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
Senior research project director/manager salary by:
| Region in which located | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 11 | $84,636 | $5,182 | $909 | $273 | $91,000 | |||||||
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 22 | $86,864 | $5,273 | $409 | $227 | $92,773 | |||||||
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 20 | $82,050 | $3,550 | $950 | $500 | $87,050 | |||||||
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 11 | $89,545 | $3,455 | $1,364 | $182 | $94,545 | |||||||
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 11 | $80,091 | $3,909 | $1,636 | $273 | $85,909 | |||||||
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | 3 | $80,000 | $4,667 | $1,667 | $0 | $86,333 | |||||||
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | 6 | $67,333 | $3,000 | $0 | $833 | $71,167 | |||||||
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | 8 | $81,625 | $5,500 | $0 | $12,500 | $99,625 | |||||||
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 13 | $93,308 | $5,385 | $538 | $923 | $100,154 | |||||||
| Canada | 5 | $68,000 | $4,600 | $600 | $1,400 | $74,600 | |||||||
| Mexico | |||||||||||||
| Central and South America | 2 | $18,500 | $1,500 | $0 | $0 | $20,000 | |||||||
| Eastern Europe | 3 | $29,667 | $1,667 | $1,333 | $333 | $33,000 | |||||||
| Western Europe | 2 | $68,000 | $6,000 | $0 | $500 | $74,500 | |||||||
| Asia | 8 | $74,000 | $4,500 | $1,000 | $0 | $79,500 | |||||||
| Middle East | 2 | $57,500 | $0 | $0 | $1,000 | $58,500 | |||||||
| Africa | |||||||||||||
| Australia/New Zealand | 5 | $98,000 | $2,600 | $0 | $2,000 | $102,600 | |||||||
| Mean | 132 | $80,742 | $4,265 | $742 | $1,220 | $86,970 | |||||||
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < $1 Million US dollars | 10 | $72,900 | $800 | $0 | $200 | $73,900 | |||||||
| $1M - $3M | 14 | $69,214 | $3,214 | $0 | $429 | $72,857 | |||||||
| $3M - $6M | 16 | $75,750 | $2,688 | $250 | $250 | $78,938 | |||||||
| $6M - $10M | 16 | $71,188 | $5,000 | $1,125 | $6,625 | $83,938 | |||||||
| $10M - $50M | 26 | $85,077 | $4,115 | $846 | $346 | $90,385 | |||||||
| $50M - $100M | 15 | $89,333 | $7,000 | $1,000 | $800 | $98,133 | |||||||
| $100M - $300M | 14 | $91,286 | $5,143 | $1,357 | $714 | $98,500 | |||||||
| $300M - $500M | 7 | $98,429 | $9,286 | $2,571 | $1,714 | $112,000 | |||||||
| $500M - $1 Billion | 4 | $74,500 | $3,000 | $0 | $0 | $77,500 | |||||||
| >$1 Billion US dollars | 5 | $88,200 | $4,800 | $0 | $0 | $93,000 | |||||||
| Mean | 127 | $81,157 | $4,417 | $756 | $1,268 | $87,598 | |||||||
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| 0 | 1 | $75,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $75,000 | |||||||
| 1 - 2 | 3 | $70,000 | $2,333 | $0 | $333 | $72,667 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 8 | $82,000 | $3,250 | $750 | $625 | $86,625 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 12 | $71,417 | $2,333 | $250 | $250 | $74,250 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | 8 | $76,000 | $2,375 | $500 | $125 | $79,000 | |||||||
| 16 - 25 | 15 | $69,400 | $5,267 | $533 | $67 | $75,267 | |||||||
| >25 | 84 | $85,012 | $4,810 | $917 | $1,774 | $92,512 | |||||||
| Mean | 131 | $80,824 | $4,298 | $748 | $1,221 | $87,092 | |||||||
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 1 year | |||||||||||||
| 1 - 2 | |||||||||||||
| 3 - 5 | 10 | $72,000 | $3,100 | $400 | $300 | $75,800 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 37 | $72,432 | $3,838 | $865 | $189 | $77,324 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | 38 | $84,632 | $5,211 | $1,132 | $658 | $91,632 | |||||||
| 16 - 25 | 27 | $86,852 | $4,593 | $222 | $481 | $92,148 | |||||||
| >25 | 20 | $84,850 | $3,400 | $650 | $5,650 | $94,550 | |||||||
| Mean | 132 | $80,742 | $4,265 | $742 | $1,220 | $86,970 | |||||||
| Years at current job | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 1 year | 24 | $86,167 | $3,250 | $1,208 | $167 | $90,792 | |||||||
| 1 - 2 | 29 | $85,000 | $5,241 | $1,310 | $517 | $92,069 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 37 | $77,216 | $3,757 | $432 | $459 | $81,865 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 24 | $81,167 | $5,125 | $417 | $833 | $87,542 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | 11 | $72,364 | $4,636 | $455 | $455 | $77,909 | |||||||
| 16 - 25 | 6 | $75,333 | $3,333 | $0 | $16,667 | $95,333 | |||||||
| >25 | 1 | $72,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $72,000 | |||||||
| Mean | 132 | $80,742 | $4,265 | $742 | $1,220 | $86,970 | |||||||
| Number of employees supervised | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| 0 (None) | 6 | $71,500 | $3,333 | $0 | $333 | $75,167 | |||||||
| 1 - 2 | 73 | $80,260 | $4,014 | $466 | $1,603 | $86,342 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 50 | $81,940 | $4,680 | $1,120 | $820 | $88,560 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 3 | $91,000 | $5,333 | $2,667 | $333 | $99,333 | |||||||
| > 10 | 132 | $80,742 | $4,265 | $742 | $1,220 | $86,970 | |||||||
| Mean | |||||||||||||
| Highest degree achieved | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| High-school graduate | 49 | $83,122 | $5,000 | $714 | $2,612 | $91,449 | |||||||
| College graduate | 83 | $79,337 | $3,831 | $759 | $398 | $84,325 | |||||||
| Masters program graduate | 132 | $80,742 | $4,265 | $742 | $1,220 | $86,970 | |||||||
| Ph.D. graduate | |||||||||||||
| Mean | |||||||||||||
| Gender | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| Male | 49 | $83,122 | $5,000 | $714 | $2,612 | $91,449 | |||||||
| Female | 83 | $79,337 | $3,831 | $759 | $398 | $84,325 | |||||||
| Mean | 132 | $80,742 | $4,265 | $742 | $1,220 | $86,970 | |||||||
| Age | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 25 | |||||||||||||
| 25 - 30 | 15 | $68,000 | $5,867 | $1,000 | $400 | $75,267 | |||||||
| 31 - 35 | 40 | $80,775 | $3,600 | $950 | $400 | $85,725 | |||||||
| 36 - 45 | 39 | $80,769 | $3,821 | $667 | $385 | $85,641 | |||||||
| 46 - 55 | 27 | $86,704 | $4,963 | $593 | $852 | $93,111 | |||||||
| 56 - 65 | 11 | $83,273 | $4,364 | $273 | $9,182 | $97,091 | |||||||
| 66+ | |||||||||||||
| Mean | 132 | $80,742 | $4,265 | $742 | $1,220 | $86,970 | |||||||
*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.