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
Market research CEO/president salary by:
| Region in which located | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 9 | $231,889 | $27,333 | $24,667 | $40,333 | $324,222 |
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 9 | $190,556 | $22,444 | $9,889 | $8,000 | $230,889 |
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 10 | $137,600 | $11,300 | $5,300 | $6,700 | $160,900 |
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 4 | $107,000 | $45,250 | $15,500 | $3,750 | $171,500 |
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 18 | $170,944 | $29,000 | $34,111 | $18,444 | $252,500 |
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | 2 | $147,500 | $20,500 | $0 | $7,000 | $175,000 |
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | 5 | $127,600 | $59,200 | $91,200 | $3,200 | $281,200 |
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | 2 | $245,000 | $5,000 | $0 | $0 | $250,000 |
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 10 | $142,300 | $12,100 | $29,700 | $14,900 | $199,000 |
| Canada | 1 | $185,000 | $0 | $0 | $3,000 | $188,000 |
| Mexico | ||||||
| Central and South America | 3 | $35,667 | $6,000 | $1,000 | $6,000 | $48,667 |
| Eastern Europe | 9 | $65,556 | $17,667 | $6,222 | $12,333 | $101,778 |
| Western Europe | 11 | $152,091 | $11,545 | $6,364 | $9,000 | $179,000 |
| Asia | 9 | $82,889 | $19,000 | $111 | $14,000 | $116,000 |
| Middle East | 1 | $11,000 | $1,000 | $0 | $0 | $12,000 |
| Africa | 1 | $4,000 | $1,000 | $0 | $0 | $5,000 |
| Australia/New Zealand | 2 | $255,000 | $42,500 | $0 | $32,500 | $330,000 |
| Mean | 106 | $144,858 | $21,642 | $18,142 | $13,679 | $198,321 |
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < $1 Million US dollars | 30 | $69,367 | $8,667 | $5,300 | $8,600 | $91,933 |
| $1M - $3M | 20 | $151,050 | $8,050 | $25,450 | $7,200 | $191,750 |
| $3M - $6M | 17 | $133,824 | $32,471 | $11,059 | $22,294 | $199,647 |
| $6M - $10M | 8 | $197,500 | $9,500 | $1,000 | $6,500 | $214,500 |
| $10M - $50M | 20 | $199,100 | $29,600 | $24,400 | $25,000 | $278,100 |
| $50M - $100M | 6 | $224,667 | $80,500 | $76,833 | $10,000 | $392,000 |
| $100M - $300M | 1 | $240,000 | $10,000 | $0 | $0 | $250,000 |
| $300M - $500M | ||||||
| $500M - $1 Billion | ||||||
| >$1 Billion US dollars | 1 | $510,000 | $160,000 | $110,000 | $15,000 | $795,000 |
| Mean | 103 | $145,990 | $22,272 | $18,670 | $13,670 | $200,602 |
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 | ||||||
| 1 - 2 | 16 | $91,625 | $10,250 | $11,688 | $15,563 | $129,125 |
| 3 - 5 | 11 | $180,545 | $19,818 | $24,636 | $7,364 | $232,364 |
| 6 - 10 | 17 | $102,235 | $4,176 | $11,941 | $9,941 | $128,294 |
| 11 - 15 | 8 | $165,625 | $10,625 | $8,875 | $6,375 | $191,500 |
| 16 - 25 | 11 | $118,364 | $22,091 | $8,545 | $6,909 | $155,909 |
| >25 | 41 | $179,024 | $36,902 | $26,756 | $19,805 | $262,488 |
| Mean | 104 | $145,740 | $22,058 | $18,490 | $13,827 | $200,115 |
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | ||||||
| 1 - 2 | 1 | $61,000 | $30,000 | $0 | $6,000 | $97,000 |
| 3 - 5 | 1 | $115,000 | $0 | $0 | $10,000 | $125,000 |
| 6 - 10 | 9 | $73,889 | $4,333 | $7,000 | $14,556 | $99,778 |
| 11 - 15 | 18 | $143,444 | $15,167 | $9,111 | $6,333 | $174,056 |
| 16 - 25 | 34 | $158,794 | $19,971 | $21,588 | $20,412 | $220,765 |
| >25 | 41 | $154,512 | $31,049 | $23,463 | $11,780 | $220,805 |
| Mean | 104 | $145,740 | $22,058 | $18,490 | $13,827 | $200,115 |
| Years at current job | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | 7 | $186,143 | $33,857 | $60,714 | $7,143 | $287,857 |
| 1 - 2 | 14 | $173,929 | $20,500 | $2,143 | $5,071 | $201,643 |
| 3 - 5 | 24 | $166,833 | $34,625 | $31,292 | $27,875 | $260,625 |
| 6 - 10 | 19 | $122,421 | $6,474 | $4,895 | $6,737 | $140,526 |
| 11 - 15 | 14 | $136,000 | $22,643 | $10,143 | $6,214 | $175,000 |
| 16 - 25 | 15 | $116,133 | $22,067 | $6,467 | $17,733 | $162,400 |
| >25 | 11 | $131,182 | $15,273 | $35,000 | $15,182 | $196,636 |
| Mean | 104 | $145,740 | $22,058 | $18,490 | $13,827 | $200,115 |
| Number of employees supervised | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 (None) | 7 | $106,857 | $0 | $6,429 | $19,000 | $132,286 |
| 1 - 2 | 11 | $96,636 | $11,909 | $9,545 | $12,727 | $130,818 |
| 3 - 5 | 15 | $202,000 | $19,400 | $23,867 | $7,400 | $252,667 |
| 6 - 10 | 19 | $118,684 | $15,842 | $3,632 | $7,947 | $146,105 |
| > 10 | 52 | $155,019 | $30,212 | $25,885 | $17,365 | $228,481 |
| Mean | 104 | $145,740 | $22,058 | $18,490 | $13,827 | $200,115 |
| Highest degree achieved | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| High-school graduate | 6 | $163,000 | $16,000 | $3,833 | $2,667 | $185,500 |
| College graduate | 37 | $177,162 | $25,459 | $22,622 | $16,000 | $241,243 |
| Masters program graduate | 46 | $123,413 | $18,000 | $9,022 | $12,543 | $162,978 |
| Ph.D. graduate | 14 | $130,500 | $30,571 | $46,286 | $15,929 | $223,286 |
| Mean | 103 | $145,990 | $22,272 | $18,670 | $13,670 | $200,602 |
| Gender | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| Male | 61 | $161,836 | $21,590 | $26,459 | $14,754 | $224,639 |
| Female | 42 | $122,976 | $23,262 | $7,357 | $12,095 | $165,690 |
| Mean | 103 | $145,990 | $22,272 | $18,670 | $13,670 | $200,602 |
| Age | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 25 | ||||||
| 25 - 30 | 1 | $90,000 | $15,000 | $50,000 | $0 | $155,000 |
| 31 - 35 | 9 | $113,778 | $9,000 | $3,556 | $4,667 | $131,000 |
| 36 - 45 | 31 | $155,290 | $20,935 | $21,323 | $19,419 | $216,968 |
| 46 - 55 | 28 | $130,107 | $15,179 | $19,036 | $6,250 | $170,571 |
| 56 - 65 | 33 | $160,788 | $34,061 | $19,606 | $17,667 | $232,121 |
| 66+ | 1 | $160,000 | $0 | $0 | $6,000 | $166,000 |
| Mean | 103 | $145,990 | $22,272 | $18,670 | $13,670 | $200,602 |
*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.