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
Market research project director/manager salary by:
| Region in which located | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 10 | $74,400 | $3,300 | $200 | $100 | $78,000 |
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 23 | $72,000 | $2,087 | $1,304 | $261 | $75,652 |
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 18 | $62,167 | $2,056 | $0 | $6,722 | $70,944 |
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 7 | $55,429 | $2,286 | $0 | $1,143 | $58,857 |
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 11 | $69,182 | $3,364 | $0 | $0 | $72,545 |
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | 1 | $54,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $54,000 |
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | 5 | $58,600 | $2,800 | $0 | $200 | $61,600 |
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | 7 | $59,286 | $6,000 | $1,714 | $571 | $67,571 |
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 22 | $79,227 | $2,636 | $2,636 | $1,591 | $86,091 |
| Canada | 6 | $51,833 | $667 | $0 | $7,333 | $59,833 |
| Mexico | 2 | $43,500 | $2,000 | $500 | $4,500 | $50,500 |
| Central and South America | 4 | $30,250 | $3,000 | $2,000 | $0 | $35,250 |
| Eastern Europe | 2 | $16,500 | $0 | $0 | $500 | $17,000 |
| Western Europe | 13 | $51,538 | $2,077 | $0 | $231 | $53,846 |
| Asia | 9 | $30,667 | $5,667 | $0 | $0 | $36,333 |
| Middle East | 3 | $44,667 | $2,667 | $0 | $24,000 | $71,333 |
| Africa | 1 | $3,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $3,000 |
| Australia/New Zealand | 1 | $83,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $83,000 |
| Mean | 145 | $61,317 | $2,697 | $766 | $2,103 | $66,883 |
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < $1 Million US dollars | 10 | $48,800 | $400 | $7,900 | $200 | $57,300 |
| $1M - $3M | 27 | $52,741 | $2,704 | $37 | $519 | $56,000 |
| $3M - $6M | 21 | $59,190 | $2,857 | $95 | $190 | $62,333 |
| $6M - $10M | 9 | $62,889 | $1,444 | $0 | $111 | $64,444 |
| $10M - $50M | 37 | $70,459 | $2,730 | $243 | $2,189 | $75,622 |
| $50M - $100M | 6 | $46,167 | $667 | $0 | $0 | $46,833 |
| $100M - $300M | 4 | $73,750 | $13,000 | $0 | $40,500 | $127,250 |
| $300M - $500M | 6 | $52,333 | $2,667 | $0 | $167 | $55,167 |
| $500M - $1 Billion | 1 | $55,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $55,000 |
| >$1 Billion US dollars | 9 | $80,444 | $3,111 | $0 | $3,111 | $86,667 |
| Mean | 130 | $61,485 | $2,700 | $700 | $2,254 | $67,138 |
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 | ||||||
| 1 - 2 | 6 | $45,667 | $3,833 | $6,167 | $333 | $56,000 |
| 3 - 5 | 11 | $53,182 | $1,727 | $818 | $91 | $55,818 |
| 6 - 10 | 26 | $59,423 | $3,077 | $2,077 | $1,577 | $66,154 |
| 11 - 15 | 9 | $53,778 | $1,111 | $0 | $111 | $55,000 |
| 16 - 25 | 17 | $59,294 | $3,118 | $235 | $235 | $62,882 |
| >25 | 68 | $65,441 | $2,926 | $103 | $3,735 | $72,206 |
| Mean | 137 | $60,920 | $2,803 | $810 | $2,212 | $66,745 |
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | 3 | $55,000 | $2,667 | $0 | $0 | $57,667 |
| 1 - 2 | 15 | $45,600 | $1,400 | $67 | $400 | $47,467 |
| 3 - 5 | 38 | $63,789 | $3,053 | $132 | $1,263 | $68,237 |
| 6 - 10 | 32 | $55,656 | $3,750 | $125 | $3,469 | $63,000 |
| 11 - 15 | 22 | $65,636 | $3,591 | $2,136 | $5,773 | $77,136 |
| 16 - 25 | 19 | $65,632 | $1,316 | $0 | $579 | $67,526 |
| >25 | 8 | $75,125 | $1,875 | $6,750 | $0 | $83,750 |
| Mean | 137 | $60,920 | $2,803 | $810 | $2,212 | $66,745 |
| Years at current job | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | 22 | $60,909 | $2,136 | $182 | $1,955 | $65,182 |
| 1 - 2 | 44 | $57,614 | $2,568 | $182 | $341 | $60,705 |
| 3 - 5 | 45 | $59,600 | $2,733 | $0 | $533 | $62,867 |
| 6 - 10 | 15 | $69,733 | $2,467 | $1,667 | $14,733 | $88,600 |
| 11 - 15 | 9 | $67,556 | $7,111 | $2,222 | $0 | $76,889 |
| 16 - 25 | 1 | $80,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $80,000 |
| >25 | 1 | $55,000 | $0 | $54,000 | $0 | $109,000 |
| Mean | 137 | $60,920 | $2,803 | $810 | $2,212 | $66,745 |
| Number of employees supervised | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 (None) | 72 | $59,917 | $2,597 | $250 | $903 | $63,667 |
| 1 - 2 | 39 | $66,795 | $2,513 | $667 | $4,179 | $74,154 |
| 3 - 5 | 16 | $58,688 | $3,938 | $313 | $4,563 | $67,500 |
| 6 - 10 | 6 | $52,333 | $1,833 | $10,333 | $0 | $64,500 |
| > 10 | 4 | $43,500 | $6,250 | $0 | $500 | $50,250 |
| Mean | 137 | $60,920 | $2,803 | $810 | $2,212 | $66,745 |
| Highest degree achieved | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| High-school graduate | 10 | $69,800 | $5,200 | $5,400 | $300 | $80,700 |
| College graduate | 76 | $61,724 | $2,908 | $645 | $1,961 | $67,237 |
| Masters program graduate | 48 | $56,042 | $2,188 | $167 | $3,125 | $61,521 |
| Ph.D. graduate | 2 | $98,000 | $3,000 | $0 | $500 | $101,500 |
| Mean | 136 | $60,846 | $2,824 | $816 | $2,228 | $66,713 |
| Gender | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| Male | 51 | $57,392 | $3,314 | $294 | $1,647 | $62,647 |
| Female | 85 | $62,918 | $2,529 | $1,129 | $2,576 | $69,153 |
| Mean | 136 | $60,846 | $2,824 | $816 | $2,228 | $66,713 |
| Age | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 25 | 3 | $44,333 | $1,333 | $0 | $1,000 | $46,667 |
| 25 - 30 | 44 | $57,477 | $3,591 | $136 | $295 | $61,500 |
| 31 - 35 | 30 | $56,933 | $2,767 | $133 | $1,600 | $61,433 |
| 36 - 45 | 33 | $64,576 | $2,333 | $61 | $6,970 | $73,939 |
| 46 - 55 | 24 | $68,708 | $2,417 | $1,875 | $0 | $73,000 |
| 56 - 65 | 1 | $70,000 | $4,000 | $0 | $9,000 | $83,000 |
| 66+ | 1 | $55,000 | $0 | $54,000 | $0 | $109,000 |
| Mean | 136 | $60,846 | $2,824 | $816 | $2,228 | $66,713 |
*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.