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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/market analyst salary by:
| Industry | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| Advertising/Public Relations | 1 | $50,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $50,000 |
| Agriculture | 1 | $8,000 | $8,000 | $0 | $0 | $16,000 |
| Automotive | ||||||
| Banking/Financial | 3 | $71,333 | $2,667 | $15,000 | $333 | $89,333 |
| Building Materials/Products | ||||||
| Computer Hardware/Software | ||||||
| Construction/Housing | ||||||
| Consulting | 1 | $118,000 | $4,000 | $0 | $0 | $122,000 |
| Consumer Goods | ||||||
| Education | 3 | $69,000 | $2,333 | $0 | $3,333 | $74,667 |
| Entertainment | ||||||
| Food/Beverage | 2 | $65,500 | $2,000 | $0 | $500 | $68,000 |
| Government | 1 | $78,000 | $5,000 | $0 | $0 | $83,000 |
| Health Care/Pharmaceuticals | 10 | $82,000 | $3,000 | $2,500 | $500 | $88,000 |
| Hospitality (hotels, etc.) | 1 | $70,000 | $6,000 | $0 | $1,000 | $77,000 |
| Insurance | 3 | $89,333 | $5,333 | $7,667 | $6,333 | $108,667 |
| Manufacturing | 2 | $60,000 | $0 | $1,000 | $500 | $61,500 |
| Media/Publishing/Information | ||||||
| Non-Profits | ||||||
| Retail | ||||||
| Technology/IT/Web | 2 | $49,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $49,000 |
| Telecommunications | ||||||
| Transportation | ||||||
| Travel | ||||||
| Utilities/Energy | 2 | $50,500 | $4,000 | $0 | $0 | $54,500 |
| Other | ||||||
| Mean | 32 | $71,344 | $3,000 | $2,969 | $1,188 | $78,500 |
| Region in which located | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 2 | $72,000 | $3,000 | $0 | $5,000 | $80,000 |
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 2 | $73,000 | $7,000 | $10,000 | $9,500 | $99,500 |
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 5 | $75,200 | $4,400 | $600 | $400 | $80,600 |
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 5 | $77,400 | $3,000 | $1,000 | $600 | $82,000 |
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 5 | $74,400 | $800 | $0 | $200 | $75,400 |
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | ||||||
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | 2 | $91,500 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $91,500 |
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | 4 | $85,500 | $4,000 | $15,500 | $750 | $105,750 |
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 3 | $64,000 | $3,000 | $1,667 | $0 | $68,667 |
| Canada | ||||||
| Mexico | ||||||
| Central and South America | 1 | $20,000 | $2,000 | $0 | $0 | $22,000 |
| Eastern Europe | ||||||
| Western Europe | 1 | $46,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $46,000 |
| Asia | 1 | $8,000 | $8,000 | $0 | $0 | $16,000 |
| Middle East | ||||||
| Africa | ||||||
| Australia/New Zealand | 1 | $67,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $67,000 |
| Mean | 32 | $71,344 | $3,000 | $2,969 | $1,188 | $78,500 |
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < $1 Million US dollars | ||||||
| $1M - $3M | 1 | $139,000 | $10,000 | $15,000 | $1,000 | $165,000 |
| $3M - $6M | ||||||
| $6M - $10M | 2 | $74,000 | $2,500 | $2,500 | $500 | $79,500 |
| $10M - $50M | 4 | $58,500 | $1,500 | $10,000 | $250 | $70,250 |
| $50M - $100M | 2 | $78,000 | $3,500 | $0 | $1,500 | $83,000 |
| $100M - $300M | 4 | $86,000 | $2,000 | $0 | $250 | $88,250 |
| $300M - $500M | 3 | $58,333 | $2,000 | $0 | $333 | $60,667 |
| $500M - $1 Billion | 3 | $66,333 | $2,000 | $1,667 | $333 | $70,333 |
| >$1 Billion US dollars | 10 | $75,300 | $4,600 | $3,000 | $1,900 | $84,800 |
| Mean | 29 | $74,069 | $3,241 | $3,276 | $966 | $81,552 |
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 | 1 | $70,000 | $6,000 | $0 | $1,000 | $77,000 |
| 1 - 2 | 15 | $72,267 | $1,933 | $3,000 | $400 | $77,600 |
| 3 - 5 | 9 | $74,444 | $3,778 | $5,000 | $2,333 | $85,556 |
| 6 - 10 | 2 | $56,500 | $0 | $0 | $5,000 | $61,500 |
| 11 - 15 | 1 | $118,000 | $4,000 | $0 | $0 | $122,000 |
| 16 - 25 | 1 | $115,000 | $15,000 | $5,000 | $0 | $135,000 |
| >25 | 2 | $30,500 | $4,000 | $0 | $0 | $34,500 |
| Mean | 31 | $71,968 | $3,097 | $3,065 | $1,226 | $79,355 |
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | 2 | $58,500 | $2,000 | $2,500 | $0 | $63,000 |
| 1 - 2 | 2 | $71,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $71,000 |
| 3 - 5 | 6 | $63,333 | $2,167 | $0 | $2,000 | $67,500 |
| 6 - 10 | 9 | $74,889 | $4,444 | $2,444 | $222 | $82,000 |
| 11 - 15 | 4 | $75,500 | $4,000 | $15,000 | $5,500 | $100,000 |
| 16 - 25 | 7 | $78,000 | $3,286 | $1,143 | $286 | $82,714 |
| >25 | 1 | $70,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $70,000 |
| Mean | 31 | $71,968 | $3,097 | $3,065 | $1,226 | $79,355 |
| Years at current job | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | 7 | $51,286 | $2,857 | $714 | $286 | $55,143 |
| 1 - 2 | 8 | $76,125 | $3,125 | $1,000 | $1,500 | $81,750 |
| 3 - 5 | 9 | $84,333 | $2,889 | $2,222 | $556 | $90,000 |
| 6 - 10 | 4 | $71,000 | $2,250 | $500 | $0 | $73,750 |
| 11 - 15 | 3 | $73,333 | $5,333 | $20,000 | $6,333 | $105,000 |
| 16 - 25 | ||||||
| >25 | ||||||
| Mean | 31 | $71,968 | $3,097 | $3,065 | $1,226 | $79,355 |
| Number of employees supervised | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 (None) | 27 | $72,741 | $3,037 | $3,519 | $1,370 | $80,667 |
| 1 - 2 | 4 | $66,750 | $3,500 | $0 | $250 | $70,500 |
| 3 - 5 | ||||||
| 6 - 10 | ||||||
| > 10 | ||||||
| Mean | 31 | $71,968 | $3,097 | $3,065 | $1,226 | $79,355 |
| Highest degree achieved | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| High-school graduate | 3 | $107,000 | $8,333 | $13,333 | $6,667 | $135,333 |
| College graduate | 15 | $61,333 | $1,733 | $3,200 | $1,000 | $67,267 |
| Masters program graduate | 12 | $78,500 | $3,750 | $583 | $250 | $83,083 |
| Ph.D. graduate | 1 | $48,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $48,000 |
| Mean | 31 | $71,968 | $3,097 | $3,065 | $1,226 | $79,355 |
| Gender | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| Male | 13 | $81,538 | $4,385 | $3,077 | $1,923 | $90,923 |
| Female | 18 | $65,056 | $2,167 | $3,056 | $722 | $71,000 |
| Mean | 31 | $71,968 | $3,097 | $3,065 | $1,226 | $79,355 |
| Age | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 25 | 2 | $51,500 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $51,500 |
| 25 - 30 | 6 | $51,167 | $1,000 | $1,167 | $1,667 | $55,000 |
| 31 - 35 | 4 | $68,000 | $2,500 | $0 | $500 | $71,000 |
| 36 - 45 | 7 | $76,857 | $5,000 | $6,429 | $286 | $88,571 |
| 46 - 55 | 9 | $87,667 | $5,000 | $4,778 | $2,667 | $100,111 |
| 56 - 65 | 3 | $74,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $74,000 |
| 66+ | ||||||
| Mean | 31 | $71,968 | $3,097 | $3,065 | $1,226 | $79,355 |
*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.