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:
| Industry | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| Advertising/Public Relations | 1 | $68,000 | $2,000 | $0 | $0 | $70,000 |
| Agriculture | 1 | $95,000 | $3,000 | $0 | $0 | $98,000 |
| Automotive | 2 | $95,500 | $2,000 | $3,500 | $0 | $101,000 |
| Banking/Financial | 8 | $78,125 | $8,750 | $875 | $12,875 | $100,625 |
| Building Materials/Products | ||||||
| Computer Hardware/Software | 1 | $37,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $0 | $47,000 |
| Construction/Housing | ||||||
| Consulting | 4 | $76,750 | $2,000 | $1,500 | $750 | $81,000 |
| Consumer Goods | 3 | $89,333 | $2,667 | $0 | $0 | $92,000 |
| Education | 2 | $76,000 | $0 | $0 | $1,500 | $77,500 |
| Entertainment | ||||||
| Food/Beverage | 3 | $92,333 | $5,667 | $0 | $0 | $98,000 |
| Government | 2 | $69,500 | $0 | $0 | $500 | $70,000 |
| Health Care/Pharmaceuticals | 7 | $102,429 | $7,000 | $6,571 | $1,143 | $117,143 |
| Hospitality (hotels, etc.) | ||||||
| Insurance | 8 | $92,750 | $8,000 | $3,000 | $0 | $103,750 |
| Manufacturing | 4 | $73,250 | $4,000 | $750 | $0 | $78,000 |
| Media/Publishing/Information | 6 | $76,167 | $2,333 | $0 | $0 | $78,500 |
| Non-Profits | 5 | $72,000 | $4,200 | $0 | $0 | $76,200 |
| Retail | 6 | $90,667 | $4,500 | $0 | $333 | $95,500 |
| Technology/IT/Web | 5 | $110,800 | $8,600 | $1,000 | $600 | $121,000 |
| Telecommunications | 3 | $74,667 | $8,333 | $0 | $3,000 | $86,000 |
| Transportation | 3 | $76,333 | $3,333 | $0 | $1,000 | $80,667 |
| Travel | 4 | $90,250 | $3,500 | $3,000 | $1,250 | $98,000 |
| Utilities/Energy | 10 | $98,300 | $8,300 | $0 | $500 | $107,100 |
| Other | 6 | $99,000 | $4,000 | $3,167 | $833 | $107,000 |
| Mean | 94 | $87,415 | $5,394 | $1,426 | $1,596 | $95,830 |
| Region in which located | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 6 | $75,167 | $6,833 | $167 | $17,167 | $99,333 |
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 15 | $98,133 | $5,333 | $1,867 | $667 | $106,000 |
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 23 | $83,087 | $4,000 | $1,217 | $87 | $88,391 |
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 8 | $101,000 | $6,625 | $500 | $125 | $108,250 |
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 12 | $92,917 | $5,500 | $2,583 | $500 | $101,500 |
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | 1 | $73,000 | $7,000 | $3,000 | $1,000 | $84,000 |
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | 5 | $96,600 | $8,400 | $3,800 | $1,200 | $110,000 |
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | 5 | $94,000 | $6,000 | $0 | $0 | $100,000 |
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 10 | $95,800 | $6,500 | $500 | $2,000 | $104,800 |
| Canada | 1 | $71,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $71,000 |
| Mexico | ||||||
| Central and South America | ||||||
| Eastern Europe | 2 | $19,500 | $2,500 | $2,500 | $0 | $24,500 |
| Western Europe | 5 | $61,000 | $5,200 | $2,000 | $0 | $68,200 |
| Asia | ||||||
| Middle East | ||||||
| Africa | ||||||
| Australia/New Zealand | 1 | $61,000 | $0 | $0 | $1,000 | $62,000 |
| Mean | 94 | $87,415 | $5,394 | $1,426 | $1,596 | $95,830 |
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < $1 Million US dollars | 1 | $6,000 | $2,000 | $0 | $0 | $8,000 |
| $1M - $3M | 1 | $71,000 | $2,000 | $0 | $0 | $73,000 |
| $3M - $6M | 1 | $68,000 | $2,000 | $0 | $0 | $70,000 |
| $6M - $10M | ||||||
| $10M - $50M | 4 | $64,250 | $3,250 | $1,000 | $0 | $68,500 |
| $50M - $100M | 4 | $67,500 | $2,750 | $2,750 | $750 | $73,750 |
| $100M - $300M | 8 | $82,125 | $2,375 | $750 | $250 | $85,500 |
| $300M - $500M | 1 | $125,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $125,000 |
| $500M - $1 Billion | 13 | $85,923 | $6,077 | $385 | $8,692 | $101,077 |
| >$1 Billion US dollars | 48 | $96,083 | $6,458 | $2,021 | $625 | $105,188 |
| Mean | 81 | $88,679 | $5,407 | $1,519 | $1,827 | $97,432 |
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 | 1 | $96,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $0 | $100,000 |
| 1 - 2 | 27 | $81,741 | $3,111 | $333 | $111 | $85,296 |
| 3 - 5 | 23 | $86,435 | $5,435 | $1,304 | $5,043 | $98,217 |
| 6 - 10 | 15 | $80,933 | $4,000 | $1,800 | $1,000 | $87,733 |
| 11 - 15 | 4 | $110,000 | $11,500 | $5,500 | $0 | $127,000 |
| 16 - 25 | 5 | $124,400 | $10,200 | $0 | $0 | $134,600 |
| >25 | 16 | $92,625 | $7,875 | $2,750 | $1,000 | $104,250 |
| Mean | 91 | $88,451 | $5,429 | $1,473 | $1,648 | $97,000 |
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | 2 | $82,500 | $6,500 | $0 | $0 | $89,000 |
| 1 - 2 | ||||||
| 3 - 5 | 12 | $73,500 | $2,250 | $83 | $1,917 | $77,750 |
| 6 - 10 | 25 | $95,840 | $7,640 | $2,360 | $4,680 | $110,520 |
| 11 - 15 | 18 | $85,500 | $6,500 | $2,167 | $111 | $94,278 |
| 16 - 25 | 16 | $86,813 | $3,563 | $1,938 | $375 | $92,688 |
| >25 | 18 | $93,222 | $4,944 | $222 | $111 | $98,500 |
| Mean | 91 | $88,451 | $5,429 | $1,473 | $1,648 | $97,000 |
| Years at current job | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | 15 | $89,867 | $5,600 | $1,933 | $267 | $97,667 |
| 1 - 2 | 22 | $93,591 | $6,182 | $2,318 | $5,500 | $107,591 |
| 3 - 5 | 21 | $87,905 | $4,333 | $1,143 | $714 | $94,095 |
| 6 - 10 | 16 | $86,813 | $7,813 | $438 | $500 | $95,563 |
| 11 - 15 | 6 | $81,333 | $4,833 | $0 | $167 | $86,333 |
| 16 - 25 | 8 | $83,500 | $3,375 | $2,875 | $125 | $89,875 |
| >25 | 3 | $83,667 | $667 | $0 | $0 | $84,333 |
| Mean | 91 | $88,451 | $5,429 | $1,473 | $1,648 | $97,000 |
| Number of employees supervised | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 (None) | 81 | $88,593 | $5,556 | $1,580 | $1,753 | $97,481 |
| 1 - 2 | 8 | $89,500 | $5,250 | $750 | $875 | $96,375 |
| 3 - 5 | 1 | $87,000 | $0 | $0 | $1,000 | $88,000 |
| 6 - 10 | 1 | $70,000 | $2,000 | $0 | $0 | $72,000 |
| > 10 | ||||||
| Mean | 91 | $88,451 | $5,429 | $1,473 | $1,648 | $97,000 |
| Highest degree achieved | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| High-school graduate | 2 | $110,500 | $13,500 | $0 | $500 | $124,500 |
| College graduate | 27 | $85,111 | $5,222 | $852 | $926 | $92,111 |
| Masters program graduate | 59 | $90,034 | $5,373 | $1,814 | $2,102 | $99,322 |
| Ph.D. graduate | 3 | $72,667 | $3,000 | $1,333 | $0 | $77,000 |
| Mean | 91 | $88,451 | $5,429 | $1,473 | $1,648 | $97,000 |
| Gender | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| Male | 34 | $91,912 | $5,471 | $1,471 | $294 | $99,147 |
| Female | 57 | $86,386 | $5,404 | $1,474 | $2,456 | $95,719 |
| Mean | 91 | $88,451 | $5,429 | $1,473 | $1,648 | $97,000 |
| Age | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 25 | 1 | $80,000 | $5,000 | $0 | $0 | $85,000 |
| 25 - 30 | 12 | $74,667 | $3,750 | $917 | $1,083 | $80,417 |
| 31 - 35 | 19 | $90,211 | $7,053 | $1,263 | $6,368 | $104,895 |
| 36 - 45 | 20 | $89,550 | $5,250 | $1,850 | $150 | $96,800 |
| 46 - 55 | 24 | $91,208 | $6,042 | $2,208 | $250 | $99,708 |
| 56 - 65 | 14 | $89,929 | $3,643 | $643 | $500 | $94,714 |
| 66+ | 1 | $120,000 | $9,000 | $0 | $0 | $129,000 |
| Mean | 91 | $88,451 | $5,429 | $1,473 | $1,648 | $97,000 |
*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.