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
Owner/partner salary and compensation by:
| Industry | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| Advertising/Public Relations | 1 | $115,000 | $0 | $50,000 | $15,000 | $180,000 |
| Agriculture | ||||||
| Automotive | ||||||
| Banking/Financial | ||||||
| Building Materials/Products | ||||||
| Computer Hardware/Software | 1 | $153,000 | $0 | $0 | $5,000 | $158,000 |
| Construction/Housing | ||||||
| Consulting | 4 | $126,500 | $32,750 | $31,000 | $18,750 | $209,000 |
| Consumer Goods | ||||||
| Education | ||||||
| Entertainment | 1 | $175,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $175,000 |
| Food/Beverage | 1 | $3,000 | $0 | $5,000 | $0 | $8,000 |
| Government | 1 | $125,000 | $0 | $0 | $5,000 | $130,000 |
| Health Care/Pharmaceuticals | 1 | $10,000 | $0 | $25,000 | $1,000 | $36,000 |
| Hospitality (hotels, etc.) | ||||||
| Insurance | ||||||
| Manufacturing | 1 | $65,000 | $5,000 | $4,000 | $8,000 | $82,000 |
| Media/Publishing/Information | ||||||
| Non-Profits | ||||||
| Retail | 1 | $25,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $25,000 |
| Technology/IT/Web | 1 | $0 | $0 | $200,000 | $0 | $200,000 |
| Telecommunications | ||||||
| Transportation | ||||||
| Travel | ||||||
| Utilities/Energy | ||||||
| Other | ||||||
| Mean | 13 | $90,538 | $10,462 | $31,385 | $8,385 | $140,769 |
| Region in which located | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 2 | $100,000 | $50,000 | $150,000 | $0 | $300,000 |
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 1 | $65,000 | $5,000 | $4,000 | $8,000 | $82,000 |
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 1 | $75,000 | $0 | $24,000 | $75,000 | $174,000 |
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 1 | $115,000 | $0 | $50,000 | $15,000 | $180,000 |
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 1 | $200,000 | $30,000 | $0 | $0 | $230,000 |
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | ||||||
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | ||||||
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | ||||||
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 3 | $108,333 | $0 | $0 | $1,667 | $110,000 |
| Canada | ||||||
| Mexico | ||||||
| Central and South America | ||||||
| Eastern Europe | ||||||
| Western Europe | ||||||
| Asia | 2 | $20,500 | $500 | $12,500 | $500 | $34,000 |
| Middle East | 1 | $3,000 | $0 | $5,000 | $0 | $8,000 |
| Africa | ||||||
| Australia/New Zealand | 1 | $153,000 | $0 | $0 | $5,000 | $158,000 |
| Mean | 13 | $90,538 | $10,462 | $31,385 | $8,385 | $140,769 |
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < $1 Million US dollars | 4 | $58,500 | $250 | $1,250 | $0 | $60,000 |
| $1M - $3M | 2 | $100,000 | $15,000 | $100,000 | $0 | $215,000 |
| $3M - $6M | 3 | $146,667 | $33,333 | $50,000 | $6,667 | $236,667 |
| $6M - $10M | 1 | $153,000 | $0 | $0 | $5,000 | $158,000 |
| $10M - $50M | ||||||
| $50M - $100M | 1 | $75,000 | $0 | $24,000 | $75,000 | $174,000 |
| $100M - $300M | ||||||
| $300M - $500M | ||||||
| $500M - $1 Billion | 1 | $10,000 | $0 | $25,000 | $1,000 | $36,000 |
| >$1 Billion US dollars | ||||||
| Mean | 12 | $92,667 | $10,917 | $33,667 | $8,417 | $145,667 |
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 | 4 | $71,250 | $0 | $12,250 | $19,000 | $102,500 |
| 1 - 2 | 6 | $91,500 | $21,833 | $59,167 | $2,500 | $175,000 |
| 3 - 5 | 1 | $125,000 | $0 | $0 | $5,000 | $130,000 |
| 6 - 10 | ||||||
| 11 - 15 | ||||||
| 16 - 25 | ||||||
| >25 | 1 | $153,000 | $0 | $0 | $5,000 | $158,000 |
| Mean | 12 | $92,667 | $10,917 | $33,667 | $8,417 | $145,667 |
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | 3 | $70,000 | $0 | $8,333 | $333 | $78,667 |
| 1 - 2 | ||||||
| 3 - 5 | ||||||
| 6 - 10 | 1 | $3,000 | $0 | $5,000 | $0 | $8,000 |
| 11 - 15 | 1 | $31,000 | $1,000 | $0 | $0 | $32,000 |
| 16 - 25 | 2 | $157,500 | $15,000 | $25,000 | $7,500 | $205,000 |
| >25 | 5 | $110,600 | $20,000 | $64,800 | $17,000 | $212,400 |
| Mean | 12 | $92,667 | $10,917 | $33,667 | $8,417 | $145,667 |
| Years at current job | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | ||||||
| 1 - 2 | ||||||
| 3 - 5 | 3 | $86,333 | $333 | $8,000 | $26,667 | $121,333 |
| 6 - 10 | 2 | $105,000 | $50,000 | $62,500 | $500 | $218,000 |
| 11 - 15 | 2 | $59,000 | $0 | $27,500 | $7,500 | $94,000 |
| 16 - 25 | 5 | $105,000 | $6,000 | $40,000 | $1,000 | $152,000 |
| >25 | ||||||
| Mean | 12 | $92,667 | $10,917 | $33,667 | $8,417 | $145,667 |
| Number of employees supervised | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 (None) | 3 | $43,667 | $333 | $8,000 | $25,000 | $77,000 |
| 1 - 2 | 1 | $153,000 | $0 | $0 | $5,000 | $158,000 |
| 3 - 5 | 2 | $162,500 | $50,000 | $50,000 | $2,500 | $265,000 |
| 6 - 10 | 1 | $0 | $0 | $200,000 | $0 | $200,000 |
| > 10 | 5 | $100,600 | $6,000 | $16,000 | $3,200 | $125,800 |
| Mean | 12 | $92,667 | $10,917 | $33,667 | $8,417 | $145,667 |
| Highest degree achieved | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| High-school graduate | 1 | $25,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $25,000 |
| College graduate | 2 | $187,500 | $50,000 | $50,000 | $0 | $287,500 |
| Masters program graduate | 7 | $56,714 | $143 | $36,286 | $12,286 | $105,429 |
| Ph.D. graduate | 2 | $157,500 | $15,000 | $25,000 | $7,500 | $205,000 |
| Mean | 12 | $92,667 | $10,917 | $33,667 | $8,417 | $145,667 |
| Gender | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| Male | 8 | $90,250 | $16,375 | $41,250 | $1,375 | $149,250 |
| Female | 4 | $97,500 | $0 | $18,500 | $22,500 | $138,500 |
| Mean | 12 | $92,667 | $10,917 | $33,667 | $8,417 | $145,667 |
| Age | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 25 | ||||||
| 25 - 30 | ||||||
| 31 - 35 | ||||||
| 36 - 45 | 2 | $20,500 | $500 | $12,500 | $500 | $34,000 |
| 46 - 55 | 5 | $43,600 | $0 | $55,800 | $18,000 | $117,400 |
| 56 - 65 | 5 | $170,600 | $26,000 | $20,000 | $2,000 | $218,600 |
| 66+ | ||||||
| Mean | 12 | $92,667 | $10,917 | $33,667 | $8,417 | $145,667 |
*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