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
Salary by:
| Region in which located | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 4 | $60,250 | $5,750 | $0 | $250 | $66,250 |
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 6 | $84,000 | $6,167 | $1,333 | $2,333 | $93,833 |
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 9 | $73,889 | $2,111 | $667 | $222 | $76,889 |
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | ||||||
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 4 | $95,000 | $3,250 | $0 | $0 | $98,250 |
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | 1 | $58,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $58,000 |
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | 3 | $70,000 | $1,667 | $0 | $3,333 | $75,000 |
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | 1 | $150,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $150,000 |
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 7 | $74,286 | $9,571 | $0 | $143 | $84,000 |
| Canada | 1 | $43,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $43,000 |
| Mexico | ||||||
| Central and South America | 1 | $4,000 | $0 | $0 | $4,000 | $8,000 |
| Eastern Europe | 1 | $7,000 | $3,000 | $0 | $0 | $10,000 |
| Western Europe | 4 | $47,750 | $1,000 | $2,750 | $1,250 | $52,750 |
| Asia | 2 | $30,500 | $3,000 | $0 | $500 | $34,000 |
| Middle East | 1 | $17,000 | $1,000 | $0 | $0 | $18,000 |
| Africa | ||||||
| Australia/New Zealand | ||||||
| Mean | 45 | $67,800 | $3,956 | $556 | $844 | $73,156 |
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < $1 Million US dollars | 2 | $28,000 | $1,500 | $0 | $0 | $29,500 |
| $1M - $3M | 7 | $48,857 | $2,714 | $714 | $857 | $53,143 |
| $3M - $6M | 2 | $61,000 | $2,000 | $0 | $7,500 | $70,500 |
| $6M - $10M | 2 | $48,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $48,000 |
| $10M - $50M | 11 | $81,091 | $7,364 | $273 | $364 | $89,091 |
| $50M - $100M | 4 | $67,250 | $6,750 | $0 | $500 | $74,500 |
| $100M - $300M | 4 | $86,750 | $3,250 | $2,750 | $0 | $92,750 |
| $300M - $500M | 2 | $82,000 | $6,000 | $0 | $0 | $88,000 |
| $500M - $1 Billion | 1 | $80,000 | $1,000 | $6,000 | $0 | $87,000 |
| >$1 Billion US dollars | 4 | $72,250 | $2,500 | $0 | $2,750 | $77,500 |
| Mean | 39 | $68,128 | $4,359 | $641 | $974 | $74,103 |
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 | 1 | $70,000 | $0 | $0 | $10,000 | $80,000 |
| 1 - 2 | ||||||
| 3 - 5 | 4 | $59,750 | $4,250 | $1,250 | $1,500 | $66,750 |
| 6 - 10 | 1 | $69,000 | $0 | $0 | $10,000 | $79,000 |
| 11 - 15 | 2 | $5,000 | $1,500 | $0 | $0 | $6,500 |
| 16 - 25 | 4 | $47,750 | $1,500 | $0 | $0 | $49,250 |
| >25 | 31 | $74,323 | $4,742 | $645 | $387 | $80,097 |
| Mean | 43 | $67,047 | $4,023 | $581 | $884 | $72,535 |
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | 1 | $60,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $60,000 |
| 1 - 2 | ||||||
| 3 - 5 | 7 | $64,429 | $3,714 | $0 | $571 | $68,714 |
| 6 - 10 | 9 | $44,889 | $5,556 | $0 | $1,111 | $51,556 |
| 11 - 15 | 7 | $75,429 | $2,714 | $714 | $2,714 | $81,571 |
| 16 - 25 | 12 | $83,750 | $6,000 | $250 | $417 | $90,417 |
| >25 | 7 | $62,143 | $857 | $2,429 | $0 | $65,429 |
| Mean | 43 | $67,047 | $4,023 | $581 | $884 | $72,535 |
| Years at current job | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | 10 | $90,100 | $3,100 | $0 | $1,200 | $94,400 |
| 1 - 2 | 3 | $55,333 | $16,000 | $0 | $2,000 | $73,333 |
| 3 - 5 | 11 | $65,182 | $6,273 | $727 | $455 | $72,636 |
| 6 - 10 | 12 | $61,750 | $1,667 | $500 | $0 | $63,917 |
| 11 - 15 | 3 | $59,333 | $1,667 | $0 | $5,000 | $66,000 |
| 16 - 25 | 3 | $59,000 | $0 | $3,667 | $0 | $62,667 |
| >25 | 1 | $3,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $3,000 |
| Mean | 43 | $67,047 | $4,023 | $581 | $884 | $72,535 |
| Number of employees supervised | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 (None) | 23 | $64,174 | $1,826 | $0 | $1,043 | $67,043 |
| 1 - 2 | 10 | $78,800 | $7,000 | $800 | $500 | $87,100 |
| 3 - 5 | 3 | $54,000 | $2,333 | $2,000 | $0 | $58,333 |
| 6 - 10 | 4 | $68,500 | $2,500 | $2,750 | $1,000 | $74,750 |
| > 10 | 3 | $61,000 | $14,667 | $0 | $1,667 | $77,333 |
| Mean | 43 | $67,047 | $4,023 | $581 | $884 | $72,535 |
| Highest degree achieved | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| High-school graduate | 7 | $32,143 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $32,143 |
| College graduate | 21 | $68,429 | $4,190 | $429 | $381 | $73,429 |
| Masters program graduate | 15 | $81,400 | $5,667 | $1,067 | $2,000 | $90,133 |
| Ph.D. graduate | ||||||
| Mean | 43 | $67,047 | $4,023 | $581 | $884 | $72,535 |
| Gender | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| Male | 17 | $65,294 | $3,059 | $0 | $1,118 | $69,471 |
| Female | 26 | $68,192 | $4,654 | $962 | $731 | $74,538 |
| Mean | 43 | $67,047 | $4,023 | $581 | $884 | $72,535 |
| Age | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 25 | 1 | $33,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $33,000 |
| 25 - 30 | 5 | $41,600 | $4,000 | $0 | $400 | $46,000 |
| 31 - 35 | 5 | $65,600 | $11,800 | $0 | $1,400 | $78,800 |
| 36 - 45 | 15 | $68,533 | $3,200 | $333 | $1,267 | $73,333 |
| 46 - 55 | 12 | $70,333 | $3,750 | $1,667 | $0 | $75,750 |
| 56 - 65 | 4 | $101,750 | $0 | $0 | $2,500 | $104,250 |
| 66+ | 1 | $35,000 | $1,000 | $0 | $0 | $36,000 |
| Mean | 43 | $67,047 | $4,023 | $581 | $884 | $72,535 |
*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.