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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
Director of market research salary by:
| Region in which located | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 10 | $116,000 | $6,100 | $300 | $300 | $122,700 | |||||||
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 17 | $112,882 | $37,588 | $2,824 | $2,235 | $155,529 | |||||||
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 21 | $103,381 | $7,810 | $1,571 | $5,762 | $118,524 | |||||||
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 9 | $97,556 | $15,889 | $0 | $10,111 | $123,556 | |||||||
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 13 | $105,154 | $5,000 | $923 | $16,769 | $127,846 | |||||||
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | 2 | $85,000 | $34,500 | $0 | $0 | $119,500 | |||||||
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | 7 | $125,000 | $15,571 | $1,571 | $0 | $142,143 | |||||||
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | 7 | $88,000 | $11,857 | $0 | $1,571 | $101,429 | |||||||
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 14 | $111,500 | $10,714 | $286 | $643 | $123,143 | |||||||
| Canada | 1 | $89,000 | $30,000 | $0 | $8,000 | $127,000 | |||||||
| Mexico | |||||||||||||
| Central and South America | 1 | $30,000 | $0 | $0 | $1,000 | $31,000 | |||||||
| Eastern Europe | 4 | $42,500 | $2,000 | $0 | $4,000 | $48,500 | |||||||
| Western Europe | 7 | $69,714 | $6,571 | $0 | $4,286 | $80,571 | |||||||
| Asia | 7 | $83,286 | $7,429 | $0 | $714 | $91,429 | |||||||
| Middle East | |||||||||||||
| Africa | 1 | $67,000 | $5,000 | $23,000 | $3,000 | $98,000 | |||||||
| Australia/New Zealand | 4 | $97,500 | $22,500 | $0 | $1,250 | $121,250 | |||||||
| Mean | 125 | $100,272 | $13,712 | $1,072 | $4,472 | $119,528 | |||||||
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < $1 Million US dollars | 14 | $71,857 | $8,286 | $786 | $11,714 | $92,643 | |||||||
| $1M - $3M | 19 | $72,421 | $9,526 | $1,316 | $1,684 | $84,947 | |||||||
| $3M - $6M | 19 | $103,368 | $19,263 | $842 | $9,105 | $132,579 | |||||||
| $6M - $10M | 15 | $101,400 | $9,067 | $800 | $2,533 | $113,800 | |||||||
| $10M - $50M | 22 | $116,636 | $15,364 | $2,182 | $1,091 | $135,273 | |||||||
| $50M - $100M | 10 | $123,300 | $28,400 | $1,100 | $1,600 | $154,400 | |||||||
| $100M - $300M | 7 | $111,714 | $12,000 | $0 | $1,143 | $124,857 | |||||||
| $300M - $500M | 5 | $115,000 | $8,000 | $0 | $200 | $123,200 | |||||||
| $500M - $1 Billion | 5 | $120,600 | $11,000 | $1,000 | $20,200 | $152,800 | |||||||
| >$1 Billion US dollars | 6 | $97,500 | $17,000 | $0 | $333 | $114,833 | |||||||
| Mean | 122 | $100,090 | $13,951 | $1,049 | $4,582 | $119,672 | |||||||
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| 0 | 3 | $51,333 | $4,000 | $0 | $29,333 | $84,667 | |||||||
| 1 - 2 | 8 | $68,125 | $4,625 | $1,375 | $9,125 | $83,250 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 13 | $101,000 | $20,308 | $77 | $11,462 | $132,846 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 13 | $92,231 | $5,538 | $1,385 | $1,769 | $100,923 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | 7 | $115,429 | $23,714 | $857 | $2,286 | $142,286 | |||||||
| 16 - 25 | 21 | $97,762 | $14,429 | $1,333 | $1,714 | $115,238 | |||||||
| >25 | 60 | $107,700 | $14,333 | $1,167 | $2,900 | $126,100 | |||||||
| Mean | 125 | $100,272 | $13,712 | $1,072 | $4,472 | $119,528 | |||||||
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 1 year | 2 | $47,500 | $0 | $0 | $500 | $48,000 | |||||||
| 1 - 2 | |||||||||||||
| 3 - 5 | 3 | $63,667 | $5,667 | $0 | $1,333 | $70,667 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 17 | $93,294 | $22,412 | $412 | $6,824 | $122,941 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | 47 | $102,234 | $18,553 | $1,277 | $1,809 | $123,872 | |||||||
| 16 - 25 | 44 | $104,750 | $8,705 | $1,068 | $6,364 | $120,886 | |||||||
| >25 | 12 | $104,000 | $5,083 | $1,667 | $6,083 | $116,833 | |||||||
| Mean | 125 | $100,272 | $13,712 | $1,072 | $4,472 | $119,528 | |||||||
| Years at current job | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 1 year | 13 | $107,462 | $8,846 | $692 | $923 | $117,923 | |||||||
| 1 - 2 | 28 | $96,393 | $9,714 | $107 | $5,179 | $111,393 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 42 | $104,952 | $17,000 | $2,071 | $3,357 | $127,381 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 26 | $101,615 | $15,962 | $923 | $923 | $119,423 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | 8 | $85,625 | $14,750 | $375 | $20,625 | $121,375 | |||||||
| 16 - 25 | 6 | $83,000 | $12,833 | $0 | $0 | $95,833 | |||||||
| >25 | 2 | $102,500 | $1,500 | $4,000 | $36,000 | $144,000 | |||||||
| Mean | 125 | $100,272 | $13,712 | $1,072 | $4,472 | $119,528 | |||||||
| Number of employees supervised | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| 0 (None) | 28 | $93,821 | $18,679 | $1,607 | $6,643 | $120,750 | |||||||
| 1 - 2 | 40 | $102,550 | $7,650 | $525 | $7,100 | $117,825 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 28 | $114,107 | $19,393 | $1,571 | $1,286 | $136,357 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 16 | $88,688 | $13,250 | $1,500 | $2,750 | $106,188 | |||||||
| > 10 | 12 | $89,583 | $9,167 | $0 | $750 | $99,500 | |||||||
| Mean | 124 | $100,145 | $13,661 | $1,081 | $4,508 | $119,395 | |||||||
| Highest degree achieved | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| High-school graduate | 2 | $82,500 | $13,000 | $0 | $1,000 | $96,500 | |||||||
| College graduate | 49 | $101,551 | $14,959 | $1,184 | $5,816 | $123,510 | |||||||
| Masters program graduate | 71 | $98,662 | $12,535 | $1,070 | $3,746 | $116,014 | |||||||
| Ph.D. graduate | 3 | $129,333 | $21,667 | $0 | $2,000 | $153,000 | |||||||
| Mean | 125 | $100,272 | $13,712 | $1,072 | $4,472 | $119,528 | |||||||
| Gender | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| Male | 51 | $93,118 | $15,804 | $980 | $5,412 | $115,314 | |||||||
| Female | 74 | $105,203 | $12,270 | $1,135 | $3,824 | $122,432 | |||||||
| Mean | 125 | $100,272 | $13,712 | $1,072 | $4,472 | $119,528 | |||||||
| Age | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 25 | 1 | $30,000 | $0 | $0 | $1,000 | $31,000 | |||||||
| 25 - 30 | 4 | $105,000 | $7,750 | $1,250 | $22,000 | $136,000 | |||||||
| 31 - 35 | 28 | $90,679 | $14,357 | $250 | $1,821 | $107,107 | |||||||
| 36 - 45 | 46 | $99,935 | $15,109 | $1,000 | $4,370 | $120,413 | |||||||
| 46 - 55 | 36 | $111,250 | $15,056 | $1,889 | $3,667 | $131,861 | |||||||
| 56 - 65 | 9 | $93,667 | $2,667 | $889 | $9,556 | $106,778 | |||||||
| 66+ | 1 | $100,000 | $20,000 | $0 | $0 | $120,000 | |||||||
| Mean | 125 | $100,272 | $13,712 | $1,072 | $4,472 | $119,528 | |||||||
*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.