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 field manager/director salary by:
| Region in which located | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 2 | $94,000 | $4,000 | $2,500 | $0 | $100,500 |
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 14 | $83,714 | $5,571 | $714 | $643 | $90,643 |
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 4 | $39,750 | $38,500 | $250 | $0 | $78,500 |
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 1 | $105,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $105,000 |
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 1 | $55,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $55,000 |
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | ||||||
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | 1 | $68,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $68,000 |
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | ||||||
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 4 | $68,500 | $4,500 | $0 | $0 | $73,000 |
| Canada | 1 | $38,000 | $4,000 | $0 | $0 | $42,000 |
| Mexico | ||||||
| Central and South America | 1 | $33,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $33,000 |
| Eastern Europe | 1 | $2,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $2,000 |
| Western Europe | 4 | $48,500 | $5,000 | $0 | $250 | $53,750 |
| Asia | 2 | $104,000 | $2,000 | $1,000 | $12,500 | $119,500 |
| Middle East | ||||||
| Africa | ||||||
| Australia/New Zealand | ||||||
| Mean | 36 | $69,333 | $7,944 | $500 | $972 | $78,750 |
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < $1 Million US dollars | 3 | $51,333 | $1,000 | $0 | $0 | $52,333 |
| $1M - $3M | 6 | $39,333 | $27,333 | $167 | $167 | $67,000 |
| $3M - $6M | 4 | $54,750 | $2,750 | $0 | $0 | $57,500 |
| $6M - $10M | 4 | $64,000 | $6,750 | $1,250 | $0 | $72,000 |
| $10M - $50M | 14 | $82,357 | $4,786 | $857 | $2,429 | $90,429 |
| $50M - $100M | 1 | $105,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $105,000 |
| $100M - $300M | 1 | $84,000 | $4,000 | $0 | $0 | $88,000 |
| $300M - $500M | 1 | $145,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $145,000 |
| $500M - $1 Billion | 1 | $84,000 | $4,000 | $0 | $0 | $88,000 |
| >$1 Billion US dollars | ||||||
| Mean | 35 | $69,600 | $8,000 | $514 | $1,000 | $79,114 |
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 | ||||||
| 1 - 2 | 1 | $105,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $105,000 |
| 3 - 5 | 1 | $97,000 | $10,000 | $0 | $0 | $107,000 |
| 6 - 10 | 4 | $22,000 | $38,500 | $250 | $0 | $60,750 |
| 11 - 15 | 3 | $48,000 | $3,000 | $0 | $0 | $51,000 |
| 16 - 25 | 3 | $92,333 | $8,000 | $1,333 | $333 | $102,000 |
| >25 | 23 | $75,000 | $3,609 | $565 | $1,478 | $80,652 |
| Mean | 35 | $69,600 | $8,000 | $514 | $1,000 | $79,114 |
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | 1 | $63,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $63,000 |
| 1 - 2 | ||||||
| 3 - 5 | 5 | $49,600 | $5,600 | $1,000 | $0 | $56,200 |
| 6 - 10 | 4 | $65,250 | $3,250 | $1,250 | $0 | $69,750 |
| 11 - 15 | 10 | $66,500 | $2,500 | $0 | $100 | $69,100 |
| 16 - 25 | 9 | $84,667 | $21,778 | $667 | $1,000 | $108,111 |
| >25 | 6 | $72,833 | $3,000 | $333 | $4,167 | $80,333 |
| Mean | 35 | $69,600 | $8,000 | $514 | $1,000 | $79,114 |
| Years at current job | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | 4 | $70,500 | $2,750 | $0 | $1,000 | $74,250 |
| 1 - 2 | 4 | $82,750 | $6,250 | $0 | $1,500 | $90,500 |
| 3 - 5 | 15 | $64,200 | $4,600 | $1,200 | $1,667 | $71,667 |
| 6 - 10 | 6 | $55,333 | $26,667 | $0 | $0 | $82,000 |
| 11 - 15 | 3 | $103,667 | $333 | $0 | $0 | $104,000 |
| 16 - 25 | 2 | $60,000 | $2,000 | $0 | $0 | $62,000 |
| >25 | 1 | $97,000 | $10,000 | $0 | $0 | $107,000 |
| Mean | 35 | $69,600 | $8,000 | $514 | $1,000 | $79,114 |
| Number of employees supervised | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 (None) | 9 | $71,222 | $17,778 | $444 | $556 | $90,000 |
| 1 - 2 | 10 | $59,200 | $2,100 | $600 | $0 | $61,900 |
| 3 - 5 | 5 | $79,400 | $8,400 | $1,200 | $1,000 | $90,000 |
| 6 - 10 | 5 | $82,200 | $6,200 | $0 | $0 | $88,400 |
| > 10 | 6 | $65,833 | $4,333 | $333 | $4,167 | $74,667 |
| Mean | 35 | $69,600 | $8,000 | $514 | $1,000 | $79,114 |
| Highest degree achieved | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| High-school graduate | 7 | $67,429 | $3,286 | $143 | $714 | $71,571 |
| College graduate | 20 | $75,700 | $3,200 | $600 | $1,500 | $81,000 |
| Masters program graduate | 7 | $59,571 | $27,571 | $714 | $0 | $87,857 |
| Ph.D. graduate | 1 | $33,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $33,000 |
| Mean | 35 | $69,600 | $8,000 | $514 | $1,000 | $79,114 |
| Gender | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| Male | 12 | $73,500 | $3,583 | $667 | $2,500 | $80,250 |
| Female | 23 | $67,565 | $10,304 | $435 | $217 | $78,522 |
| Mean | 35 | $69,600 | $8,000 | $514 | $1,000 | $79,114 |
| Age | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 25 | ||||||
| 25 - 30 | 5 | $56,000 | $6,400 | $200 | $0 | $62,600 |
| 31 - 35 | 6 | $65,333 | $2,167 | $1,500 | $0 | $69,000 |
| 36 - 45 | 16 | $74,000 | $13,125 | $0 | $625 | $87,750 |
| 46 - 55 | 6 | $70,000 | $4,167 | $1,333 | $4,167 | $79,667 |
| 56 - 65 | 2 | $80,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $80,000 |
| 66+ | ||||||
| Mean | 35 | $69,600 | $8,000 | $514 | $1,000 | $79,114 |
*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.