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 sales director salary by:
| Region in which located | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 5 | $121,000 | $44,800 | $0 | $800 | $166,600 |
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 4 | $110,750 | $16,750 | $0 | $4,250 | $131,750 |
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 1 | $136,000 | $16,000 | $0 | $0 | $152,000 |
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 2 | $87,500 | $19,000 | $5,000 | $0 | $111,500 |
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | ||||||
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | 1 | $55,000 | $35,000 | $0 | $0 | $90,000 |
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | 4 | $81,000 | $28,750 | $0 | $750 | $110,500 |
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | 1 | $75,000 | $0 | $2,000 | $12,000 | $89,000 |
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 5 | $131,400 | $53,000 | $0 | $200 | $184,600 |
| Canada | ||||||
| Mexico | ||||||
| Central and South America | ||||||
| Eastern Europe | ||||||
| Western Europe | 11 | $79,545 | $11,545 | $545 | $2,636 | $94,273 |
| Asia | 3 | $65,000 | $20,000 | $0 | $1,667 | $86,667 |
| Middle East | 1 | $81,000 | $17,000 | $0 | $0 | $98,000 |
| Africa | ||||||
| Australia/New Zealand | ||||||
| Mean | 38 | $95,289 | $25,368 | $474 | $1,868 | $123,000 |
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < $1 Million US dollars | 1 | $35,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $35,000 |
| $1M - $3M | 8 | $87,000 | $19,875 | $1,500 | $1,750 | $110,125 |
| $3M - $6M | 6 | $106,000 | $14,500 | $0 | $2,000 | $122,500 |
| $6M - $10M | 6 | $76,500 | $9,167 | $0 | $1,667 | $87,333 |
| $10M - $50M | 6 | $105,167 | $32,167 | $0 | $1,500 | $138,833 |
| $50M - $100M | 4 | $86,250 | $33,250 | $750 | $500 | $120,750 |
| $100M - $300M | 2 | $79,000 | $37,500 | $0 | $3,500 | $120,000 |
| $300M - $500M | 4 | $125,250 | $53,250 | $0 | $250 | $178,750 |
| $500M - $1 Billion | ||||||
| >$1 Billion US dollars | 1 | $160,000 | $49,000 | $3,000 | $16,000 | $228,000 |
| Mean | 38 | $95,289 | $25,368 | $474 | $1,868 | $123,000 |
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 | ||||||
| 1 - 2 | 1 | $36,000 | $15,000 | $0 | $0 | $51,000 |
| 3 - 5 | ||||||
| 6 - 10 | 3 | $111,667 | $27,000 | $3,333 | $333 | $142,333 |
| 11 - 15 | 2 | $55,000 | $0 | $1,000 | $6,000 | $62,000 |
| 16 - 25 | 6 | $108,833 | $28,167 | $0 | $500 | $137,500 |
| >25 | 26 | $95,654 | $26,885 | $231 | $2,115 | $124,885 |
| Mean | 38 | $95,289 | $25,368 | $474 | $1,868 | $123,000 |
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | 1 | $150,000 | $37,000 | $0 | $1,000 | $188,000 |
| 1 - 2 | 2 | $42,500 | $12,500 | $0 | $1,000 | $56,000 |
| 3 - 5 | 4 | $84,750 | $43,750 | $500 | $3,250 | $132,250 |
| 6 - 10 | 3 | $69,667 | $38,000 | $667 | $2,000 | $110,333 |
| 11 - 15 | 10 | $99,300 | $22,200 | $0 | $1,100 | $122,600 |
| 16 - 25 | 14 | $108,357 | $24,500 | $214 | $2,643 | $135,714 |
| >25 | 3 | $76,000 | $4,333 | $333 | $333 | $81,000 |
| Mean | 37 | $95,162 | $25,108 | $216 | $1,919 | $122,405 |
| Years at current job | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | 11 | $90,000 | $13,182 | $455 | $3,455 | $107,091 |
| 1 - 2 | 7 | $95,857 | $35,000 | $0 | $857 | $131,714 |
| 3 - 5 | 11 | $87,455 | $23,545 | $273 | $1,636 | $112,909 |
| 6 - 10 | 6 | $111,000 | $30,000 | $0 | $1,500 | $142,500 |
| 11 - 15 | 1 | $100,000 | $40,000 | $0 | $0 | $140,000 |
| 16 - 25 | ||||||
| >25 | 1 | $132,000 | $60,000 | $0 | $0 | $192,000 |
| Mean | 37 | $95,162 | $25,108 | $216 | $1,919 | $122,405 |
| Number of employees supervised | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 (None) | 18 | $92,278 | $18,722 | $333 | $2,833 | $114,167 |
| 1 - 2 | 8 | $81,750 | $27,500 | $250 | $1,750 | $111,250 |
| 3 - 5 | 8 | $116,000 | $29,000 | $0 | $750 | $145,750 |
| 6 - 10 | 3 | $92,667 | $46,667 | $0 | $0 | $139,333 |
| > 10 | ||||||
| Mean | 37 | $95,162 | $25,108 | $216 | $1,919 | $122,405 |
| Highest degree achieved | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| High-school graduate | 5 | $81,800 | $6,000 | $0 | $2,400 | $90,200 |
| College graduate | 24 | $99,875 | $28,958 | $83 | $1,458 | $130,375 |
| Masters program graduate | 7 | $92,143 | $28,571 | $714 | $3,286 | $124,714 |
| Ph.D. graduate | 1 | $70,000 | $4,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $76,000 |
| Mean | 37 | $95,162 | $25,108 | $216 | $1,919 | $122,405 |
| Gender | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| Male | 22 | $96,455 | $29,955 | $273 | $2,636 | $129,318 |
| Female | 15 | $93,267 | $18,000 | $133 | $867 | $112,267 |
| Mean | 37 | $95,162 | $25,108 | $216 | $1,919 | $122,405 |
| Age | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 25 | 2 | $26,500 | $7,500 | $0 | $0 | $34,000 |
| 25 - 30 | ||||||
| 31 - 35 | 2 | $79,000 | $37,500 | $0 | $3,500 | $120,000 |
| 36 - 45 | 15 | $92,667 | $21,800 | $133 | $1,600 | $116,200 |
| 46 - 55 | 14 | $106,000 | $31,929 | $286 | $1,857 | $140,071 |
| 56 - 65 | 4 | $109,000 | $16,250 | $500 | $3,500 | $129,250 |
| 66+ | ||||||
| Mean | 37 | $95,162 | $25,108 | $216 | $1,919 | $122,405 |
*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.