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:
| Industry | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| Advertising/Public Relations | 3 | $85,333 | $667 | $667 | $0 | $86,667 |
| Agriculture | 1 | $25,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $25,000 |
| Automotive | 2 | $145,500 | $9,500 | $0 | $3,500 | $158,500 |
| Banking/Financial | 3 | $80,333 | $7,000 | $0 | $1,667 | $89,000 |
| Building Materials/Products | ||||||
| Computer Hardware/Software | ||||||
| Construction/Housing | ||||||
| Consulting | 4 | $60,250 | $1,750 | $0 | $0 | $62,000 |
| Consumer Goods | 5 | $102,000 | $13,000 | $8,000 | $13,200 | $136,200 |
| Education | 1 | $73,000 | $7,000 | $0 | $0 | $80,000 |
| Entertainment | ||||||
| Food/Beverage | 1 | $80,000 | $8,000 | $0 | $0 | $88,000 |
| Government | 1 | $68,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $68,000 |
| Health Care/Pharmaceuticals | 5 | $126,200 | $3,200 | $1,200 | $600 | $131,200 |
| Hospitality (hotels, etc.) | ||||||
| Insurance | 4 | $52,750 | $4,250 | $0 | $0 | $57,000 |
| Manufacturing | 2 | $57,500 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $57,500 |
| Media/Publishing/Information | 1 | $95,000 | $17,000 | $5,000 | $0 | $117,000 |
| Non-Profits | ||||||
| Retail | 1 | $93,000 | $24,000 | $0 | $0 | $117,000 |
| Technology/IT/Web | 2 | $45,500 | $0 | $0 | $1,500 | $47,000 |
| Telecommunications | ||||||
| Transportation | ||||||
| Travel | ||||||
| Utilities/Energy | 1 | $87,000 | $9,000 | $0 | $0 | $96,000 |
| Other | 4 | $86,750 | $30,750 | $0 | $3,250 | $120,750 |
| Mean | 41 | $84,268 | $8,171 | $1,293 | $2,366 | $96,098 |
| Region in which located | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 2 | $82,500 | $11,000 | $2,500 | $1,000 | $97,000 |
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 7 | $91,286 | $3,714 | $1,000 | $143 | $96,143 |
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 8 | $90,500 | $19,250 | $2,500 | $250 | $112,500 |
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 7 | $83,286 | $9,286 | $0 | $0 | $92,571 |
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 2 | $121,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $121,000 |
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | ||||||
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | ||||||
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | 3 | $43,333 | $0 | $333 | $667 | $44,333 |
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 3 | $130,333 | $6,333 | $0 | $2,333 | $139,000 |
| Canada | 2 | $68,000 | $1,000 | $0 | $6,500 | $75,500 |
| Mexico | ||||||
| Central and South America | 2 | $28,500 | $2,500 | $0 | $0 | $31,000 |
| Eastern Europe | ||||||
| Western Europe | 4 | $94,250 | $10,000 | $5,000 | $17,500 | $126,750 |
| Asia | ||||||
| Middle East | 1 | $11,000 | $2,000 | $0 | $0 | $13,000 |
| Africa | ||||||
| Australia/New Zealand | ||||||
| Mean | 41 | $84,268 | $8,171 | $1,293 | $2,366 | $96,098 |
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < $1 Million US dollars | 2 | $70,500 | $3,500 | $0 | $0 | $74,000 |
| $1M - $3M | 2 | $34,500 | $1,000 | $0 | $0 | $35,500 |
| $3M - $6M | 1 | $30,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $30,000 |
| $6M - $10M | 2 | $102,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $0 | $104,000 |
| $10M - $50M | 4 | $63,250 | $1,750 | $0 | $3,250 | $68,250 |
| $50M - $100M | 1 | $84,000 | $110,000 | $0 | $1,000 | $195,000 |
| $100M - $300M | 1 | $74,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $74,000 |
| $300M - $500M | 1 | $115,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $115,000 |
| $500M - $1 Billion | 5 | $69,800 | $5,600 | $0 | $1,400 | $76,800 |
| >$1 Billion US dollars | 19 | $100,368 | $9,421 | $2,632 | $3,895 | $116,316 |
| Mean | 38 | $84,895 | $8,816 | $1,368 | $2,500 | $97,579 |
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 | 2 | $40,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $40,000 |
| 1 - 2 | 10 | $95,600 | $3,700 | $700 | $1,400 | $101,400 |
| 3 - 5 | 6 | $94,333 | $6,833 | $0 | $1,667 | $102,833 |
| 6 - 10 | 6 | $81,000 | $1,333 | $0 | $0 | $82,333 |
| 11 - 15 | 2 | $94,500 | $11,500 | $10,000 | $500 | $116,500 |
| 16 - 25 | 3 | $53,000 | $38,333 | $0 | $333 | $91,667 |
| >25 | 11 | $85,818 | $10,091 | $2,273 | $6,273 | $104,455 |
| Mean | 40 | $84,500 | $8,375 | $1,300 | $2,375 | $96,550 |
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | 5 | $40,000 | $3,000 | $0 | $0 | $43,000 |
| 1 - 2 | ||||||
| 3 - 5 | 7 | $72,286 | $5,286 | $714 | $286 | $78,571 |
| 6 - 10 | 5 | $83,200 | $28,400 | $0 | $200 | $111,800 |
| 11 - 15 | 6 | $84,833 | $7,333 | $333 | $2,500 | $95,000 |
| 16 - 25 | 14 | $111,071 | $6,429 | $3,214 | $5,500 | $126,214 |
| >25 | 1 | $113,000 | $6,000 | $0 | $0 | $119,000 |
| Mean | 38 | $86,816 | $8,789 | $1,368 | $2,500 | $99,474 |
| Years at current job | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | 7 | $76,857 | $6,143 | $0 | $0 | $83,000 |
| 1 - 2 | 8 | $79,750 | $8,625 | $2,750 | $9,375 | $100,500 |
| 3 - 5 | 14 | $104,214 | $13,786 | $2,143 | $857 | $121,000 |
| 6 - 10 | 5 | $97,400 | $3,400 | $0 | $1,600 | $102,400 |
| 11 - 15 | 3 | $44,333 | $2,333 | $0 | $0 | $46,667 |
| 16 - 25 | 1 | $44,000 | $5,000 | $0 | $0 | $49,000 |
| >25 | ||||||
| Mean | 38 | $86,816 | $8,789 | $1,368 | $2,500 | $99,474 |
| Number of employees supervised | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 (None) | 25 | $87,200 | $6,440 | $1,280 | $3,040 | $97,960 |
| 1 - 2 | 2 | $86,000 | $8,000 | $0 | $0 | $94,000 |
| 3 - 5 | 5 | $111,400 | $7,000 | $4,000 | $3,600 | $126,000 |
| 6 - 10 | 5 | $55,000 | $24,400 | $0 | $200 | $79,600 |
| > 10 | 1 | $115,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $115,000 |
| Mean | 38 | $86,816 | $8,789 | $1,368 | $2,500 | $99,474 |
| Highest degree achieved | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| High-school graduate | 2 | $49,000 | $1,000 | $0 | $0 | $50,000 |
| College graduate | 16 | $87,563 | $6,188 | $1,375 | $1,313 | $96,438 |
| Masters program graduate | 19 | $87,368 | $11,421 | $1,579 | $3,632 | $104,000 |
| Ph.D. graduate | 1 | $140,000 | $16,000 | $0 | $5,000 | $161,000 |
| Mean | 38 | $86,816 | $8,789 | $1,368 | $2,500 | $99,474 |
| Gender | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| Male | 11 | $102,636 | $8,455 | $2,273 | $8,000 | $121,364 |
| Female | 27 | $80,370 | $8,926 | $1,000 | $259 | $90,556 |
| Mean | 38 | $86,816 | $8,789 | $1,368 | $2,500 | $99,474 |
| Age | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 25 | 1 | $30,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $30,000 |
| 25 - 30 | 5 | $64,600 | $6,800 | $0 | $400 | $71,800 |
| 31 - 35 | 8 | $75,375 | $17,875 | $625 | $125 | $94,000 |
| 36 - 45 | 12 | $91,917 | $10,167 | $3,500 | $7,000 | $112,583 |
| 46 - 55 | 10 | $100,100 | $3,500 | $0 | $700 | $104,300 |
| 56 - 65 | 2 | $119,500 | $0 | $2,500 | $500 | $122,500 |
| 66+ | ||||||
| Mean | 38 | $86,816 | $8,789 | $1,368 | $2,500 | $99,474 |
*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.