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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
Owner/Partner salary and compensation by:
| Region in which located | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 33 | $153,152 | $43,788 | $28,697 | $11,061 | $236,697 | |||||||
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 33 | $156,485 | $38,727 | $43,242 | $9,889 | $248,344 | |||||||
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 42 | $110,119 | $24,833 | $34,024 | $17,405 | $186,381 | |||||||
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 19 | $115,789 | $17,368 | $11,579 | $3,000 | $147,737 | |||||||
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 41 | $146,854 | $26,390 | $27,976 | $7,341 | $208,561 | |||||||
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | 6 | $112,833 | $98,667 | $10,000 | $3,333 | $224,833 | |||||||
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | 14 | $101,786 | $7,929 | $21,429 | $2,214 | $133,357 | |||||||
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | 16 | $125,875 | $20,188 | $53,625 | $14,875 | $214,563 | |||||||
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 60 | $124,017 | $28,183 | $33,750 | $10,000 | $195,950 | |||||||
| Canada | 19 | $122,105 | $22,842 | $28,000 | $12,053 | $185,000 | |||||||
| Mexico | 3 | $38,333 | $14,667 | $0 | $1,000 | $54,000 | |||||||
| Central and South America | 7 | $65,143 | $2,714 | $2,857 | $5,286 | $76,000 | |||||||
| Eastern Europe | 13 | $44,308 | $13,462 | $10,231 | $3,077 | $71,077 | |||||||
| Western Europe | 19 | $76,684 | $5,842 | $15,526 | $2,684 | $100,737 | |||||||
| Asia | 8 | $48,125 | $19,500 | $2,625 | $1,750 | $72,000 | |||||||
| Middle East | 3 | $46,667 | $6,000 | $0 | $25,667 | $78,333 | |||||||
| Africa | 1 | $63,000 | $0 | $0 | $3,000 | $66,000 | |||||||
| Australia/New Zealand | 8 | $144,500 | $8,750 | $10,000 | $16,625 | $179,875 | |||||||
| Mean | 345 | $119,678 | $25,861 | $27,519 | $9,439 | $182,497 | |||||||
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < $1 Million US dollars | 192 | $91,984 | $9,302 | $18,568 | $4,964 | $124,818 | |||||||
| $1M - $3M | 82 | $134,085 | $24,780 | $25,634 | $10,793 | $195,293 | |||||||
| $3M - $6M | 24 | $131,750 | $87,292 | $65,625 | $18,556 | $303,223 | |||||||
| $6M - $10M | 12 | $161,167 | $91,667 | $55,917 | $30,167 | $338,917 | |||||||
| $10M - $50M | 24 | $248,000 | $70,000 | $51,292 | $23,333 | $392,625 | |||||||
| $50M - $100M | 1 | $200,000 | $50,000 | $0 | $0 | $250,000 | |||||||
| $100M - $300M | 6 | $152,500 | $28,167 | $58,333 | $4,167 | $243,167 | |||||||
| $300M - $500M | 2 | $145,000 | $5,000 | $0 | $500 | $150,500 | |||||||
| $500M - $1 Billion | 1 | $120,000 | $0 | $0 | $25,000 | $145,000 | |||||||
| >$1 Billion US dollars | 1 | $60,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $60,000 | |||||||
| Mean | 345 | $119,678 | $25,861 | $27,519 | $9,439 | $182,497 | |||||||
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| 0 | 22 | $91,636 | $3,182 | $29,636 | $909 | $125,364 | |||||||
| 1 - 2 | 151 | $101,980 | $12,589 | $19,272 | $5,956 | $139,797 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 62 | $116,887 | $20,371 | $28,435 | $8,355 | $174,048 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 32 | $120,031 | $46,594 | $42,594 | $7,688 | $216,906 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | 15 | $126,667 | $31,400 | $11,333 | $10,933 | $180,333 | |||||||
| 16 - 25 | 15 | $141,333 | $76,467 | $42,600 | $25,067 | $285,467 | |||||||
| >25 | 47 | $183,957 | $52,319 | $42,489 | $21,979 | $300,745 | |||||||
| Mean | 344 | $119,677 | $25,587 | $27,599 | $9,466 | $182,330 | |||||||
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 1 year | |||||||||||||
| 1 - 2 | 1 | $215,000 | $75,000 | $0 | $6,000 | $296,000 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 1 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 12 | $61,750 | $250 | $8,750 | $1,417 | $72,167 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | 38 | $107,395 | $8,421 | $23,711 | $6,974 | $146,500 | |||||||
| 16 - 25 | 131 | $119,542 | $31,878 | $21,374 | $10,023 | $182,817 | |||||||
| >25 | 162 | $127,111 | $26,840 | $35,111 | $10,218 | $199,280 | |||||||
| Mean | 345 | $119,678 | $25,861 | $27,519 | $9,439 | $182,497 | |||||||
| Years at current job | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 1 year | 9 | $108,667 | $556 | $0 | $444 | $109,667 | |||||||
| 1 - 2 | 13 | $112,308 | $19,308 | $42,308 | $4,308 | $178,231 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 45 | $82,844 | $11,578 | $27,333 | $7,356 | $129,111 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 79 | $121,253 | $29,772 | $31,975 | $6,228 | $189,228 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | 63 | $134,095 | $31,730 | $18,524 | $6,635 | $190,984 | |||||||
| 16 - 25 | 82 | $117,317 | $32,341 | $32,232 | $12,516 | $194,407 | |||||||
| >25 | 53 | $140,434 | $20,981 | $26,000 | $17,509 | $204,925 | |||||||
| Mean | 344 | $119,930 | $25,849 | $27,599 | $9,463 | $182,841 | |||||||
| Number of employees supervised | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| 0 (None) | 97 | $100,515 | $8,485 | $17,907 | $3,340 | $130,247 | |||||||
| 1 - 2 | 94 | $110,170 | $22,511 | $30,234 | $7,695 | $170,610 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 63 | $124,095 | $24,365 | $40,063 | $9,143 | $197,667 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 31 | $149,097 | $59,194 | $22,742 | $12,258 | $243,290 | |||||||
| > 10 | 60 | $145,717 | $43,550 | $28,100 | $20,883 | $238,250 | |||||||
| Mean | 345 | $119,678 | $25,861 | $27,519 | $9,439 | $182,497 | |||||||
| Highest degree achieved | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| High-school graduate | 11 | $100,818 | $12,727 | $53,727 | $14,182 | $181,455 | |||||||
| College graduate | 130 | $126,100 | $24,431 | $25,438 | $8,654 | $184,623 | |||||||
| Masters program graduate | 165 | $110,042 | $24,788 | $25,994 | $9,970 | $170,794 | |||||||
| Ph.D. graduate | 39 | $144,359 | $38,872 | $33,513 | $8,471 | $225,214 | |||||||
| Mean | 345 | $119,678 | $25,861 | $27,519 | $9,439 | $182,497 | |||||||
| Gender | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| Male | 197 | $127,442 | $31,228 | $35,893 | $10,469 | $205,032 | |||||||
| Female | 148 | $109,345 | $18,716 | $16,372 | $8,068 | $152,500 | |||||||
| Mean | 345 | $119,678 | $25,861 | $27,519 | $9,439 | $182,497 | |||||||
| Age | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 25 | |||||||||||||
| 25 - 30 | |||||||||||||
| 31 - 35 | 8 | $91,375 | $13,000 | $625 | $1,000 | $106,000 | |||||||
| 36 - 45 | 67 | $96,836 | $18,836 | $23,716 | $8,627 | $148,015 | |||||||
| 46 - 55 | 125 | $130,184 | $25,816 | $32,272 | $8,176 | $196,448 | |||||||
| 56 - 65 | 116 | $120,474 | $30,129 | $25,983 | $11,776 | $188,362 | |||||||
| 66+ | 29 | $131,793 | $28,759 | $29,379 | $9,736 | $199,667 | |||||||
| Mean | 345 | $119,678 | $25,861 | $27,519 | $9,439 | $182,497 | |||||||
*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.