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
Vice president/Senior vice president salary by:
| Industry | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| Advertising/Public Relations | 6 | $157,000 | $12,667 | $3,667 | $3,000 | $176,333 |
| Agriculture | ||||||
| Automotive | 1 | $230,000 | $50,000 | $30,000 | $0 | $310,000 |
| Banking/Financial | 9 | $159,333 | $51,444 | $16,000 | $222 | $227,000 |
| Building Materials/Products | ||||||
| Computer Hardware/Software | ||||||
| Construction/Housing | 2 | $192,500 | $86,000 | $0 | $153,000 | $431,500 |
| Consulting | 3 | $154,333 | $26,667 | $45,333 | $5,000 | $231,333 |
| Consumer Goods | 5 | $218,000 | $59,000 | $83,000 | $42,400 | $402,400 |
| Education | ||||||
| Entertainment | 4 | $247,750 | $65,750 | $30,000 | $3,000 | $346,500 |
| Food/Beverage | 2 | $177,500 | $58,500 | $25,000 | $7,500 | $268,500 |
| Government | ||||||
| Health Care/Pharmaceuticals | 4 | $175,250 | $31,750 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $209,000 |
| Hospitality (hotels, etc.) | ||||||
| Insurance | ||||||
| Manufacturing | 1 | $220,000 | $66,000 | $55,000 | $1,000 | $342,000 |
| Media/Publishing/Information | 8 | $261,125 | $88,250 | $39,375 | $5,500 | $394,250 |
| Non-Profits | 2 | $225,000 | $15,000 | $2,000 | $2,500 | $244,500 |
| Retail | 3 | $203,000 | $42,667 | $5,000 | $3,333 | $254,000 |
| Technology/IT/Web | 5 | $232,200 | $28,000 | $27,000 | $0 | $287,200 |
| Telecommunications | ||||||
| Transportation | 1 | $230,000 | $60,000 | $0 | $0 | $290,000 |
| Travel | ||||||
| Utilities/Energy | ||||||
| Other | 1 | $112,000 | $10,000 | $0 | $0 | $122,000 |
| Mean | 57 | $201,088 | $48,825 | $25,351 | $11,298 | $286,561 |
| Region in which located | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| North East (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) | 5 | $205,800 | $41,000 | $4,000 | $200 | $251,000 |
| Mid Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) | 15 | $219,800 | $75,133 | $46,533 | $17,600 | $359,067 |
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 9 | $196,889 | $41,333 | $26,556 | $4,889 | $269,667 |
| West N. Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 1 | $220,000 | $66,000 | $55,000 | $1,000 | $342,000 |
| S. Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 4 | $156,250 | $18,750 | $0 | $500 | $175,500 |
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | 1 | $150,000 | $10,000 | $15,000 | $0 | $175,000 |
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | 1 | $220,000 | $100,000 | $85,000 | $5,000 | $410,000 |
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) | 4 | $195,500 | $40,500 | $1,000 | $76,750 | $313,750 |
| Pacific Coast (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 10 | $242,300 | $41,700 | $25,500 | $1,800 | $311,300 |
| Canada | ||||||
| Mexico | ||||||
| Central and South America | ||||||
| Eastern Europe | ||||||
| Western Europe | 4 | $165,750 | $47,250 | $17,500 | $0 | $230,500 |
| Asia | 3 | $93,667 | $20,000 | $1,333 | $667 | $115,667 |
| Middle East | ||||||
| Africa | ||||||
| Australia/New Zealand | ||||||
| Mean | 57 | $201,088 | $48,825 | $25,351 | $11,298 | $286,561 |
| Annual revenue/sales of organization | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < $1 Million US dollars | ||||||
| $1M - $3M | 2 | $112,500 | $7,500 | $2,000 | $2,500 | $124,500 |
| $3M - $6M | 1 | $144,000 | $6,000 | $0 | $0 | $150,000 |
| $6M - $10M | 3 | $177,333 | $26,333 | $0 | $0 | $203,667 |
| $10M - $50M | 7 | $160,714 | $21,429 | $21,571 | $3,429 | $207,143 |
| $50M - $100M | 5 | $168,400 | $16,400 | $2,000 | $3,000 | $189,800 |
| $100M - $300M | 3 | $150,667 | $23,333 | $0 | $3,333 | $177,333 |
| $300M - $500M | 3 | $175,000 | $20,667 | $10,000 | $1,000 | $206,667 |
| $500M - $1 Billion | 7 | $236,429 | $63,571 | $37,714 | $44,857 | $382,571 |
| >$1 Billion US dollars | 26 | $229,308 | $72,077 | $37,923 | $10,500 | $349,808 |
| Mean | 57 | $201,088 | $48,825 | $25,351 | $11,298 | $286,561 |
| Number of full-time equivalent market researchers on staff | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 | 1 | $232,000 | $60,000 | $0 | $0 | $292,000 |
| 1 - 2 | 10 | $199,200 | $35,700 | $15,400 | $32,800 | $283,100 |
| 3 - 5 | 15 | $187,067 | $45,400 | $20,600 | $1,067 | $254,133 |
| 6 - 10 | 4 | $213,750 | $40,750 | $23,750 | $1,000 | $279,250 |
| 11 - 15 | 5 | $181,600 | $34,000 | $26,400 | $4,400 | $246,400 |
| 16 - 25 | 5 | $144,400 | $21,200 | $0 | $400 | $166,000 |
| >25 | 16 | $229,500 | $66,938 | $46,563 | $17,000 | $360,000 |
| Mean | 56 | $199,768 | $46,571 | $25,625 | $11,500 | $283,464 |
| Number of years of experience in marketing research | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | ||||||
| 1 - 2 | ||||||
| 3 - 5 | ||||||
| 6 - 10 | 1 | $150,000 | $35,000 | $10,000 | $200,000 | $395,000 |
| 11 - 15 | 10 | $203,800 | $58,500 | $27,100 | $4,000 | $293,400 |
| 16 - 25 | 25 | $206,960 | $43,520 | $21,120 | $14,480 | $286,080 |
| >25 | 20 | $191,250 | $45,000 | $31,300 | $2,100 | $269,650 |
| Mean | 56 | $199,768 | $46,571 | $25,625 | $11,500 | $283,464 |
| Years at current job | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 1 year | 4 | $176,250 | $46,000 | $13,750 | $79,250 | $315,250 |
| 1 - 2 | 11 | $183,364 | $40,909 | $21,545 | $20,000 | $265,818 |
| 3 - 5 | 15 | $236,733 | $67,600 | $55,000 | $3,467 | $362,800 |
| 6 - 10 | 15 | $201,067 | $40,267 | $18,133 | $2,133 | $261,600 |
| 11 - 15 | 7 | $178,571 | $39,429 | $4,286 | $2,857 | $225,143 |
| 16 - 25 | 3 | $142,667 | $3,333 | $5,333 | $667 | $152,000 |
| >25 | 1 | $220,000 | $70,000 | $0 | $1,000 | $291,000 |
| Mean | 56 | $199,768 | $46,571 | $25,625 | $11,500 | $283,464 |
| Number of employees supervised | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| 0 (None) | 8 | $170,125 | $29,375 | $16,875 | $25,125 | $241,500 |
| 1 - 2 | 13 | $173,923 | $30,231 | $2,000 | $25,923 | $232,077 |
| 3 - 5 | 8 | $163,750 | $28,625 | $26,375 | $2,125 | $220,875 |
| 6 - 10 | 12 | $186,167 | $40,500 | $19,000 | $2,583 | $248,250 |
| > 10 | 15 | $268,067 | $84,333 | $55,667 | $3,867 | $411,933 |
| Mean | 56 | $199,768 | $46,571 | $25,625 | $11,500 | $283,464 |
| Highest degree achieved | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| High-school graduate | ||||||
| College graduate | 18 | $191,444 | $42,167 | $35,556 | $19,556 | $288,722 |
| Masters program graduate | 33 | $188,667 | $40,545 | $17,091 | $7,576 | $253,879 |
| Ph.D. graduate | 5 | $303,000 | $102,200 | $46,200 | $8,400 | $459,800 |
| Mean | 56 | $199,768 | $46,571 | $25,625 | $11,500 | $283,464 |
| Gender | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| Male | 34 | $196,441 | $41,618 | $29,912 | $7,500 | $275,471 |
| Female | 22 | $204,909 | $54,227 | $19,000 | $17,682 | $295,818 |
| Mean | 56 | $199,768 | $46,571 | $25,625 | $11,500 | $283,464 |
| Age | ||||||
| Count | Base | Bonus | Div.* | Other* | Total | |
| < 25 | ||||||
| 25 - 30 | ||||||
| 31 - 35 | 1 | $150,000 | $35,000 | $10,000 | $200,000 | $395,000 |
| 36 - 45 | 18 | $205,889 | $60,056 | $26,611 | $19,833 | $312,389 |
| 46 - 55 | 21 | $199,619 | $39,238 | $38,333 | $2,143 | $279,333 |
| 56 - 65 | 15 | $200,933 | $43,533 | $9,133 | $2,533 | $256,133 |
| 66+ | 1 | $125,000 | $15,000 | $4,000 | $4,000 | $148,000 |
| Mean | 56 | $199,768 | $46,571 | $25,625 | $11,500 | $283,464 |
*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.