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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
Salary by:
| Industry | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| Advertising/Public Relations | 4 | $83,250 | $4,250 | $0 | $0 | $87,500 | |||||||
| Agriculture | |||||||||||||
| Automotive | 1 | $145,000 | $2,000 | $1,000 | $25,000 | $173,000 | |||||||
| Banking/Financial | 2 | $111,000 | $11,000 | $3,000 | $4,000 | $129,000 | |||||||
| Building Materials/Products | 1 | $44,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $44,000 | |||||||
| Computer Hardware/Software | 1 | $205,000 | $20,000 | $55,000 | $0 | $280,000 | |||||||
| Construction/Housing | |||||||||||||
| Consulting | 2 | $110,500 | $2,000 | $1,000 | $0 | $113,500 | |||||||
| Consumer Goods | 5 | $92,200 | $10,600 | $2,200 | $20,800 | $125,800 | |||||||
| Education | 2 | $85,000 | $0 | $0 | $41,500 | $126,500 | |||||||
| Entertainment | |||||||||||||
| Food/Beverage | |||||||||||||
| Government | |||||||||||||
| Health Care/Pharmaceuticals | 4 | $104,000 | $16,750 | $25,000 | $1,000 | $146,750 | |||||||
| Hospitality (hotels, etc.) | |||||||||||||
| Insurance | 2 | $73,000 | $6,000 | $0 | $0 | $79,000 | |||||||
| Manufacturing | 2 | $46,500 | $1,500 | $0 | $0 | $48,000 | |||||||
| Media/Publishing/Information | 1 | $142,000 | $13,000 | $0 | $2,000 | $157,000 | |||||||
| Non-Profits | 1 | $52,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $52,000 | |||||||
| Retail | |||||||||||||
| Technology/IT/Web | 4 | $105,250 | $6,250 | $3,000 | $1,750 | $116,250 | |||||||
| Telecommunications | 2 | $106,500 | $50,000 | $6,500 | $3,000 | $166,000 | |||||||
| Transportation | |||||||||||||
| Travel | 1 | $124,000 | $16,000 | $0 | $8,000 | $148,000 | |||||||
| Utilities/Energy | 2 | $69,500 | $8,000 | $0 | $0 | $77,500 | |||||||
| Other | 5 | $116,600 | $16,200 | $40,000 | $1,200 | $174,000 | |||||||
| Mean | 42 | $98,333 | $10,738 | $9,524 | $6,024 | $124,619 | |||||||
| Region in which located | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 5 | $144,000 | $20,400 | $51,000 | $1,600 | $217,000 | |||||||
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 7 | $106,000 | $9,286 | $2,429 | $15,714 | $133,429 | |||||||
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 6 | $67,667 | $1,833 | $0 | $333 | $69,833 | |||||||
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 4 | $84,500 | $7,250 | $0 | $20,500 | $112,250 | |||||||
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 6 | $90,167 | $5,333 | $333 | $1,667 | $97,500 | |||||||
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | 1 | $88,000 | $2,000 | $0 | $0 | $90,000 | |||||||
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | 4 | $123,000 | $15,500 | $28,000 | $250 | $166,750 | |||||||
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | |||||||||||||
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 5 | $129,600 | $13,400 | $2,200 | $7,400 | $152,600 | |||||||
| Canada | 1 | $40,000 | $1,000 | $0 | $0 | $41,000 | |||||||
| Mexico | 1 | $80,000 | $80,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $166,000 | |||||||
| Central and South America | |||||||||||||
| Eastern Europe | |||||||||||||
| Western Europe | |||||||||||||
| Asia | 2 | $17,500 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $17,500 | |||||||
| Middle East | |||||||||||||
| Africa | |||||||||||||
| Australia/New Zealand | |||||||||||||
| Mean | 42 | $98,333 | $10,738 | $9,524 | $6,024 | $124,619 | |||||||
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < $1 Million US dollars | |||||||||||||
| $1M - $3M | 3 | $70,667 | $6,667 | $0 | $0 | $77,333 | |||||||
| $3M - $6M | 2 | $80,000 | $500 | $1,000 | $0 | $81,500 | |||||||
| $6M - $10M | 2 | $58,500 | $0 | $0 | $500 | $59,000 | |||||||
| $10M - $50M | 9 | $93,444 | $4,000 | $0 | $889 | $98,333 | |||||||
| $50M - $100M | 1 | $54,000 | $3,000 | $0 | $0 | $57,000 | |||||||
| $100M - $300M | 1 | $5,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $5,000 | |||||||
| $300M - $500M | |||||||||||||
| $500M - $1 Billion | 5 | $95,800 | $22,600 | $600 | $18,200 | $137,200 | |||||||
| >$1 Billion US dollars | 18 | $120,667 | $15,333 | $21,944 | $8,500 | $166,444 | |||||||
| Mean | 41 | $98,537 | $10,951 | $9,756 | $6,171 | $125,415 | |||||||
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| 0 | 3 | $69,667 | $4,667 | $0 | $1,667 | $76,000 | |||||||
| 1 - 2 | 14 | $90,571 | $3,500 | $4,071 | $6,286 | $104,429 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 8 | $101,000 | $21,250 | $13,000 | $3,625 | $138,875 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 5 | $97,400 | $11,600 | $0 | $1,400 | $110,400 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | 1 | $70,000 | $14,000 | $0 | $0 | $84,000 | |||||||
| 16 - 25 | 3 | $129,333 | $19,000 | $70,667 | $1,000 | $220,000 | |||||||
| >25 | 8 | $112,500 | $11,125 | $3,375 | $15,125 | $142,125 | |||||||
| Mean | 42 | $98,333 | $10,738 | $9,524 | $6,024 | $124,619 | |||||||
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 1 year | 4 | $52,500 | $3,250 | $3,000 | $0 | $58,750 | |||||||
| 1 - 2 | 6 | $64,333 | $1,833 | $0 | $167 | $66,333 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 7 | $84,000 | $4,143 | $0 | $12,429 | $100,571 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 4 | $126,250 | $17,500 | $4,250 | $27,500 | $175,500 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | 8 | $98,250 | $20,500 | $13,125 | $750 | $132,625 | |||||||
| 16 - 25 | 9 | $121,000 | $9,667 | $1,222 | $4,444 | $136,333 | |||||||
| >25 | 4 | $141,500 | $19,250 | $63,750 | $2,250 | $226,750 | |||||||
| Mean | 42 | $98,333 | $10,738 | $9,524 | $6,024 | $124,619 | |||||||
| Years at current job | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 1 year | 9 | $96,444 | $6,222 | $7,333 | $11,556 | $121,556 | |||||||
| 1 - 2 | 15 | $101,533 | $9,867 | $6,733 | $2,667 | $120,800 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 13 | $96,692 | $9,538 | $17,692 | $7,385 | $131,308 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 2 | $109,000 | $13,500 | $0 | $2,500 | $125,000 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | 3 | $88,000 | $32,000 | $1,000 | $2,667 | $123,667 | |||||||
| 16 - 25 | |||||||||||||
| >25 | |||||||||||||
| Mean | 42 | $98,333 | $10,738 | $9,524 | $6,024 | $124,619 | |||||||
| Number of employees supervised | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| 0 (None) | 27 | $88,593 | $6,185 | $3,111 | $7,111 | $105,000 | |||||||
| 1 - 2 | 7 | $143,571 | $15,000 | $14,429 | $6,143 | $179,143 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 6 | $104,500 | $27,833 | $33,833 | $3,000 | $169,167 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | |||||||||||||
| > 10 | 2 | $53,000 | $6,000 | $6,000 | $0 | $65,000 | |||||||
| Mean | 42 | $98,333 | $10,738 | $9,524 | $6,024 | $124,619 | |||||||
| Highest degree achieved | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| High-school graduate | 1 | $117,000 | $10,000 | $0 | $8,000 | $135,000 | |||||||
| College graduate | 21 | $84,381 | $6,143 | $810 | $1,857 | $93,190 | |||||||
| Masters program graduate | 13 | $96,077 | $9,308 | $17,308 | $8,231 | $130,923 | |||||||
| Ph.D. graduate | 7 | $141,714 | $27,286 | $22,571 | $14,143 | $205,714 | |||||||
| Mean | 42 | $98,333 | $10,738 | $9,524 | $6,024 | $124,619 | |||||||
| Gender | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| Male | 10 | $73,600 | $11,500 | $2,700 | $21,000 | $108,800 | |||||||
| Female | 32 | $106,063 | $10,500 | $11,656 | $1,344 | $129,563 | |||||||
| Mean | 42 | $98,333 | $10,738 | $9,524 | $6,024 | $124,619 | |||||||
| Age | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 25 | 1 | $52,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $52,000 | |||||||
| 25 - 30 | 7 | $52,714 | $286 | $0 | $143 | $53,143 | |||||||
| 31 - 35 | 6 | $95,667 | $9,833 | $2,833 | $16,833 | $125,167 | |||||||
| 36 - 45 | 9 | $104,556 | $11,778 | $12,444 | $9,889 | $138,667 | |||||||
| 46 - 55 | 13 | $126,769 | $12,154 | $20,615 | $3,769 | $163,308 | |||||||
| 56 - 65 | 6 | $91,000 | $21,000 | $500 | $2,167 | $114,667 | |||||||
| 66+ | |||||||||||||
| Mean | 42 | $98,333 | $10,738 | $9,524 | $6,024 | $124,619 | |||||||
*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.