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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
Vice president/senior vice president salary by:
| Region in which located | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 37 | $168,703 | $26,730 | $8,486 | $6,973 | $210,892 | |||||||
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 57 | $144,263 | $33,596 | $2,614 | $11,386 | $191,860 | |||||||
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 31 | $145,774 | $20,968 | $5,839 | $516 | $173,097 | |||||||
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 8 | $149,000 | $23,250 | $2,625 | $750 | $175,625 | |||||||
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 29 | $141,448 | $33,310 | $11,931 | $2,966 | $189,655 | |||||||
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | 3 | $193,000 | $60,333 | $7,667 | $75,667 | $336,667 | |||||||
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | 19 | $134,105 | $47,105 | $23,421 | $12,474 | $217,105 | |||||||
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | 13 | $122,462 | $19,462 | $10,154 | $1,615 | $153,692 | |||||||
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 34 | $156,500 | $33,912 | $1,765 | $4,088 | $196,265 | |||||||
| Canada | 14 | $101,571 | $10,571 | $2,571 | $10,071 | $124,786 | |||||||
| Mexico | |||||||||||||
| Central and South America | |||||||||||||
| Eastern Europe | |||||||||||||
| Western Europe | 4 | $143,750 | $38,000 | $0 | $17,000 | $198,750 | |||||||
| Asia | 4 | $86,500 | $16,250 | $500 | $0 | $103,250 | |||||||
| Middle East | |||||||||||||
| Africa | |||||||||||||
| Australia/New Zealand | 3 | $141,000 | $16,667 | $6,667 | $2,333 | $166,667 | |||||||
| Mean | 256 | $144,859 | $29,699 | $6,754 | $7,246 | $188,559 | |||||||
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < $1 Million US dollars | 5 | $95,600 | $3,600 | $0 | $200 | $99,400 | |||||||
| $1M - $3M | 37 | $110,838 | $12,784 | $2,514 | $5,622 | $131,757 | |||||||
| $3M - $6M | 31 | $125,387 | $16,387 | $7,581 | $3,161 | $152,516 | |||||||
| $6M - $10M | 23 | $123,783 | $27,261 | $2,261 | $6,652 | $159,957 | |||||||
| $10M - $50M | 68 | $142,515 | $27,618 | $10,309 | $7,632 | $188,074 | |||||||
| $50M - $100M | 26 | $167,115 | $57,385 | $12,577 | $1,885 | $238,962 | |||||||
| $100M - $300M | 22 | $180,773 | $67,227 | $10,000 | $24,818 | $282,818 | |||||||
| $300M - $500M | 6 | $159,167 | $36,500 | $0 | $0 | $195,667 | |||||||
| $500M - $1 Billion | 6 | $200,333 | $21,167 | $4,167 | $167 | $225,833 | |||||||
| >$1 Billion US dollars | 28 | $181,679 | $26,036 | $2,714 | $9,964 | $220,393 | |||||||
| Mean | 252 | $145,119 | $29,960 | $6,861 | $7,357 | $189,298 | |||||||
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| 0 | |||||||||||||
| 1 - 2 | 8 | $137,750 | $19,875 | $6,500 | $24,500 | $188,625 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 13 | $124,308 | $15,308 | $5,231 | $1,231 | $146,077 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 19 | $111,421 | $20,263 | $7,105 | $3,368 | $142,158 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | 21 | $118,905 | $8,048 | $524 | $6,905 | $134,381 | |||||||
| 16 - 25 | 21 | $125,714 | $22,619 | $1,810 | $1,143 | $151,286 | |||||||
| >25 | 173 | $155,480 | $35,925 | $8,237 | $8,150 | $207,792 | |||||||
| Mean | 255 | $144,588 | $29,812 | $6,780 | $7,275 | $188,455 | |||||||
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 1 year | |||||||||||||
| 1 - 2 | |||||||||||||
| 3 - 5 | 1 | $175,000 | $101,000 | $0 | $1,000 | $277,000 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 19 | $143,105 | $37,474 | $11,263 | $3,316 | $195,158 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | 52 | $137,865 | $25,923 | $1,654 | $3,115 | $168,558 | |||||||
| 16 - 25 | 101 | $147,545 | $31,535 | $9,069 | $8,109 | $196,257 | |||||||
| >25 | 83 | $146,012 | $27,193 | $6,181 | $9,759 | $189,145 | |||||||
| Mean | 256 | $144,859 | $29,699 | $6,754 | $7,246 | $188,559 | |||||||
| Years at current job | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 1 year | 23 | $154,565 | $46,739 | $9,957 | $17,478 | $228,739 | |||||||
| 1 - 2 | 50 | $143,260 | $25,860 | $2,860 | $9,960 | $181,940 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 79 | $154,278 | $32,152 | $3,532 | $1,658 | $191,620 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 54 | $134,315 | $27,167 | $11,889 | $11,111 | $184,481 | |||||||
| 11 - 15 | 21 | $138,238 | $32,238 | $3,143 | $1,667 | $175,286 | |||||||
| 16 - 25 | 19 | $133,579 | $25,421 | $17,947 | $9,526 | $186,474 | |||||||
| >25 | 7 | $168,857 | $8,143 | $3,714 | $857 | $181,571 | |||||||
| Mean | 253 | $145,383 | $30,008 | $6,822 | $7,324 | $189,538 | |||||||
| Number of employees supervised | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| 0 (None) | 45 | $142,844 | $44,289 | $12,822 | $12,578 | $212,533 | |||||||
| 1 - 2 | 45 | $134,533 | $17,667 | $8,356 | $8,622 | $169,178 | |||||||
| 3 - 5 | 60 | $136,083 | $24,400 | $6,783 | $1,733 | $169,000 | |||||||
| 6 - 10 | 41 | $139,390 | $27,366 | $3,878 | $10,220 | $180,854 | |||||||
| > 10 | 64 | $164,188 | $34,813 | $3,281 | $5,906 | $208,188 | |||||||
| Mean | 255 | $144,588 | $29,812 | $6,780 | $7,275 | $188,455 | |||||||
| Highest degree achieved | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| High-school graduate | 6 | $102,333 | $4,833 | $2,167 | $2,500 | $111,833 | |||||||
| College graduate | 113 | $132,761 | $27,496 | $2,717 | $4,770 | $167,743 | |||||||
| Masters program graduate | 112 | $155,929 | $29,723 | $7,911 | $6,607 | $200,170 | |||||||
| Ph.D. graduate | 25 | $160,160 | $45,520 | $20,920 | $22,440 | $249,040 | |||||||
| Mean | 256 | $144,859 | $29,699 | $6,754 | $7,246 | $188,559 | |||||||
| Gender | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| Male | 136 | $155,787 | $33,846 | $9,235 | $10,669 | $209,537 | |||||||
| Female | 120 | $132,475 | $25,000 | $3,942 | $3,367 | $164,783 | |||||||
| Mean | 256 | $144,859 | $29,699 | $6,754 | $7,246 | $188,559 | |||||||
| Age | |||||||||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | ||||||||
| < 25 | |||||||||||||
| 25 - 30 | 4 | $93,250 | $45,000 | $0 | $3,000 | $141,250 | |||||||
| 31 - 35 | 17 | $129,412 | $30,235 | $1,059 | $1,235 | $161,941 | |||||||
| 36 - 45 | 79 | $138,063 | $35,291 | $10,392 | $2,823 | $186,570 | |||||||
| 46 - 55 | 87 | $152,586 | $29,287 | $6,356 | $12,034 | $200,264 | |||||||
| 56 - 65 | 66 | $153,439 | $23,152 | $5,106 | $8,303 | $190,000 | |||||||
| 66+ | 3 | $67,333 | $15,000 | $0 | $1,333 | $83,667 | |||||||
| Mean | 256 | $144,859 | $29,699 | $6,754 | $7,246 | $188,559 | |||||||
*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.