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 marketing salary by:
Industry | ||||||
Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
Advertising/Public Relations | 1 | $100,000 | $0 | $0 | $1,000 | $101,000 |
Agriculture | ||||||
Automotive | ||||||
Banking/Financial | ||||||
Building Materials/Products | ||||||
Computer Hardware/Software | ||||||
Construction/Housing | ||||||
Consulting | ||||||
Consumer Goods | 1 | $175,000 | $50,000 | $0 | $0 | $225,000 |
Education | ||||||
Entertainment | ||||||
Food/Beverage | 1 | $222,000 | $0 | $0 | $4,000 | $226,000 |
Government | ||||||
Health Care/Pharmaceuticals | 1 | $150,000 | $45,000 | $0 | $0 | $195,000 |
Hospitality (hotels, etc.) | ||||||
Insurance | ||||||
Manufacturing | 1 | $98,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $98,000 |
Media/Publishing/Information | ||||||
Non-Profits | 3 | $106,667 | $0 | $0 | $53,000 | $159,667 |
Retail | ||||||
Technology/IT/Web | 1 | $120,000 | $10,000 | $0 | $0 | $130,000 |
Telecommunications | ||||||
Transportation | ||||||
Travel | ||||||
Utilities/Energy | ||||||
Other | ||||||
Mean | 9 | $131,667 | $11,667 | $0 | $18,222 | $161,556 |
Region in which located | ||||||
Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 1 | $175,000 | $50,000 | $0 | $0 | $225,000 |
Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | ||||||
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | ||||||
West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 1 | $98,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $98,000 |
S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 1 | $115,000 | $0 | $0 | $2,000 | $117,000 |
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | 1 | $140,000 | $0 | $0 | $155,000 | $295,000 |
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | ||||||
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | 1 | $100,000 | $0 | $0 | $1,000 | $101,000 |
Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | ||||||
Canada | 1 | $65,000 | $0 | $0 | $2,000 | $67,000 |
Mexico | ||||||
Central and South America | ||||||
Eastern Europe | ||||||
Western Europe | 3 | $164,000 | $18,333 | $0 | $1,333 | $183,667 |
Asia | ||||||
Middle East | ||||||
Africa | ||||||
Australia/New Zealand | ||||||
Mean | 9 | $131,667 | $11,667 | $0 | $18,222 | $161,556 |
Annual revenue/sales of organization | ||||||
Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
< $1 Million US dollars | ||||||
$1M - $3M | ||||||
$3M - $6M | ||||||
$6M - $10M | ||||||
$10M - $50M | 2 | $90,000 | $0 | $0 | $2,000 | $92,000 |
$50M - $100M | 1 | $100,000 | $0 | $0 | $1,000 | $101,000 |
$100M - $300M | 1 | $150,000 | $45,000 | $0 | $0 | $195,000 |
$300M - $500M | 1 | $222,000 | $0 | $0 | $4,000 | $226,000 |
$500M - $1 Billion | ||||||
>$1 Billion US dollars | 4 | $133,250 | $15,000 | $0 | $38,750 | $187,000 |
Mean | 9 | $131,667 | $11,667 | $0 | $18,222 | $161,556 |
Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | ||||||
Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
0 | 4 | $161,250 | $23,750 | $0 | $1,000 | $186,000 |
1 - 2 | 1 | $65,000 | $0 | $0 | $2,000 | $67,000 |
3 - 5 | 1 | $140,000 | $0 | $0 | $155,000 | $295,000 |
6 - 10 | 1 | $100,000 | $0 | $0 | $1,000 | $101,000 |
11 - 15 | 2 | $117,500 | $5,000 | $0 | $1,000 | $123,500 |
16 - 25 | ||||||
>25 | ||||||
Mean | 9 | $131,667 | $11,667 | $0 | $18,222 | $161,556 |
Number of years of experience in marketing research | ||||||
Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
< 1 year | ||||||
1 - 2 | ||||||
3 - 5 | ||||||
6 - 10 | 5 | $140,000 | $10,000 | $0 | $32,200 | $182,200 |
11 - 15 | 1 | $100,000 | $0 | $0 | $1,000 | $101,000 |
16 - 25 | 3 | $128,333 | $18,333 | $0 | $667 | $147,333 |
>25 | ||||||
Mean | 9 | $131,667 | $11,667 | $0 | $18,222 | $161,556 |
Years at current job | ||||||
Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
< 1 year | 2 | $90,000 | $0 | $0 | $2,000 | $92,000 |
1 - 2 | 3 | $124,333 | $16,667 | $0 | $333 | $141,333 |
3 - 5 | 3 | $170,667 | $15,000 | $0 | $53,000 | $238,667 |
6 - 10 | ||||||
11 - 15 | ||||||
16 - 25 | ||||||
>25 | ||||||
Mean | 8 | $133,125 | $11,875 | $0 | $20,500 | $165,500 |
Number of employees supervised | ||||||
Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
0 (None) | ||||||
1 - 2 | 2 | $137,500 | $25,000 | $0 | $500 | $163,000 |
3 - 5 | 3 | $110,000 | $15,000 | $0 | $1,333 | $126,333 |
6 - 10 | 1 | $98,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $98,000 |
> 10 | 2 | $181,000 | $0 | $0 | $79,500 | $260,500 |
Mean | 8 | $133,125 | $11,875 | $0 | $20,500 | $165,500 |
Highest degree achieved | ||||||
Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
High-school graduate | ||||||
College graduate | 4 | $103,250 | $11,250 | $0 | $750 | $115,250 |
Masters program graduate | 4 | $163,000 | $12,500 | $0 | $40,250 | $215,750 |
Ph.D. graduate | ||||||
Mean | 8 | $133,125 | $11,875 | $0 | $20,500 | $165,500 |
Gender | ||||||
Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
Male | 6 | $150,000 | $15,833 | $0 | $26,833 | $192,667 |
Female | 2 | $82,500 | $0 | $0 | $1,500 | $84,000 |
Mean | 8 | $133,125 | $11,875 | $0 | $20,500 | $165,500 |
Age | ||||||
Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
< 25 | ||||||
25 - 30 | ||||||
31 - 35 | ||||||
36 - 45 | 5 | $150,400 | $10,000 | $0 | $32,400 | $192,800 |
46 - 55 | 2 | $124,000 | $22,500 | $0 | $0 | $146,500 |
56 - 65 | 1 | $65,000 | $0 | $0 | $2,000 | $67,000 |
66+ | ||||||
Mean | 8 | $133,125 | $11,875 | $0 | $20,500 | $165,500 |
*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.