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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
Market research director/Senior director salary by:
| Industry | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| Advertising/Public Relations | 12 | $106,833 | $3,500 | $833 | $1,083 | $112,250 | |||||||
| Agriculture | 1 | $169,000 | $50,000 | $0 | $0 | $219,000 | |||||||
| Automotive | 4 | $192,000 | $43,750 | $36,500 | $7,750 | $280,000 | |||||||
| Banking/Financial | 14 | $136,714 | $31,643 | $3,643 | $4,143 | $176,143 | |||||||
| Building Materials/Products | |||||||||||||
| Computer Hardware/Software | 1 | $168,000 | $9,000 | $0 | $0 | $177,000 | |||||||
| Construction/Housing | 1 | $180,000 | $33,000 | $30,000 | $2,000 | $245,000 | |||||||
| Consulting | 7 | $131,857 | $11,143 | $4,714 | $1,571 | $149,286 | |||||||
| Consumer Goods | 21 | $153,095 | $35,333 | $15,000 | $2,095 | $205,524 | |||||||
| Education | 7 | $107,857 | $8,857 | $5,429 | $1,571 | $123,714 | |||||||
| Entertainment | 6 | $158,667 | $32,667 | $15,333 | $2,000 | $208,667 | |||||||
| Food/Beverage | 4 | $166,000 | $16,750 | $0 | $1,500 | $184,250 | |||||||
| Government | 1 | $70,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $70,000 | |||||||
| Health Care/Pharmaceuticals | 30 | $157,300 | $30,433 | $12,100 | $2,167 | $202,000 | |||||||
| Hospitality (hotels, etc.) | 3 | $123,667 | $9,000 | $5,667 | $0 | $138,333 | |||||||
| Insurance | 11 | $136,182 | $20,909 | $2,364 | $3,455 | $162,909 | |||||||
| Manufacturing | 8 | $143,375 | $16,375 | $5,125 | $250 | $165,125 | |||||||
| Media/Publishing/Information | 19 | $113,474 | $11,000 | $3,211 | $632 | $128,316 | |||||||
| Non-Profits | 14 | $112,714 | $7,071 | $357 | $357 | $120,500 | |||||||
| Retail | 2 | $215,000 | $12,000 | $60,000 | $120,000 | $407,000 | |||||||
| Technology/IT/Web | 10 | $167,000 | $17,900 | $31,900 | $6,200 | $223,000 | |||||||
| Telecommunications | 5 | $143,800 | $21,800 | $2,400 | $40,000 | $208,000 | |||||||
| Transportation | 1 | $107,000 | $5,000 | $25,000 | $0 | $137,000 | |||||||
| Travel | 2 | $125,500 | $0 | $20,000 | $0 | $145,500 | |||||||
| Utilities/Energy | 3 | $149,333 | $25,667 | $0 | $333 | $175,333 | |||||||
| Other | 7 | $135,714 | $12,000 | $3,714 | $20,857 | $172,286 | |||||||
| Mean | 194 | $139,711 | $20,536 | $9,124 | $4,943 | $174,314 | |||||||
| Region in which located | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 25 | $145,720 | $17,280 | $4,560 | $1,600 | $169,160 | |||||||
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 35 | $147,886 | $21,543 | $9,143 | $7,457 | $186,029 | |||||||
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 38 | $145,237 | $27,342 | $11,553 | $1,553 | $185,684 | |||||||
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 10 | $133,000 | $18,700 | $4,500 | $100 | $156,300 | |||||||
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 32 | $126,125 | $21,906 | $5,781 | $1,500 | $155,313 | |||||||
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | 1 | $152,000 | $5,000 | $0 | $0 | $157,000 | |||||||
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | 7 | $124,286 | $16,000 | $5,000 | $1,000 | $146,286 | |||||||
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | 9 | $129,111 | $17,000 | $5,333 | $3,333 | $154,778 | |||||||
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 26 | $162,192 | $18,808 | $20,269 | $12,885 | $214,154 | |||||||
| Canada | 4 | $79,500 | $13,250 | $750 | $2,000 | $95,500 | |||||||
| Mexico | 1 | $40,000 | $10,000 | $5,000 | $30,000 | $85,000 | |||||||
| Central and South America | 1 | $88,000 | $0 | $0 | $1,000 | $89,000 | |||||||
| Eastern Europe | 1 | $35,000 | $3,000 | $0 | $3,000 | $41,000 | |||||||
| Western Europe | 3 | $134,667 | $9,333 | $16,333 | $45,333 | $205,667 | |||||||
| Asia | 1 | $114,000 | $18,000 | $0 | $0 | $132,000 | |||||||
| Middle East | |||||||||||||
| Africa | |||||||||||||
| Australia/New Zealand | |||||||||||||
| Mean | 194 | $139,711 | $20,536 | $9,124 | $4,943 | $174,314 | |||||||
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < $1 Million US dollars | 3 | $80,333 | $3,333 | $3,333 | $0 | $87,000 | |||||||
| $1M - $3M | 4 | $116,500 | $5,000 | $250 | $250 | $122,000 | |||||||
| $3M - $6M | 3 | $121,667 | $16,333 | $4,333 | $0 | $142,333 | |||||||
| $6M - $10M | 6 | $111,333 | $4,167 | $333 | $167 | $116,000 | |||||||
| $10M - $50M | 19 | $114,368 | $7,842 | $2,105 | $1,789 | $126,105 | |||||||
| $50M - $100M | 9 | $117,556 | $6,778 | $667 | $3,556 | $128,556 | |||||||
| $100M - $300M | 19 | $138,421 | $12,737 | $5,211 | $684 | $157,053 | |||||||
| $300M - $500M | 6 | $135,000 | $8,000 | $833 | $1,833 | $145,667 | |||||||
| $500M - $1 Billion | 23 | $133,174 | $18,957 | $6,783 | $1,130 | $160,043 | |||||||
| >$1 Billion US dollars | 95 | $155,526 | $30,221 | $15,137 | $8,758 | $209,642 | |||||||
| Mean | 187 | $140,369 | $20,914 | $9,465 | $5,080 | $175,829 | |||||||
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| 0 | |||||||||||||
| 1 - 2 | 54 | $117,815 | $10,648 | $3,074 | $3,259 | $134,796 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 48 | $143,813 | $19,208 | $4,542 | $1,438 | $169,000 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 32 | $137,188 | $20,500 | $7,156 | $7,188 | $172,031 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | 16 | $138,938 | $16,688 | $2,188 | $3,000 | $160,813 | |||||||
| 16 - 25 | 9 | $143,222 | $23,556 | $11,889 | $4,000 | $182,667 | |||||||
| >25 | 35 | $169,629 | $38,629 | $29,000 | $11,429 | $248,686 | |||||||
| Mean | 194 | $139,711 | $20,536 | $9,124 | $4,943 | $174,314 | |||||||
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 1 year | |||||||||||||
| 1 - 2 | 1 | $75,000 | $15,000 | $0 | $0 | $90,000 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 3 | $109,000 | $8,667 | $6,667 | $0 | $124,333 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 13 | $135,000 | $18,385 | $5,462 | $2,308 | $161,154 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | 34 | $130,500 | $13,441 | $4,529 | $5,500 | $153,971 | |||||||
| 16 - 25 | 77 | $139,740 | $23,623 | $12,455 | $2,532 | $178,351 | |||||||
| >25 | 66 | $147,727 | $21,636 | $8,576 | $8,288 | $186,227 | |||||||
| Mean | 194 | $139,711 | $20,536 | $9,124 | $4,943 | $174,314 | |||||||
| Years at current job | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 1 year | 26 | $141,769 | $16,308 | $10,231 | $3,654 | $171,962 | |||||||
| 1 - 2 | 46 | $148,022 | $24,630 | $11,891 | $6,109 | $190,652 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 59 | $132,644 | $18,407 | $8,000 | $1,424 | $160,475 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 36 | $146,056 | $28,250 | $13,278 | $3,972 | $191,556 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | 12 | $129,000 | $14,500 | $167 | $12,333 | $156,000 | |||||||
| 16 - 25 | 10 | $136,400 | $10,900 | $0 | $20,800 | $168,100 | |||||||
| >25 | 4 | $127,000 | $7,250 | $250 | $0 | $134,500 | |||||||
| Mean | 193 | $139,891 | $20,580 | $9,150 | $4,969 | $174,591 | |||||||
| Number of employees supervised | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| 0 (None) | 46 | $131,109 | $15,891 | $4,304 | $2,826 | $154,130 | |||||||
| 1 - 2 | 65 | $129,554 | $15,200 | $4,492 | $6,185 | $155,431 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 54 | $142,611 | $22,111 | $11,167 | $2,056 | $177,944 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 17 | $173,235 | $43,941 | $21,294 | $17,059 | $255,529 | |||||||
| > 10 | 11 | $172,818 | $28,364 | $28,273 | $2,364 | $231,818 | |||||||
| Mean | 193 | $139,891 | $20,580 | $9,150 | $4,969 | $174,591 | |||||||
| Highest degree achieved | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| High-school graduate | 2 | $138,000 | $16,500 | $0 | $0 | $154,500 | |||||||
| College graduate | 64 | $129,891 | $15,656 | $5,969 | $4,188 | $155,703 | |||||||
| Masters program graduate | 118 | $145,110 | $23,119 | $11,492 | $5,686 | $185,407 | |||||||
| Ph.D. graduate | 10 | $139,200 | $22,100 | $3,200 | $2,000 | $166,500 | |||||||
| Mean | 194 | $139,711 | $20,536 | $9,124 | $4,943 | $174,314 | |||||||
| Gender | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| Male | 77 | $137,805 | $22,623 | $8,390 | $1,662 | $170,481 | |||||||
| Female | 117 | $140,966 | $19,162 | $9,607 | $7,103 | $176,838 | |||||||
| Mean | 194 | $139,711 | $20,536 | $9,124 | $4,943 | $174,314 | |||||||
| Age | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 25 | |||||||||||||
| 25 - 30 | 4 | $89,000 | $5,000 | $1,750 | $1,000 | $96,750 | |||||||
| 31 - 35 | 10 | $114,000 | $12,500 | $6,900 | $2,600 | $136,000 | |||||||
| 36 - 45 | 58 | $132,310 | $14,034 | $8,741 | $4,172 | $159,259 | |||||||
| 46 - 55 | 70 | $145,586 | $24,700 | $10,943 | $8,429 | $189,657 | |||||||
| 56 - 65 | 46 | $149,152 | $24,630 | $8,326 | $1,891 | $184,000 | |||||||
| 66+ | 6 | $147,000 | $27,167 | $6,333 | $1,667 | $182,167 | |||||||
| Mean | 194 | $139,711 | $20,536 | $9,124 | $4,943 | $174,314 | |||||||
*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.