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
Senior research analyst salary by:
| Region in which located | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 5 | $82,800 | $2,800 | $0 | $200 | $85,800 |
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 6 | $72,667 | $4,167 | $0 | $1,500 | $78,333 |
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 20 | $67,200 | $4,650 | $4,550 | $200 | $76,600 |
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 2 | $92,000 | $5,500 | $0 | $0 | $97,500 |
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 4 | $74,250 | $2,750 | $750 | $500 | $78,250 |
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | ||||||
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | 1 | $60,000 | $2,000 | $0 | $0 | $62,000 |
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | 3 | $75,000 | $2,667 | $333 | $0 | $78,000 |
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 5 | $76,600 | $200 | $0 | $0 | $76,800 |
| Canada | 4 | $62,750 | $1,500 | $0 | $0 | $64,250 |
| Mexico | ||||||
| Central and South America | ||||||
| Eastern Europe | 6 | $17,833 | $1,333 | $0 | $0 | $19,167 |
| Western Europe | 11 | $47,545 | $455 | $0 | $0 | $48,000 |
| Asia | 5 | $29,600 | $4,000 | $0 | $0 | $33,600 |
| Middle East | 1 | $49,000 | $2,000 | $0 | $0 | $51,000 |
| Africa | 1 | $1,500 | $300 | $0 | $0 | $1,800 |
| Australia/New Zealand | 1 | $43,000 | $1,000 | $0 | $0 | $44,000 |
| Mean | 75 | $59,540 | $2,764 | $1,267 | $213 | $63,784 |
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < $1 Million US dollars | 12 | $41,042 | $1,525 | $167 | $83 | $42,817 |
| $1M - $3M | 11 | $54,909 | $1,818 | $727 | $0 | $57,455 |
| $3M - $6M | 9 | $64,889 | $4,444 | $111 | $0 | $69,444 |
| $6M - $10M | 7 | $49,714 | $1,286 | $0 | $286 | $51,286 |
| $10M - $50M | 10 | $72,800 | $1,200 | $7,600 | $1,200 | $82,800 |
| $50M - $100M | 2 | $86,000 | $1,000 | $0 | $0 | $87,000 |
| $100M - $300M | 2 | $35,500 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $35,500 |
| $300M - $500M | 2 | $80,500 | $8,500 | $2,500 | $500 | $92,000 |
| $500M - $1 Billion | 3 | $38,667 | $19,000 | $0 | $0 | $57,667 |
| >$1 Billion US dollars | 10 | $68,100 | $2,200 | $0 | $0 | $70,300 |
| Mean | 68 | $58,199 | $2,901 | $1,353 | $235 | $62,688 |
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 | 1 | $64,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $64,000 |
| 1 - 2 | 7 | $60,143 | $714 | $0 | $143 | $61,000 |
| 3 - 5 | 6 | $56,333 | $2,333 | $1,667 | $0 | $60,333 |
| 6 - 10 | 5 | $45,800 | $600 | $0 | $0 | $46,400 |
| 11 - 15 | 7 | $53,786 | $6,471 | $429 | $143 | $60,829 |
| 16 - 25 | 5 | $61,200 | $3,400 | $0 | $400 | $65,000 |
| >25 | 42 | $60,214 | $2,881 | $1,952 | $286 | $65,333 |
| Mean | 73 | $58,404 | $2,812 | $1,301 | $219 | $62,737 |
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | ||||||
| 1 - 2 | 9 | $56,333 | $667 | $0 | $111 | $57,111 |
| 3 - 5 | 25 | $50,920 | $3,600 | $80 | $400 | $55,000 |
| 6 - 10 | 21 | $53,690 | $2,681 | $4,000 | $190 | $60,562 |
| 11 - 15 | 8 | $79,375 | $3,125 | $0 | $0 | $82,500 |
| 16 - 25 | 10 | $72,100 | $2,800 | $900 | $100 | $75,900 |
| >25 | ||||||
| Mean | 73 | $58,404 | $2,812 | $1,301 | $219 | $62,737 |
| Years at current job | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | 12 | $57,708 | $1,775 | $6,500 | $750 | $66,733 |
| 1 - 2 | 19 | $51,947 | $947 | $0 | $105 | $53,000 |
| 3 - 5 | 21 | $61,905 | $5,095 | $143 | $48 | $67,190 |
| 6 - 10 | 16 | $58,875 | $3,438 | $313 | $250 | $62,875 |
| 11 - 15 | 3 | $69,333 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $69,333 |
| 16 - 25 | 2 | $67,000 | $2,000 | $4,500 | $0 | $73,500 |
| >25 | ||||||
| Mean | 73 | $58,404 | $2,812 | $1,301 | $219 | $62,737 |
| Number of employees supervised | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 (None) | 46 | $62,000 | $3,109 | $1,978 | $304 | $67,391 |
| 1 - 2 | 20 | $47,900 | $2,650 | $200 | $100 | $50,850 |
| 3 - 5 | 6 | $62,917 | $1,383 | $0 | $0 | $64,300 |
| 6 - 10 | 1 | $76,000 | $1,000 | $0 | $0 | $77,000 |
| > 10 | ||||||
| Mean | 73 | $58,404 | $2,812 | $1,301 | $219 | $62,737 |
| Highest degree achieved | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| High-school graduate | ||||||
| College graduate | 30 | $60,233 | $4,000 | $333 | $433 | $65,000 |
| Masters program graduate | 40 | $56,963 | $2,008 | $2,125 | $75 | $61,170 |
| Ph.D. graduate | 3 | $59,333 | $1,667 | $0 | $0 | $61,000 |
| Mean | 73 | $58,404 | $2,812 | $1,301 | $219 | $62,737 |
| Gender | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| Male | 33 | $62,848 | $2,667 | $2,545 | $455 | $68,515 |
| Female | 40 | $54,738 | $2,933 | $275 | $25 | $57,970 |
| Mean | 73 | $58,404 | $2,812 | $1,301 | $219 | $62,737 |
| Age | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 25 | 6 | $54,167 | $333 | $0 | $167 | $54,667 |
| 25 - 30 | 27 | $52,815 | $3,444 | $0 | $444 | $56,704 |
| 31 - 35 | 18 | $54,389 | $2,167 | $4,611 | $56 | $61,222 |
| 36 - 45 | 13 | $69,885 | $4,100 | $231 | $77 | $74,292 |
| 46 - 55 | 8 | $68,875 | $2,125 | $1,125 | $125 | $72,250 |
| 56 - 65 | 1 | $74,000 | $1,000 | $0 | $0 | $75,000 |
| 66+ | ||||||
| Mean | 73 | $58,404 | $2,812 | $1,301 | $219 | $62,737 |
*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.