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
Director of market research salary by:
| Region in which located | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 12 | $112,500 | $6,083 | $333 | $333 | $119,250 |
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 19 | $118,579 | $16,789 | $842 | $5,947 | $142,158 |
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 21 | $111,429 | $3,571 | $0 | $762 | $115,762 |
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 8 | $102,750 | $10,375 | $2,500 | $1,000 | $116,625 |
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 12 | $119,083 | $3,333 | $250 | $10,417 | $133,083 |
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | 1 | $60,000 | $5,000 | $0 | $0 | $65,000 |
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | 2 | $156,500 | $30,000 | $1,000 | $0 | $187,500 |
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | 11 | $99,091 | $6,636 | $909 | $4,273 | $110,909 |
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 14 | $120,500 | $6,857 | $0 | $214 | $127,571 |
| Canada | 4 | $59,250 | $12,500 | $0 | $21,250 | $93,000 |
| Mexico | ||||||
| Central and South America | 2 | $75,000 | $2,500 | $1,500 | $5,500 | $84,500 |
| Eastern Europe | 3 | $34,000 | $1,000 | $0 | $0 | $35,000 |
| Western Europe | 13 | $77,692 | $7,077 | $0 | $1,231 | $86,000 |
| Asia | 16 | $75,625 | $10,688 | $313 | $8,750 | $95,375 |
| Middle East | 6 | $92,167 | $7,333 | $4,000 | $14,000 | $117,500 |
| Africa | 1 | $70,000 | $6,000 | $29,000 | $3,000 | $108,000 |
| Australia/New Zealand | 3 | $109,667 | $8,333 | $0 | $667 | $118,667 |
| Mean | 148 | $101,385 | $8,243 | $784 | $4,439 | $114,851 |
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < $1 Million US dollars | 8 | $41,375 | $1,375 | $375 | $2,000 | $45,125 |
| $1M - $3M | 21 | $79,048 | $2,667 | $1,476 | $1,286 | $84,476 |
| $3M - $6M | 24 | $100,417 | $8,250 | $917 | $10,458 | $120,042 |
| $6M - $10M | 14 | $104,786 | $7,429 | $571 | $714 | $113,500 |
| $10M - $50M | 24 | $121,167 | $6,583 | $1,375 | $5,375 | $134,500 |
| $50M - $100M | 13 | $102,846 | $7,923 | $77 | $5,077 | $115,923 |
| $100M - $300M | 10 | $138,500 | $24,100 | $1,800 | $11,700 | $176,100 |
| $300M - $500M | 5 | $112,600 | $8,000 | $0 | $2,200 | $122,800 |
| $500M - $1 Billion | 3 | $113,000 | $7,667 | $0 | $333 | $121,000 |
| >$1 Billion US dollars | 19 | $100,526 | $11,211 | $0 | $1,211 | $112,947 |
| Mean | 141 | $101,489 | $8,135 | $823 | $4,617 | $115,064 |
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 | ||||||
| 1 - 2 | 7 | $81,143 | $6,286 | $429 | $857 | $88,714 |
| 3 - 5 | 16 | $82,625 | $563 | $875 | $7,438 | $91,500 |
| 6 - 10 | 8 | $102,500 | $13,625 | $0 | $11,000 | $127,125 |
| 11 - 15 | 10 | $104,700 | $4,100 | $3,100 | $16,300 | $128,200 |
| 16 - 25 | 12 | $83,917 | $4,583 | $417 | $417 | $89,333 |
| >25 | 89 | $107,629 | $10,056 | $708 | $3,067 | $121,461 |
| Mean | 142 | $101,007 | $8,120 | $817 | $4,606 | $114,549 |
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | ||||||
| 1 - 2 | 1 | $60,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $60,000 |
| 3 - 5 | 5 | $97,800 | $1,600 | $400 | $1,000 | $100,800 |
| 6 - 10 | 18 | $102,278 | $10,111 | $500 | $13,444 | $126,333 |
| 11 - 15 | 40 | $101,725 | $11,075 | $825 | $2,400 | $116,025 |
| 16 - 25 | 61 | $95,361 | $7,066 | $1,164 | $2,951 | $106,541 |
| >25 | 16 | $127,188 | $5,563 | $63 | $8,188 | $141,000 |
| Mean | 141 | $101,496 | $8,177 | $823 | $4,638 | $115,135 |
| Years at current job | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | 21 | $109,048 | $7,333 | $286 | $3,333 | $120,000 |
| 1 - 2 | 35 | $103,286 | $6,857 | $257 | $5,229 | $115,629 |
| 3 - 5 | 40 | $101,100 | $10,250 | $1,325 | $4,025 | $116,700 |
| 6 - 10 | 30 | $93,767 | $9,667 | $1,600 | $3,500 | $108,533 |
| 11 - 15 | 12 | $104,167 | $4,250 | $0 | $11,167 | $119,583 |
| 16 - 25 | 2 | $83,000 | $1,500 | $0 | $500 | $85,000 |
| >25 | 1 | $133,000 | $5,000 | $0 | $0 | $138,000 |
| Mean | 141 | $101,496 | $8,177 | $823 | $4,638 | $115,135 |
| Number of employees supervised | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 (None) | 32 | $107,719 | $9,188 | $719 | $938 | $118,563 |
| 1 - 2 | 36 | $97,917 | $6,083 | $361 | $9,139 | $113,500 |
| 3 - 5 | 32 | $110,500 | $9,875 | $250 | $2,375 | $123,000 |
| 6 - 10 | 23 | $89,522 | $8,957 | $1,174 | $7,000 | $106,652 |
| > 10 | 18 | $96,889 | $6,556 | $2,500 | $3,222 | $109,167 |
| Mean | 141 | $101,496 | $8,177 | $823 | $4,638 | $115,135 |
| Highest degree achieved | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| High-school graduate | 3 | $65,333 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $65,333 |
| College graduate | 54 | $99,944 | $6,352 | $778 | $7,500 | $114,574 |
| Masters program graduate | 74 | $105,378 | $9,608 | $1,000 | $3,122 | $119,108 |
| Ph.D. graduate | 10 | $92,000 | $9,900 | $0 | $1,800 | $103,700 |
| Mean | 141 | $101,496 | $8,177 | $823 | $4,638 | $115,135 |
| Gender | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| Male | 54 | $98,204 | $8,852 | $944 | $7,296 | $115,296 |
| Female | 87 | $103,540 | $7,759 | $747 | $2,989 | $115,034 |
| Mean | 141 | $101,496 | $8,177 | $823 | $4,638 | $115,135 |
| Age | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 25 | ||||||
| 25 - 30 | 7 | $87,143 | $10,000 | $286 | $12,143 | $109,571 |
| 31 - 35 | 22 | $103,773 | $7,455 | $1,045 | $3,227 | $115,500 |
| 36 - 45 | 62 | $94,581 | $6,758 | $435 | $3,532 | $105,306 |
| 46 - 55 | 32 | $113,719 | $13,469 | $1,656 | $7,063 | $135,906 |
| 56 - 65 | 18 | $106,389 | $3,833 | $611 | $2,944 | $113,778 |
| 66+ | ||||||
| Mean | 141 | $101,496 | $8,177 | $823 | $4,638 | $115,135 |
*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.