 | $231,400 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 12 | $155,667 | $22,083 | $16,750 | $9,750 | $204,250 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | 4 | $143,500 | $106,250 | $11,250 | $6,000 | $267,000 | |||||||
| 16 - 25 | 7 | $163,000 | $45,571 | $5,000 | $3,286 | $216,857 | |||||||
| >25 | 35 | $210,229 | $53,000 | $34,000 | $14,486 | $311,714 | |||||||
| Mean | 85 | $167,776 | $43,471 | $29,271 | $10,141 | $250,659 | |||||||
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 1 year | |||||||||||||
| 1 - 2 | 1 | $150,000 | $0 | $0 | $160,000 | $310,000 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 2 | $135,000 | $55,000 | $62,500 | $12,500 | $265,000 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 5 | $173,800 | $23,200 | $23,800 | $18,200 | $239,000 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | 7 | $185,000 | $82,714 | $92,857 | $6,571 | $367,143 | |||||||
| 16 - 25 | 31 | $188,516 | $57,774 | $23,097 | $3,935 | $273,323 | |||||||
| >25 | 39 | $149,564 | $28,179 | $22,513 | $10,718 | $210,974 | |||||||
| Mean | 85 | $167,776 | $43,471 | $29,271 | $10,141 | $250,659 | |||||||
| Years at current job | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 1 year | 7 | $183,429 | $49,857 | $50,000 | $4,286 | $287,571 | |||||||
| 1 - 2 | 11 | $183,000 | $61,091 | $0 | $17,455 | $261,545 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 29 | $186,414 | $52,345 | $17,966 | $10,552 | $267,276 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 11 | $160,091 | $22,545 | $31,273 | $5,818 | $219,727 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | 7 | $149,714 | $44,571 | $82,857 | $8,857 | $286,000 | |||||||
| 16 - 25 | 6 | $145,500 | $9,167 | $46,833 | $9,667 | $211,167 | |||||||
| >25 | 11 | $116,909 | $32,818 | $37,455 | $11,818 | $199,000 | |||||||
| Mean | 82 | $166,720 | $42,866 | $30,341 | $10,268 | $250,195 | |||||||
| Number of employees supervised | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| 0 (None) | 9 | $104,889 | $2,556 | $33,222 | $2,111 | $142,778 | |||||||
| 1 - 2 | 8 | $117,000 | $51,625 | $38,250 | $9,125 | $216,000 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 10 | $134,200 | $19,800 | $35,000 | $6,500 | $195,500 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 23 | $179,957 | $49,478 | $14,435 | $9,652 | $253,522 | |||||||
| > 10 | 35 | $197,143 | $54,943 | $34,314 | $13,800 | $300,200 | |||||||
| Mean | 85 | $167,776 | $43,471 | $29,271 | $10,141 | $250,659 | |||||||
| Highest degree achieved | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| High-school graduate | 2 | $162,500 | $56,000 | $0 | $1,000 | $219,500 | |||||||
| College graduate | 38 | $163,789 | $32,105 | $27,500 | $6,342 | $229,737 | |||||||
| Masters program graduate | 39 | $165,949 | $57,179 | $28,026 | $14,026 | $265,179 | |||||||
| Ph.D. graduate | 6 | $206,667 | $22,167 | $58,333 | $12,000 | $299,167 | |||||||
| Mean | 85 | $167,776 | $43,471 | $29,271 | $10,141 | $250,659 | |||||||
| Gender | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| Male | 54 | $170,148 | $41,704 | $23,463 | $11,704 | $247,019 | |||||||
| Female | 31 | $163,645 | $46,548 | $39,387 | $7,419 | $257,000 | |||||||
| Mean | 85 | $167,776 | $43,471 | $29,271 | $10,141 | $250,659 | |||||||
| Age | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 25 | |||||||||||||
| 25 - 30 | 1 | $80,000 | $1,000 | $70,000 | $24,000 | $175,000 | |||||||
| 31 - 35 | 2 | $168,500 | $61,500 | $0 | $5,000 | $235,000 | |||||||
| 36 - 45 | 20 | $172,900 | $59,100 | $25,400 | $5,450 | $262,850 | |||||||
| 46 - 55 | 29 | $169,759 | $24,862 | $36,138 | $9,552 | $240,310 | |||||||
| 56 - 65 | 26 | $171,462 | $47,923 | $12,154 | $14,538 | $246,077 | |||||||
| 66+ | 7 | $143,571 | $60,286 | $78,000 | $9,143 | $291,000 | |||||||
| Mean | 85 | $167,776 | $43,471 | $29,271 | $10,141 | $250,659 | |||||||
*Bonus was defined as bonus or commission for 2016 in US dollars.
*Dividends were defined as compensation in the form of dividends, stock options or profit sharing in US dollars for 2016.
*Other was defined as annual value of other compensation (company car, health club membership, mobile phone etc.) in US dollars.