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
Sales/account representative salary by:
| Region in which located | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 6 | $84,000 | $21,333 | $0 | $167 | $105,500 |
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 7 | $93,000 | $15,714 | $0 | $571 | $109,286 |
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 2 | $82,000 | $5,000 | $10,000 | $0 | $97,000 |
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 3 | $106,333 | $24,000 | $80,667 | $667 | $211,667 |
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 6 | $86,000 | $54,167 | $6,667 | $1,500 | $148,333 |
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | 1 | $58,000 | $13,000 | $0 | $1,000 | $72,000 |
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | 3 | $96,333 | $10,000 | $0 | $47,000 | $153,333 |
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | 7 | $82,143 | $30,714 | $12,857 | $2,143 | $127,857 |
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | ||||||
| Canada | 1 | $43,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $43,000 |
| Mexico | 1 | $50,000 | $5,000 | $0 | $5,000 | $60,000 |
| Central and South America | 1 | $22,000 | $0 | $2,000 | $0 | $24,000 |
| Eastern Europe | 1 | $12,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $12,000 |
| Western Europe | 5 | $56,400 | $6,000 | $0 | $1,200 | $63,600 |
| Asia | 1 | $47,000 | $10,000 | $0 | $0 | $57,000 |
| Middle East | ||||||
| Africa | ||||||
| Australia/New Zealand | 1 | $60,000 | $5,000 | $0 | $1,000 | $66,000 |
| Mean | 46 | $78,087 | $20,717 | $8,565 | $4,022 | $111,391 |
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < $1 Million US dollars | 1 | $22,000 | $0 | $2,000 | $0 | $24,000 |
| $1M - $3M | 4 | $63,250 | $2,500 | $0 | $1,000 | $66,750 |
| $3M - $6M | 5 | $75,600 | $5,600 | $0 | $600 | $81,800 |
| $6M - $10M | 5 | $73,400 | $19,400 | $0 | $400 | $93,200 |
| $10M - $50M | 13 | $81,462 | $29,538 | $3,231 | $1,000 | $115,231 |
| $50M - $100M | 5 | $87,600 | $20,000 | $12,000 | $400 | $120,000 |
| $100M - $300M | 1 | $135,000 | $5,000 | $0 | $0 | $140,000 |
| $300M - $500M | 4 | $105,250 | $24,250 | $60,000 | $36,000 | $225,500 |
| $500M - $1 Billion | 3 | $73,333 | $50,667 | $16,667 | $3,333 | $144,000 |
| >$1 Billion US dollars | 2 | $66,000 | $25,000 | $0 | $2,500 | $93,500 |
| Mean | 43 | $79,651 | $21,465 | $9,163 | $4,256 | $114,535 |
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 | ||||||
| 1 - 2 | 1 | $50,000 | $19,000 | $2,000 | $0 | $71,000 |
| 3 - 5 | 1 | $80,000 | $9,000 | $0 | $0 | $89,000 |
| 6 - 10 | 3 | $52,333 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $52,333 |
| 11 - 15 | 1 | $100,000 | $13,000 | $0 | $2,000 | $115,000 |
| 16 - 25 | 3 | $71,667 | $12,333 | $0 | $667 | $84,667 |
| >25 | 35 | $82,000 | $24,429 | $11,200 | $5,114 | $122,743 |
| Mean | 44 | $78,909 | $21,205 | $8,955 | $4,159 | $113,227 |
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | ||||||
| 1 - 2 | 2 | $31,000 | $2,500 | $0 | $2,500 | $36,000 |
| 3 - 5 | 9 | $61,778 | $13,667 | $2,444 | $667 | $78,556 |
| 6 - 10 | 10 | $61,300 | $11,100 | $0 | $500 | $72,900 |
| 11 - 15 | 6 | $80,667 | $40,333 | $15,333 | $1,833 | $138,167 |
| 16 - 25 | 10 | $103,000 | $16,800 | $28,000 | $15,200 | $163,000 |
| >25 | 7 | $103,857 | $40,571 | $0 | $571 | $145,000 |
| Mean | 44 | $78,909 | $21,205 | $8,955 | $4,159 | $113,227 |
| Years at current job | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | 13 | $76,231 | $13,462 | $1,692 | $692 | $92,077 |
| 1 - 2 | 5 | $68,800 | $4,800 | $0 | $0 | $73,600 |
| 3 - 5 | 12 | $78,833 | $41,083 | $27,667 | $13,000 | $160,583 |
| 6 - 10 | 9 | $82,556 | $14,556 | $4,444 | $1,333 | $102,889 |
| 11 - 15 | 3 | $77,667 | $31,667 | $0 | $1,000 | $110,333 |
| 16 - 25 | 1 | $120,000 | $10,000 | $0 | $3,000 | $133,000 |
| >25 | 1 | $95,000 | $5,000 | $0 | $0 | $100,000 |
| Mean | 44 | $78,909 | $21,205 | $8,955 | $4,159 | $113,227 |
| Number of employees supervised | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 (None) | 31 | $78,355 | $19,839 | $9,806 | $5,484 | $113,484 |
| 1 - 2 | 10 | $79,700 | $30,300 | $5,000 | $1,300 | $116,300 |
| 3 - 5 | 2 | $83,000 | $5,000 | $0 | $0 | $88,000 |
| 6 - 10 | ||||||
| > 10 | 1 | $80,000 | $5,000 | $40,000 | $0 | $125,000 |
| Mean | 44 | $78,909 | $21,205 | $8,955 | $4,159 | $113,227 |
| Highest degree achieved | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| High-school graduate | 2 | $67,500 | $3,500 | $0 | $1,500 | $72,500 |
| College graduate | 27 | $82,852 | $20,000 | $12,370 | $6,259 | $121,481 |
| Masters program graduate | 14 | $73,000 | $26,857 | $2,857 | $786 | $103,500 |
| Ph.D. graduate | 1 | $78,000 | $10,000 | $20,000 | $0 | $108,000 |
| Mean | 44 | $78,909 | $21,205 | $8,955 | $4,159 | $113,227 |
| Gender | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| Male | 21 | $81,714 | $34,667 | $14,857 | $1,000 | $132,238 |
| Female | 23 | $76,348 | $8,913 | $3,565 | $7,043 | $95,870 |
| Mean | 44 | $78,909 | $21,205 | $8,955 | $4,159 | $113,227 |
| Age | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 25 | 1 | $50,000 | $30,000 | $0 | $1,000 | $81,000 |
| 25 - 30 | 7 | $48,571 | $3,286 | $286 | $571 | $52,714 |
| 31 - 35 | 12 | $71,167 | $23,250 | $5,833 | $1,667 | $101,917 |
| 36 - 45 | 8 | $77,125 | $21,625 | $5,000 | $17,750 | $121,500 |
| 46 - 55 | 11 | $92,273 | $11,727 | $22,000 | $818 | $126,818 |
| 56 - 65 | 5 | $119,200 | $59,800 | $8,000 | $1,400 | $188,400 |
| 66+ | ||||||
| Mean | 44 | $78,909 | $21,205 | $8,955 | $4,159 | $113,227 |
*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.