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
Research analyst salary by:
| Region in which located | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 5 | $49,800 | $3,000 | $0 | $600 | $53,400 |
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 11 | $58,727 | $1,818 | $273 | $0 | $60,818 |
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 12 | $55,583 | $2,417 | $2,083 | $1,250 | $61,333 |
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 4 | $72,500 | $0 | $500 | $2,250 | $75,250 |
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 4 | $46,750 | $1,500 | $0 | $0 | $48,250 |
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | ||||||
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | 3 | $65,000 | $2,333 | $0 | $0 | $67,333 |
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | 6 | $53,833 | $0 | $0 | $1,000 | $54,833 |
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 6 | $63,500 | $167 | $0 | $0 | $63,667 |
| Canada | 2 | $42,500 | $1,500 | $0 | $500 | $44,500 |
| Mexico | ||||||
| Central and South America | 3 | $17,000 | $667 | $0 | $1,333 | $19,000 |
| Eastern Europe | 3 | $5,333 | $4,000 | $0 | $0 | $9,333 |
| Western Europe | 10 | $28,600 | $200 | $100 | $100 | $29,000 |
| Asia | 1 | $32,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $32,000 |
| Middle East | ||||||
| Africa | 2 | $9,500 | $500 | $0 | $0 | $10,000 |
| Australia/New Zealand | ||||||
| Mean | 72 | $47,597 | $1,361 | $431 | $542 | $49,931 |
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < $1 Million US dollars | 10 | $25,100 | $400 | $0 | $300 | $25,800 |
| $1M - $3M | 13 | $47,308 | $2,231 | $231 | $0 | $49,769 |
| $3M - $6M | 7 | $47,857 | $714 | $286 | $1,857 | $50,714 |
| $6M - $10M | 5 | $46,800 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $48,000 |
| $10M - $50M | 15 | $50,333 | $667 | $0 | $67 | $51,067 |
| $50M - $100M | 4 | $57,500 | $6,500 | $6,500 | $3,750 | $74,250 |
| $100M - $300M | 1 | $63,000 | $1,000 | $0 | $0 | $64,000 |
| $300M - $500M | 4 | $67,500 | $0 | $0 | $1,500 | $69,000 |
| $500M - $1 Billion | 2 | $66,500 | $3,500 | $0 | $0 | $70,000 |
| >$1 Billion US dollars | 6 | $52,333 | $167 | $0 | $0 | $52,500 |
| Mean | 67 | $47,761 | $1,328 | $463 | $567 | $50,119 |
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 | ||||||
| 1 - 2 | 4 | $37,250 | $750 | $0 | $0 | $38,000 |
| 3 - 5 | 8 | $32,875 | $1,500 | $0 | $0 | $34,375 |
| 6 - 10 | 7 | $54,286 | $2,429 | $429 | $1,286 | $58,429 |
| 11 - 15 | 6 | $56,333 | $2,333 | $333 | $1,000 | $60,000 |
| 16 - 25 | 8 | $49,125 | $500 | $0 | $0 | $49,625 |
| >25 | 38 | $49,184 | $1,237 | $684 | $632 | $51,737 |
| Mean | 71 | $47,775 | $1,366 | $437 | $549 | $50,127 |
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | 10 | $35,400 | $1,800 | $0 | $0 | $37,200 |
| 1 - 2 | 23 | $44,217 | $522 | $0 | $174 | $44,913 |
| 3 - 5 | 14 | $50,786 | $571 | $214 | $714 | $52,286 |
| 6 - 10 | 21 | $55,619 | $2,810 | $1,333 | $1,190 | $60,952 |
| 11 - 15 | 2 | $34,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $34,000 |
| 16 - 25 | 1 | $74,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $74,000 |
| >25 | ||||||
| Mean | 71 | $47,775 | $1,366 | $437 | $549 | $50,127 |
| Years at current job | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | 21 | $42,333 | $857 | $48 | $0 | $43,238 |
| 1 - 2 | 31 | $50,645 | $1,032 | $0 | $258 | $51,935 |
| 3 - 5 | 13 | $55,692 | $3,462 | $2,308 | $1,615 | $63,077 |
| 6 - 10 | 6 | $34,833 | $333 | $0 | $1,667 | $36,833 |
| 11 - 15 | ||||||
| 16 - 25 | ||||||
| >25 | ||||||
| Mean | 71 | $47,775 | $1,366 | $437 | $549 | $50,127 |
| Number of employees supervised | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 (None) | 64 | $48,391 | $1,031 | $94 | $375 | $49,891 |
| 1 - 2 | 4 | $44,750 | $1,500 | $0 | $0 | $46,250 |
| 3 - 5 | 1 | $65,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $15,000 | $130,000 |
| 6 - 10 | 1 | $46,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $46,000 |
| > 10 | 1 | $5,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $5,000 |
| Mean | 71 | $47,775 | $1,366 | $437 | $549 | $50,127 |
| Highest degree achieved | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| High-school graduate | ||||||
| College graduate | 41 | $45,268 | $1,049 | $24 | $268 | $46,610 |
| Masters program graduate | 29 | $50,724 | $1,000 | $172 | $448 | $52,345 |
| Ph.D. graduate | 1 | $65,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $15,000 | $130,000 |
| Mean | 71 | $47,775 | $1,366 | $437 | $549 | $50,127 |
| Gender | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| Male | 26 | $42,038 | $1,038 | $115 | $385 | $43,577 |
| Female | 45 | $51,089 | $1,556 | $622 | $644 | $53,911 |
| Mean | 71 | $47,775 | $1,366 | $437 | $549 | $50,127 |
| Age | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 25 | 14 | $51,929 | $1,000 | $0 | $0 | $52,929 |
| 25 - 30 | 28 | $43,643 | $1,036 | $36 | $250 | $44,964 |
| 31 - 35 | 16 | $52,938 | $813 | $313 | $1,000 | $55,063 |
| 36 - 45 | 11 | $43,091 | $3,545 | $2,273 | $1,455 | $50,364 |
| 46 - 55 | 2 | $61,000 | $1,000 | $0 | $0 | $62,000 |
| 56 - 65 | ||||||
| 66+ | ||||||
| Mean | 71 | $47,775 | $1,366 | $437 | $549 | $50,127 |
*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.