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
Research sales director salary by:
| Region in which located | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 3 | $128,333 | $22,000 | $0 | $667 | $151,000 | |||||||
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 6 | $96,167 | $28,833 | $1,667 | $1,667 | $128,333 | |||||||
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 3 | $116,000 | $19,000 | $0 | $0 | $135,000 | |||||||
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 1 | $100,000 | $45,000 | $0 | $0 | $145,000 | |||||||
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 4 | $110,750 | $43,750 | $0 | $1,000 | $155,500 | |||||||
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | |||||||||||||
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | |||||||||||||
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | 3 | $71,000 | $8,000 | $0 | $0 | $79,000 | |||||||
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 2 | $152,000 | $16,000 | $0 | $6,000 | $174,000 | |||||||
| Canada | 1 | $71,000 | $1,000 | $63,000 | $1,000 | $136,000 | |||||||
| Mexico | |||||||||||||
| Central and South America | 1 | $101,000 | $0 | $0 | $6,000 | $107,000 | |||||||
| Eastern Europe | |||||||||||||
| Western Europe | 3 | $82,667 | $24,333 | $0 | $3,000 | $110,000 | |||||||
| Asia | 3 | $41,667 | $10,667 | $333 | $0 | $52,667 | |||||||
| Middle East | |||||||||||||
| Africa | |||||||||||||
| Australia/New Zealand | |||||||||||||
| Mean | 30 | $97,167 | $22,600 | $2,467 | $1,467 | $123,700 | |||||||
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < $1 Million US dollars | 1 | $33,000 | $15,000 | $0 | $0 | $48,000 | |||||||
| $1M - $3M | 3 | $53,333 | $4,667 | $333 | $2,000 | $60,333 | |||||||
| $3M - $6M | 7 | $92,286 | $23,000 | $0 | $1,143 | $116,429 | |||||||
| $6M - $10M | 1 | $70,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $70,000 | |||||||
| $10M - $50M | 6 | $113,000 | $27,333 | $0 | $1,167 | $141,500 | |||||||
| $50M - $100M | 5 | $117,800 | $27,200 | $0 | $400 | $145,400 | |||||||
| $100M - $300M | 2 | $76,000 | $8,000 | $31,500 | $500 | $116,000 | |||||||
| $300M - $500M | 3 | $117,000 | $30,667 | $0 | $3,000 | $150,667 | |||||||
| $500M - $1 Billion | 2 | $118,000 | $40,000 | $5,000 | $5,500 | $168,500 | |||||||
| >$1 Billion US dollars | |||||||||||||
| Mean | 30 | $97,167 | $22,600 | $2,467 | $1,467 | $123,700 | |||||||
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| 0 | |||||||||||||
| 1 - 2 | |||||||||||||
| 3 - 5 | |||||||||||||
| 6 - 10 | 1 | $11,000 | $2,000 | $1,000 | $0 | $14,000 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | 7 | $90,857 | $23,857 | $0 | $1,714 | $116,429 | |||||||
| 16 - 25 | 2 | $90,000 | $28,500 | $0 | $4,000 | $122,500 | |||||||
| >25 | 20 | $104,400 | $22,600 | $3,650 | $1,200 | $131,850 | |||||||
| Mean | 30 | $97,167 | $22,600 | $2,467 | $1,467 | $123,700 | |||||||
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 1 year | |||||||||||||
| 1 - 2 | |||||||||||||
| 3 - 5 | 2 | $48,000 | $23,500 | $500 | $4,000 | $76,000 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 10 | $93,700 | $26,600 | $0 | $2,300 | $122,600 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | 8 | $96,750 | $21,625 | $7,875 | $1,375 | $127,625 | |||||||
| 16 - 25 | 9 | $112,556 | $20,000 | $1,111 | $222 | $133,889 | |||||||
| >25 | 1 | $95,000 | $12,000 | $0 | $0 | $107,000 | |||||||
| Mean | 30 | $97,167 | $22,600 | $2,467 | $1,467 | $123,700 | |||||||
| Years at current job | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 1 year | 4 | $78,000 | $19,750 | $250 | $500 | $98,500 | |||||||
| 1 - 2 | 11 | $119,455 | $22,455 | $0 | $2,818 | $144,727 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 11 | $89,545 | $16,818 | $5,727 | $455 | $112,545 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 3 | $72,667 | $29,000 | $0 | $1,667 | $103,333 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | |||||||||||||
| 16 - 25 | 1 | $86,000 | $80,000 | $10,000 | $1,000 | $177,000 | |||||||
| >25 | |||||||||||||
| Mean | 30 | $97,167 | $22,600 | $2,467 | $1,467 | $123,700 | |||||||
| Number of employees supervised | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| 0 (None) | 15 | $99,200 | $28,133 | $4,867 | $667 | $132,867 | |||||||
| 1 - 2 | 6 | $77,500 | $19,167 | $0 | $1,500 | $98,167 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 5 | $106,600 | $8,200 | $200 | $2,400 | $117,400 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 2 | $116,000 | $46,000 | $0 | $3,500 | $165,500 | |||||||
| > 10 | 2 | $98,500 | $4,000 | $0 | $3,000 | $105,500 | |||||||
| Mean | 30 | $97,167 | $22,600 | $2,467 | $1,467 | $123,700 | |||||||
| Highest degree achieved | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| High-school graduate | 2 | $76,000 | $500 | $31,500 | $500 | $108,500 | |||||||
| College graduate | 17 | $101,353 | $28,235 | $588 | $1,647 | $131,824 | |||||||
| Masters program graduate | 11 | $94,545 | $17,909 | $91 | $1,364 | $113,909 | |||||||
| Ph.D. graduate | |||||||||||||
| Mean | 30 | $97,167 | $22,600 | $2,467 | $1,467 | $123,700 | |||||||
| Gender | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| Male | 20 | $95,050 | $26,700 | $50 | $1,200 | $123,000 | |||||||
| Female | 10 | $101,400 | $14,400 | $7,300 | $2,000 | $125,100 | |||||||
| Mean | 30 | $97,167 | $22,600 | $2,467 | $1,467 | $123,700 | |||||||
| Age | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 25 | |||||||||||||
| 25 - 30 | 2 | $62,000 | $3,500 | $500 | $0 | $66,000 | |||||||
| 31 - 35 | 6 | $98,833 | $30,333 | $0 | $2,833 | $132,000 | |||||||
| 36 - 45 | 15 | $97,933 | $21,000 | $4,867 | $1,667 | $125,467 | |||||||
| 46 - 55 | 4 | $123,500 | $17,000 | $0 | $500 | $141,000 | |||||||
| 56 - 65 | 3 | $78,333 | $35,333 | $0 | $0 | $113,667 | |||||||
| 66+ | |||||||||||||
| Mean | 30 | $97,167 | $22,600 | $2,467 | $1,467 | $123,700 | |||||||
*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.