The market research salary and compensation survey is based on data gathered from an invite-only online survey sent to pre-qualified marketing research subscribers of Quirk’s and members of ESOMAR.
The survey was fielded from June 6 to June 28, 2018. In total there were 3,483 respondents. We received 966 usable surveys from client-side researchers (corporate market research) and 1,708 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
Business development salary by:
| Region in which located | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 3 | $103,333 | $28,667 | $29,667 | $4,667 | $166,333 |
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 3 | $73,000 | $10,000 | $0 | $333 | $83,333 |
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 3 | $100,000 | $36,000 | $333 | $667 | $137,000 |
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 1 | $55,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $55,000 |
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 2 | $111,500 | $3,500 | $0 | $500 | $115,500 |
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | ||||||
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | ||||||
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | 2 | $75,000 | $24,000 | $0 | $0 | $99,000 |
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 2 | $74,000 | $84,500 | $0 | $1,000 | $159,500 |
| Canada | ||||||
| Mexico | ||||||
| Central and South America | ||||||
| Eastern Europe | 1 | $48,000 | $4,000 | $0 | $0 | $52,000 |
| Western Europe | 1 | $86,000 | $4,000 | $0 | $1,000 | $91,000 |
| Asia | 1 | $11,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $11,000 |
| Middle East | ||||||
| Africa | ||||||
| Australia/New Zealand | ||||||
| Mean | 19 | $81,579 | $24,000 | $4,737 | $1,105 | $111,421 |
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < $1 Million US dollars | ||||||
| $1M - $3M | 2 | $65,000 | $500 | $500 | $0 | $66,000 |
| $3M - $6M | 3 | $73,667 | $333 | $28,667 | $4,333 | $107,000 |
| $6M - $10M | 3 | $88,333 | $59,667 | $0 | $667 | $148,667 |
| $10M - $50M | 7 | $84,714 | $24,000 | $429 | $286 | $109,429 |
| $50M - $100M | 4 | $85,250 | $26,750 | $0 | $1,000 | $113,000 |
| $100M - $300M | ||||||
| $300M - $500M | ||||||
| $500M - $1 Billion | ||||||
| >$1 Billion US dollars | ||||||
| Mean | 19 | $81,579 | $24,000 | $4,737 | $1,105 | $111,421 |
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 | ||||||
| 1 - 2 | ||||||
| 3 - 5 | 1 | $55,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $55,000 |
| 6 - 10 | 1 | $85,000 | $1,000 | $86,000 | $12,000 | $184,000 |
| 11 - 15 | ||||||
| 16 - 25 | 2 | $117,500 | $11,000 | $0 | $1,000 | $129,500 |
| >25 | 15 | $78,333 | $28,867 | $267 | $467 | $107,933 |
| Mean | 19 | $81,579 | $24,000 | $4,737 | $1,105 | $111,421 |
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | ||||||
| 1 - 2 | ||||||
| 3 - 5 | 4 | $47,000 | $5,750 | $250 | $0 | $53,000 |
| 6 - 10 | 4 | $95,500 | $10,250 | $21,500 | $4,000 | $131,250 |
| 11 - 15 | 5 | $83,800 | $29,200 | $0 | $400 | $113,400 |
| 16 - 25 | 2 | $112,500 | $42,500 | $1,500 | $1,000 | $157,500 |
| >25 | 4 | $84,000 | $40,250 | $0 | $250 | $124,500 |
| Mean | 19 | $81,579 | $24,000 | $4,737 | $1,105 | $111,421 |
| Years at current job | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | 5 | $80,600 | $19,000 | $0 | $600 | $100,200 |
| 1 - 2 | 3 | $58,667 | $5,333 | $333 | $667 | $65,000 |
| 3 - 5 | 8 | $82,625 | $32,375 | $0 | $250 | $115,250 |
| 6 - 10 | 2 | $82,500 | $43,000 | $44,500 | $7,000 | $177,000 |
| 11 - 15 | ||||||
| 16 - 25 | 1 | $145,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $145,000 |
| >25 | ||||||
| Mean | 19 | $81,579 | $24,000 | $4,737 | $1,105 | $111,421 |
| Number of employees supervised | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 (None) | 10 | $86,400 | $12,500 | $0 | $500 | $99,400 |
| 1 - 2 | 5 | $82,200 | $58,400 | $800 | $400 | $141,800 |
| 3 - 5 | 3 | $75,667 | $11,667 | $28,667 | $4,667 | $120,667 |
| 6 - 10 | 1 | $48,000 | $4,000 | $0 | $0 | $52,000 |
| > 10 | ||||||
| Mean | 19 | $81,579 | $24,000 | $4,737 | $1,105 | $111,421 |
| Highest degree achieved | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| High-school graduate | 1 | $55,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $55,000 |
| College graduate | 14 | $87,571 | $27,500 | $6,429 | $1,429 | $122,929 |
| Masters program graduate | 3 | $73,667 | $22,333 | $0 | $333 | $96,333 |
| Ph.D. graduate | 1 | $48,000 | $4,000 | $0 | $0 | $52,000 |
| Mean | 19 | $81,579 | $24,000 | $4,737 | $1,105 | $111,421 |
| Gender | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| Male | 11 | $74,909 | $33,000 | $8,091 | $1,545 | $117,545 |
| Female | 8 | $90,750 | $11,625 | $125 | $500 | $103,000 |
| Mean | 19 | $81,579 | $24,000 | $4,737 | $1,105 | $111,421 |
| Age | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 25 | 1 | $50,000 | $3,000 | $0 | $0 | $53,000 |
| 25 - 30 | 3 | $66,000 | $6,000 | $0 | $1,000 | $73,000 |
| 31 - 35 | 2 | $79,000 | $13,000 | $0 | $500 | $92,500 |
| 36 - 45 | 9 | $92,889 | $27,444 | $10,000 | $1,778 | $132,111 |
| 46 - 55 | 3 | $83,333 | $2,667 | $0 | $333 | $86,333 |
| 56 - 65 | 1 | $58,000 | $154,000 | $0 | $0 | $212,000 |
| 66+ | ||||||
| Mean | 19 | $81,579 | $24,000 | $4,737 | $1,105 | $111,421 |
*Bonus was defined as bonus or commission for 2017 in US dollars.
*Dividends were defined as compensation in the form of dividends, stock options or profit sharing in US dollars for 2017.
*Other was defined as annual value of other compensation (company car, health club membership, mobile phone etc.) in US dollars.