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
Project manager salary by:
| Industry | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| Advertising/Public Relations | ||||||
| Agriculture | 1 | $87,000 | $3,000 | $0 | $0 | $90,000 |
| Automotive | ||||||
| Banking/Financial | 3 | $77,333 | $14,667 | $333 | $4,000 | $96,333 |
| Building Materials/Products | ||||||
| Computer Hardware/Software | ||||||
| Construction/Housing | ||||||
| Consulting | 1 | $125,000 | $23,000 | $0 | $2,000 | $150,000 |
| Consumer Goods | ||||||
| Education | ||||||
| Entertainment | ||||||
| Food/Beverage | 2 | $95,500 | $12,000 | $5,000 | $1,000 | $113,500 |
| Government | ||||||
| Health Care/Pharmaceuticals | 2 | $62,500 | $500 | $32,500 | $0 | $95,500 |
| Hospitality (hotels, etc.) | ||||||
| Insurance | 1 | $86,000 | $6,000 | $0 | $0 | $92,000 |
| Manufacturing | ||||||
| Media/Publishing/Information | 4 | $56,500 | $250 | $0 | $250 | $57,000 |
| Non-Profits | 1 | $54,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $54,000 |
| Retail | ||||||
| Technology/IT/Web | 1 | $60,000 | $1,000 | $4,000 | $0 | $65,000 |
| Telecommunications | 1 | $102,000 | $17,000 | $0 | $0 | $119,000 |
| Transportation | ||||||
| Travel | 1 | $85,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $0 | $89,000 |
| Utilities/Energy | 1 | $140,000 | $1,000 | $0 | $0 | $141,000 |
| Other | 3 | $42,667 | $2,000 | $0 | $333 | $45,000 |
| Mean | 22 | $74,591 | $5,864 | $3,727 | $818 | $85,000 |
| Region in which located | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | ||||||
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 2 | $43,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $43,000 |
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 5 | $98,600 | $6,800 | $13,000 | $400 | $118,800 |
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | ||||||
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 4 | $79,250 | $10,000 | $2,500 | $2,500 | $94,250 |
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | 2 | $73,000 | $3,500 | $0 | $500 | $77,000 |
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | 2 | $90,500 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $0 | $92,500 |
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | 1 | $70,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $70,000 |
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 1 | $120,000 | $18,000 | $5,000 | $2,000 | $145,000 |
| Canada | ||||||
| Mexico | ||||||
| Central and South America | 1 | $40,000 | $7,000 | $0 | $2,000 | $49,000 |
| Eastern Europe | 1 | $1,000 | $0 | $0 | $1,000 | $2,000 |
| Western Europe | 3 | $62,333 | $7,000 | $0 | $0 | $69,333 |
| Asia | ||||||
| Middle East | ||||||
| Africa | ||||||
| Australia/New Zealand | ||||||
| Mean | 22 | $74,591 | $5,864 | $3,727 | $818 | $85,000 |
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < $1 Million US dollars | 3 | $15,333 | $333 | $0 | $333 | $16,000 |
| $1M - $3M | 1 | $60,000 | $1,000 | $4,000 | $0 | $65,000 |
| $3M - $6M | ||||||
| $6M - $10M | 1 | $54,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $54,000 |
| $10M - $50M | 1 | $86,000 | $3,000 | $0 | $1,000 | $90,000 |
| $50M - $100M | 2 | $63,000 | $1,500 | $0 | $0 | $64,500 |
| $100M - $300M | 2 | $118,000 | $500 | $0 | $0 | $118,500 |
| $300M - $500M | ||||||
| $500M - $1 Billion | 2 | $55,000 | $3,500 | $0 | $1,000 | $59,500 |
| >$1 Billion US dollars | 8 | $97,750 | $13,250 | $1,625 | $1,750 | $114,375 |
| Mean | 20 | $75,000 | $6,100 | $850 | $900 | $82,850 |
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 | 1 | $125,000 | $23,000 | $0 | $2,000 | $150,000 |
| 1 - 2 | 8 | $72,750 | $1,125 | $0 | $125 | $74,000 |
| 3 - 5 | 3 | $38,333 | $333 | $1,333 | $333 | $40,333 |
| 6 - 10 | 2 | $86,500 | $4,500 | $0 | $0 | $91,000 |
| 11 - 15 | ||||||
| 16 - 25 | ||||||
| >25 | 7 | $84,429 | $12,286 | $1,857 | $2,000 | $100,571 |
| Mean | 21 | $75,524 | $6,095 | $810 | $857 | $83,286 |
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | ||||||
| 1 - 2 | 3 | $61,000 | $1,000 | $667 | $0 | $62,667 |
| 3 - 5 | 3 | $52,333 | $2,000 | $0 | $0 | $54,333 |
| 6 - 10 | 6 | $75,500 | $6,333 | $0 | $833 | $82,667 |
| 11 - 15 | 4 | $79,250 | $5,500 | $2,250 | $500 | $87,500 |
| 16 - 25 | 3 | $106,667 | $17,667 | $333 | $3,667 | $128,333 |
| >25 | 2 | $78,000 | $3,000 | $2,500 | $0 | $83,500 |
| Mean | 21 | $75,524 | $6,095 | $810 | $857 | $83,286 |
| Years at current job | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | 3 | $57,333 | $2,667 | $667 | $0 | $60,667 |
| 1 - 2 | 2 | $70,500 | $1,500 | $0 | $0 | $72,000 |
| 3 - 5 | 6 | $71,500 | $2,333 | $667 | $333 | $74,833 |
| 6 - 10 | 5 | $85,200 | $9,000 | $1,200 | $2,200 | $97,600 |
| 11 - 15 | 2 | $60,500 | $9,000 | $2,500 | $1,500 | $73,500 |
| 16 - 25 | 3 | $99,000 | $13,333 | $0 | $667 | $113,000 |
| >25 | ||||||
| Mean | 21 | $75,524 | $6,095 | $810 | $857 | $83,286 |
| Number of employees supervised | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 (None) | 14 | $70,214 | $4,571 | $714 | $357 | $75,857 |
| 1 - 2 | 2 | $96,000 | $18,500 | $500 | $5,000 | $120,000 |
| 3 - 5 | 4 | $71,500 | $1,000 | $1,500 | $250 | $74,250 |
| 6 - 10 | 1 | $125,000 | $23,000 | $0 | $2,000 | $150,000 |
| > 10 | ||||||
| Mean | 21 | $75,524 | $6,095 | $810 | $857 | $83,286 |
| Highest degree achieved | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| High-school graduate | 2 | $60,000 | $2,500 | $2,000 | $0 | $64,500 |
| College graduate | 7 | $86,857 | $9,714 | $429 | $2,000 | $99,000 |
| Masters program graduate | 10 | $66,800 | $3,700 | $500 | $200 | $71,200 |
| Ph.D. graduate | 1 | $120,000 | $18,000 | $5,000 | $2,000 | $145,000 |
| Mean | 20 | $75,800 | $6,400 | $850 | $900 | $83,950 |
| Gender | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| Male | 9 | $65,111 | $4,667 | $556 | $222 | $70,556 |
| Female | 11 | $84,545 | $7,818 | $1,091 | $1,455 | $94,909 |
| Mean | 20 | $75,800 | $6,400 | $850 | $900 | $83,950 |
| Age | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 25 | ||||||
| 25 - 30 | 3 | $61,333 | $2,333 | $0 | $0 | $63,667 |
| 31 - 35 | 4 | $32,250 | $2,500 | $0 | $750 | $35,500 |
| 36 - 45 | 3 | $80,000 | $7,667 | $3,000 | $667 | $91,333 |
| 46 - 55 | 7 | $95,286 | $11,571 | $429 | $1,857 | $109,143 |
| 56 - 65 | 3 | $98,667 | $2,333 | $1,667 | $0 | $102,667 |
| 66+ | ||||||
| Mean | 20 | $75,800 | $6,400 | $850 | $900 | $83,950 |
*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.