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 project director/manager salary by:
| Region in which located | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 7 | $77,571 | $5,571 | $1,000 | $429 | $84,571 | |||||||
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 15 | $80,733 | $4,333 | $67 | $400 | $85,533 | |||||||
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 17 | $65,176 | $2,176 | $471 | $4,294 | $72,118 | |||||||
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 15 | $65,000 | $6,467 | $267 | $0 | $71,733 | |||||||
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 15 | $71,467 | $1,067 | $667 | $0 | $73,200 | |||||||
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | |||||||||||||
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | 6 | $73,000 | $3,833 | $0 | $14,333 | $91,167 | |||||||
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | 4 | $64,750 | $7,000 | $0 | $1,250 | $73,000 | |||||||
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 10 | $72,100 | $3,100 | $200 | $1,100 | $76,500 | |||||||
| Canada | 6 | $48,167 | $2,167 | $0 | $0 | $50,333 | |||||||
| Mexico | 1 | $22,000 | $2,000 | $0 | $2,000 | $26,000 | |||||||
| Central and South America | 1 | $1,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $1,000 | |||||||
| Eastern Europe | 3 | $13,333 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $13,333 | |||||||
| Western Europe | 5 | $54,200 | $2,400 | $0 | $1,400 | $58,000 | |||||||
| Asia | 4 | $15,500 | $1,000 | $0 | $250 | $16,750 | |||||||
| Middle East | 2 | $29,000 | $2,000 | $0 | $0 | $31,000 | |||||||
| Africa | |||||||||||||
| Australia/New Zealand | 4 | $69,750 | $3,500 | $0 | $0 | $73,250 | |||||||
| Mean | 115 | $63,904 | $3,348 | $278 | $1,687 | $69,217 | |||||||
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < $1 Million US dollars | 10 | $28,100 | $900 | $0 | $200 | $29,200 | |||||||
| $1M - $3M | 17 | $56,588 | $1,941 | $882 | $706 | $60,118 | |||||||
| $3M - $6M | 12 | $63,917 | $3,667 | $0 | $583 | $68,167 | |||||||
| $6M - $10M | 10 | $67,800 | $5,300 | $0 | $7,400 | $80,500 | |||||||
| $10M - $50M | 24 | $74,792 | $3,375 | $292 | $3,917 | $82,375 | |||||||
| $50M - $100M | 8 | $61,375 | $875 | $125 | $375 | $62,750 | |||||||
| $100M - $300M | 7 | $69,857 | $11,714 | $857 | $0 | $82,429 | |||||||
| $300M - $500M | 4 | $71,750 | $6,500 | $0 | $250 | $78,500 | |||||||
| $500M - $1 Billion | 4 | $69,500 | $2,500 | $250 | $0 | $72,250 | |||||||
| >$1 Billion US dollars | 8 | $72,125 | $2,750 | $0 | $125 | $75,000 | |||||||
| Mean | 104 | $63,510 | $3,529 | $288 | $1,865 | $69,192 | |||||||
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| 0 | |||||||||||||
| 1 - 2 | 3 | $54,667 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $54,667 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 9 | $54,444 | $2,222 | $1,778 | $222 | $58,667 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 10 | $55,200 | $1,300 | $0 | $1,200 | $57,700 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | 9 | $66,111 | $6,889 | $0 | $8,000 | $81,000 | |||||||
| 16 - 25 | 10 | $60,000 | $2,800 | $0 | $8,500 | $71,300 | |||||||
| >25 | 74 | $66,865 | $3,541 | $216 | $311 | $70,932 | |||||||
| Mean | 115 | $63,904 | $3,348 | $278 | $1,687 | $69,217 | |||||||
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 1 year | |||||||||||||
| 1 - 2 | 11 | $47,455 | $818 | $0 | $818 | $49,091 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 36 | $54,167 | $2,028 | $83 | $83 | $56,361 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 30 | $72,500 | $4,467 | $333 | $3,633 | $80,933 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | 17 | $65,529 | $7,824 | $765 | $4,235 | $78,353 | |||||||
| 16 - 25 | 13 | $78,769 | $2,615 | $462 | $77 | $81,923 | |||||||
| >25 | 8 | $70,500 | $250 | $0 | $0 | $70,750 | |||||||
| Mean | 115 | $63,904 | $3,348 | $278 | $1,687 | $69,217 | |||||||
| Years at current job | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 1 year | 22 | $63,727 | $3,636 | $45 | $273 | $67,682 | |||||||
| 1 - 2 | 39 | $61,333 | $1,744 | $51 | $487 | $63,615 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 36 | $62,611 | $2,861 | $583 | $2,722 | $68,778 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 13 | $68,846 | $9,385 | $231 | $308 | $78,769 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | 4 | $79,750 | $3,000 | $0 | $16,750 | $99,500 | |||||||
| 16 - 25 | 1 | $87,000 | $0 | $5,000 | $0 | $92,000 | |||||||
| >25 | |||||||||||||
| Mean | 115 | $63,904 | $3,348 | $278 | $1,687 | $69,217 | |||||||
| Number of employees supervised | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| 0 (None) | 63 | $62,683 | $3,540 | $222 | $95 | $66,540 | |||||||
| 1 - 2 | 34 | $67,265 | $3,000 | $235 | $500 | $71,000 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 14 | $59,286 | $3,071 | $714 | $11,786 | $74,857 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 3 | $90,333 | $5,667 | $0 | $2,000 | $98,000 | |||||||
| > 10 | 1 | $12,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $12,000 | |||||||
| Mean | 115 | $63,904 | $3,348 | $278 | $1,687 | $69,217 | |||||||
| Highest degree achieved | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| High-school graduate | 4 | $47,250 | $0 | $2,500 | $0 | $49,750 | |||||||
| College graduate | 65 | $63,800 | $2,985 | $292 | $2,677 | $69,754 | |||||||
| Masters program graduate | 45 | $65,178 | $4,244 | $67 | $444 | $69,933 | |||||||
| Ph.D. graduate | 1 | $80,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $80,000 | |||||||
| Mean | 115 | $63,904 | $3,348 | $278 | $1,687 | $69,217 | |||||||
| Gender | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| Male | 48 | $63,604 | $3,625 | $167 | $3,604 | $71,000 | |||||||
| Female | 67 | $64,119 | $3,149 | $358 | $313 | $67,940 | |||||||
| Mean | 115 | $63,904 | $3,348 | $278 | $1,687 | $69,217 | |||||||
| Age | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 25 | 3 | $44,667 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $44,667 | |||||||
| 25 - 30 | 40 | $58,450 | $2,600 | $75 | $325 | $61,450 | |||||||
| 31 - 35 | 30 | $66,067 | $3,700 | $333 | $3,533 | $73,633 | |||||||
| 36 - 45 | 27 | $65,852 | $3,000 | $407 | $2,778 | $72,037 | |||||||
| 46 - 55 | 11 | $75,545 | $8,091 | $727 | $0 | $84,364 | |||||||
| 56 - 65 | 4 | $71,500 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $71,500 | |||||||
| 66+ | |||||||||||||
*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.