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 project director/manager salary by:
| Region in which located | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 8 | $88,125 | $3,375 | $250 | $250 | $92,000 |
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 12 | $85,000 | $13,000 | $4,083 | $500 | $102,583 |
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 27 | $86,370 | $3,296 | $1,222 | $889 | $91,778 |
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 9 | $90,556 | $7,778 | $2,444 | $333 | $101,111 |
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 16 | $92,688 | $4,500 | $0 | $0 | $97,188 |
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | 3 | $78,667 | $2,333 | $1,667 | $667 | $83,333 |
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | 3 | $76,000 | $1,333 | $0 | $1,667 | $79,000 |
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | 5 | $113,200 | $11,800 | $600 | $200 | $125,800 |
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 10 | $98,200 | $4,600 | $300 | $8,500 | $111,600 |
| Canada | 6 | $62,167 | $1,000 | $500 | $13,833 | $77,500 |
| Mexico | ||||||
| Central and South America | 4 | $40,250 | $4,750 | $0 | $3,750 | $48,750 |
| Eastern Europe | 6 | $18,500 | $167 | $167 | $2,167 | $21,000 |
| Western Europe | 16 | $59,875 | $5,563 | $125 | $875 | $66,438 |
| Asia | 10 | $34,200 | $2,600 | $0 | $3,500 | $40,300 |
| Middle East | ||||||
| Africa | 2 | $49,000 | $6,500 | $0 | $3,000 | $58,500 |
| Australia/New Zealand | 2 | $77,000 | $0 | $0 | $5,000 | $82,000 |
| Mean | 139 | $76,000 | $4,921 | $885 | $2,187 | $83,993 |
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < $1 Million US dollars | 11 | $40,091 | $3,000 | $0 | $364 | $43,455 |
| $1M - $3M | 18 | $83,333 | $5,222 | $1,667 | $611 | $90,833 |
| $3M - $6M | 12 | $73,750 | $2,583 | $417 | $6,917 | $83,667 |
| $6M - $10M | 12 | $80,000 | $3,250 | $667 | $417 | $84,333 |
| $10M - $50M | 34 | $81,059 | $6,176 | $912 | $1,529 | $89,676 |
| $50M - $100M | 14 | $80,500 | $6,571 | $2,500 | $1,214 | $90,786 |
| $100M - $300M | 6 | $66,667 | $2,167 | $833 | $1,333 | $71,000 |
| $300M - $500M | 3 | $78,667 | $5,000 | $1,333 | $667 | $85,667 |
| $500M - $1 Billion | 5 | $82,200 | $16,200 | $400 | $7,000 | $105,800 |
| >$1 Billion US dollars | 16 | $78,250 | $3,188 | $188 | $5,188 | $86,813 |
| Mean | 131 | $76,092 | $5,031 | $939 | $2,290 | $84,351 |
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 | ||||||
| 1 - 2 | ||||||
| 3 - 5 | 10 | $73,600 | $4,500 | $0 | $700 | $78,800 |
| 6 - 10 | 14 | $74,286 | $5,929 | $1,214 | $2,000 | $83,429 |
| 11 - 15 | 6 | $52,333 | $2,667 | $0 | $1,667 | $56,667 |
| 16 - 25 | 21 | $81,667 | $3,667 | $1,952 | $381 | $87,667 |
| >25 | 85 | $76,118 | $5,259 | $765 | $2,906 | $85,047 |
| Mean | 136 | $75,551 | $4,912 | $904 | $2,206 | $83,574 |
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | ||||||
| 1 - 2 | ||||||
| 3 - 5 | 12 | $59,667 | $1,917 | $0 | $1,000 | $62,583 |
| 6 - 10 | 40 | $70,675 | $5,825 | $1,375 | $500 | $78,375 |
| 11 - 15 | 38 | $77,895 | $5,263 | $632 | $5,421 | $89,211 |
| 16 - 25 | 31 | $78,194 | $5,290 | $1,419 | $1,290 | $86,194 |
| >25 | 14 | $92,714 | $3,429 | $0 | $1,571 | $97,714 |
| Mean | 135 | $75,741 | $4,948 | $911 | $2,222 | $83,822 |
| Years at current job | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | 12 | $91,250 | $5,750 | $1,417 | $1,000 | $99,417 |
| 1 - 2 | 37 | $74,108 | $7,108 | $1,378 | $4,649 | $87,243 |
| 3 - 5 | 36 | $73,917 | $4,389 | $1,250 | $1,806 | $81,361 |
| 6 - 10 | 32 | $70,906 | $3,063 | $250 | $906 | $75,125 |
| 11 - 15 | 12 | $83,417 | $3,250 | $167 | $83 | $86,917 |
| 16 - 25 | 5 | $61,400 | $3,200 | $0 | $4,200 | $68,800 |
| >25 | 1 | $150,000 | $25,000 | $0 | $0 | $175,000 |
| Mean | 135 | $75,741 | $4,948 | $911 | $2,222 | $83,822 |
| Number of employees supervised | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 (None) | 54 | $81,722 | $4,889 | $1,093 | $2,722 | $90,426 |
| 1 - 2 | 43 | $78,442 | $2,209 | $209 | $2,465 | $83,326 |
| 3 - 5 | 25 | $67,560 | $5,320 | $1,240 | $760 | $74,880 |
| 6 - 10 | 9 | $52,444 | $17,222 | $2,000 | $1,222 | $72,889 |
| > 10 | 4 | $69,500 | $5,250 | $1,500 | $4,250 | $80,500 |
| Mean | 135 | $75,741 | $4,948 | $911 | $2,222 | $83,822 |
| Highest degree achieved | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| High-school graduate | 3 | $58,667 | $333 | $333 | $4,000 | $63,333 |
| College graduate | 63 | $78,270 | $4,460 | $1,032 | $3,127 | $86,889 |
| Masters program graduate | 60 | $72,533 | $6,233 | $950 | $1,433 | $81,150 |
| Ph.D. graduate | 9 | $85,111 | $1,333 | $0 | $556 | $87,000 |
| Mean | 135 | $75,741 | $4,948 | $911 | $2,222 | $83,822 |
| Gender | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| Male | 40 | $77,125 | $3,425 | $975 | $925 | $82,450 |
| Female | 95 | $75,158 | $5,589 | $884 | $2,768 | $84,400 |
| Mean | 135 | $75,741 | $4,948 | $911 | $2,222 | $83,822 |
| Age | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 25 | ||||||
| 25 - 30 | 17 | $63,647 | $2,235 | $0 | $588 | $66,471 |
| 31 - 35 | 37 | $71,676 | $5,838 | $1,459 | $2,622 | $81,595 |
| 36 - 45 | 34 | $73,324 | $6,353 | $1,324 | $1,294 | $82,294 |
| 46 - 55 | 29 | $84,448 | $3,828 | $379 | $3,241 | $91,897 |
| 56 - 65 | 17 | $84,647 | $5,118 | $765 | $3,235 | $93,765 |
| 66+ | 1 | $110,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $110,000 |
| Mean | 135 | $75,741 | $4,948 | $911 | $2,222 | $83,822 |
*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.