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
Group head/manager salary by:
| Region in which located | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 8 | $101,250 | $16,750 | $250 | $1,125 | $119,375 |
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 8 | $108,125 | $20,500 | $36,875 | $37,125 | $202,625 |
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 10 | $109,000 | $5,400 | $0 | $500 | $114,900 |
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 1 | $155,000 | $30,000 | $5,000 | $0 | $190,000 |
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 5 | $87,600 | $30,000 | $3,000 | $1,800 | $122,400 |
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | ||||||
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | 4 | $104,750 | $1,750 | $0 | $250 | $106,750 |
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | 3 | $70,667 | $333 | $0 | $0 | $71,000 |
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 5 | $173,800 | $8,200 | $0 | $1,200 | $183,200 |
| Canada | 2 | $77,000 | $8,000 | $0 | $1,000 | $86,000 |
| Mexico | ||||||
| Central and South America | 2 | $31,500 | $1,500 | $0 | $3,000 | $36,000 |
| Eastern Europe | 12 | $27,833 | $3,583 | $0 | $0 | $31,417 |
| Western Europe | 16 | $87,438 | $9,500 | $1,000 | $4,625 | $102,563 |
| Asia | 9 | $53,111 | $17,889 | $1,222 | $3,000 | $75,222 |
| Middle East | 1 | $117,000 | $15,000 | $15,000 | $0 | $147,000 |
| Africa | 4 | $45,000 | $19,500 | $0 | $0 | $64,500 |
| Australia/New Zealand | 1 | $8,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $8,000 |
| Mean | 91 | $83,418 | $11,527 | $3,945 | $4,791 | $103,681 |
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < $1 Million US dollars | 5 | $36,600 | $17,400 | $200 | $1,400 | $55,600 |
| $1M - $3M | 8 | $54,000 | $11,625 | $0 | $1,875 | $67,500 |
| $3M - $6M | 6 | $84,167 | $6,667 | $0 | $2,167 | $93,000 |
| $6M - $10M | 11 | $78,909 | $12,182 | $273 | $636 | $92,000 |
| $10M - $50M | 24 | $79,125 | $9,208 | $125 | $2,292 | $90,750 |
| $50M - $100M | 11 | $100,455 | $13,909 | $27,909 | $27,000 | $169,273 |
| $100M - $300M | 7 | $109,714 | $19,143 | $1,857 | $286 | $131,000 |
| $300M - $500M | 3 | $137,000 | $21,667 | $6,667 | $0 | $165,333 |
| $500M - $1 Billion | 3 | $191,333 | $7,333 | $4,000 | $3,333 | $206,000 |
| >$1 Billion US dollars | 7 | $66,143 | $11,714 | $0 | $3,571 | $81,429 |
| Mean | 85 | $84,800 | $12,129 | $4,224 | $5,071 | $106,224 |
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 | ||||||
| 1 - 2 | 2 | $87,500 | $5,500 | $0 | $0 | $93,000 |
| 3 - 5 | 6 | $39,833 | $4,500 | $0 | $667 | $45,000 |
| 6 - 10 | 7 | $110,429 | $20,857 | $0 | $3,429 | $134,714 |
| 11 - 15 | 7 | $94,286 | $12,429 | $571 | $286 | $107,571 |
| 16 - 25 | 11 | $91,182 | $12,909 | $909 | $1,364 | $106,364 |
| >25 | 56 | $81,946 | $11,143 | $6,161 | $6,893 | $106,143 |
| Mean | 89 | $83,584 | $11,652 | $4,034 | $4,843 | $104,112 |
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | ||||||
| 1 - 2 | ||||||
| 3 - 5 | 7 | $33,429 | $4,000 | $143 | $0 | $37,571 |
| 6 - 10 | 15 | $70,600 | $11,867 | $1,000 | $1,933 | $85,400 |
| 11 - 15 | 23 | $86,565 | $14,913 | $565 | $522 | $102,565 |
| 16 - 25 | 31 | $92,839 | $8,258 | $1,032 | $1,613 | $103,742 |
| >25 | 13 | $98,231 | $17,846 | $22,923 | $26,154 | $165,154 |
| Mean | 89 | $83,584 | $11,652 | $4,034 | $4,843 | $104,112 |
| Years at current job | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | 12 | $102,417 | $5,000 | $0 | $1,750 | $109,167 |
| 1 - 2 | 19 | $91,789 | $18,474 | $16,158 | $16,316 | $142,737 |
| 3 - 5 | 27 | $74,778 | $8,704 | $1,074 | $1,481 | $86,037 |
| 6 - 10 | 17 | $79,765 | $14,176 | $1,176 | $1,294 | $96,412 |
| 11 - 15 | 8 | $83,250 | $10,500 | $125 | $4,750 | $98,625 |
| 16 - 25 | 6 | $70,833 | $11,000 | $333 | $0 | $82,167 |
| >25 | ||||||
| Mean | 89 | $83,584 | $11,652 | $4,034 | $4,843 | $104,112 |
| Number of employees supervised | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 (None) | 6 | $83,500 | $14,333 | $0 | $1,000 | $98,833 |
| 1 - 2 | 12 | $65,917 | $14,333 | $0 | $333 | $80,583 |
| 3 - 5 | 22 | $82,500 | $7,318 | $0 | $1,091 | $90,909 |
| 6 - 10 | 26 | $90,462 | $14,269 | $11,808 | $13,577 | $130,115 |
| > 10 | 23 | $86,087 | $10,739 | $2,261 | $1,913 | $101,000 |
| Mean | 89 | $83,584 | $11,652 | $4,034 | $4,843 | $104,112 |
| Highest degree achieved | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| High-school graduate | 6 | $81,667 | $8,333 | $1,667 | $2,667 | $94,333 |
| College graduate | 31 | $84,774 | $14,032 | $9,645 | $10,484 | $118,935 |
| Masters program graduate | 46 | $77,957 | $10,261 | $1,043 | $1,913 | $91,174 |
| Ph.D. graduate | 5 | $135,600 | $16,000 | $400 | $400 | $152,400 |
| Mean | 88 | $83,886 | $11,784 | $4,080 | $4,898 | $104,648 |
| Gender | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| Male | 44 | $77,045 | $13,727 | $7,886 | $9,159 | $107,818 |
| Female | 44 | $90,727 | $9,841 | $273 | $636 | $101,477 |
| Mean | 88 | $83,886 | $11,784 | $4,080 | $4,898 | $104,648 |
| Age | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 25 | ||||||
| 25 - 30 | 7 | $52,429 | $10,429 | $0 | $0 | $62,857 |
| 31 - 35 | 15 | $84,267 | $12,667 | $200 | $467 | $97,600 |
| 36 - 45 | 34 | $80,000 | $11,029 | $1,471 | $1,706 | $94,206 |
| 46 - 55 | 24 | $87,500 | $10,292 | $458 | $1,542 | $99,792 |
| 56 - 65 | 8 | $116,375 | $19,000 | $36,875 | $41,125 | $213,375 |
| 66+ | ||||||
| Mean | 88 | $83,886 | $11,784 | $4,080 | $4,898 | $104,648 |
*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.