Market Research Analyst Salary in 2026: Pay by State, Industry and City

How Much Does a Market Research Analyst Make?

A market research analyst makes a median of $78,760 a year, or $37.87 an hour, in the May 2025 federal wage survey. Before you read another figure on this page, know that the survey counts market research analysts and marketing specialists under one code, 13-1161, so every number here describes 899,580 people doing both jobs. The median is the midpoint of that pooled group, not an offer for either title.

The percentiles run wide. At the 10th percentile the annual figure is $43,390, at the 25th it's $58,350, at the 75th it's $108,310 and at the 90th it's $155,480. That's a $112,090 gap between the bottom tenth and the top tenth. Measured hourly, the same spread runs from $20.86 to $74.75, and the middle half earns between $28.05 and $52.07 an hour.

If you're starting out, plan a budget around the $43,390 and $58,350 figures, and expect the sector and the metro to decide which one you land nearer, which the next sections cover. If you're established, the $108,310 at the 75th percentile is a realistic target, and the $155,480 at the 90th shows the ceiling runs high for a job whose typical entry education the handbook lists as a bachelor's degree. Keep the marketing specialist half of the pool in mind when you compare any of these figures with a posting that has research in the title.

Market Research Analyst Salary by State

Market Research Analyst salary by state runs from a median of $101,810 in Massachusetts to $52,340 in West Virginia, across the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the survey publishes a median. A state median is a location figure: it reflects which employers are there and what living costs, not what any one employer pays.

Highest-Paying Cities for Market Research Analysts

The highest-paying cities for market research analysts are the metro areas below, the ten with the highest median among the 386 metro areas where the survey publishes one and at least 100 people hold the job. The second chart lists the ten metro areas that employ the most market research analysts, which is where most of the openings are.

Market Research Analyst Salary by Industry

Market Research Analyst pay by industry is set out below for every industry sector where the survey publishes a median, highest first, with the number employed in each. A high median in a sector with few jobs is a real figure but a narrow door.

What Drives Market Research Analyst Pay?

What drives market research analyst pay is the industry the employer sits in, more than whether it's public or private. Private employers, which account for 881,160 of the jobs, pay a median of $78,910. Government as a whole pays $69,740, local government $67,980 and state government $67,450, all below the private figure. The exception is the federal government at $114,910, but across 1,020 jobs it's a small room.

Within the private sector, the spread is large. Information pays a median of $102,670 across 83,400 market research analysts and marketing specialists, management of companies and enterprises pays $99,850 across 74,470, and finance and insurance pays $94,330 across 85,630. The largest sector, professional, scientific and technical services, pays $79,970 across 248,820 jobs, close to the national median. That sector holds the consulting firms the handbook names as the largest single employer, at 11 percent of jobs. At the low end, retail trade pays $50,000 across 46,460 jobs and accommodation and food services pays $53,380 across 12,330. Mining and agriculture post medians of $103,670 and $100,890 across 470 and 210 jobs, too few to build a plan on.

Metro area is the other large driver, and the technology metros pull away. San Jose pays a median of $141,960 across 12,710 jobs and San Francisco pays $123,250 across 24,120. Boston at $102,390, Seattle at $102,170 and New York at $100,520 all clear $100,000, and New York does it across 79,290 jobs, the largest count of any metro. Dallas at $75,240 and Atlanta at $79,030 are big markets that pay near the national median. The state figures tell the same story: Massachusetts leads at $101,810, California pays $94,700 across 119,070 jobs, and West Virginia sits at $52,340.

The pooling matters for all of those figures. The information sector's $102,670 blends research roles with marketing roles at the same companies, and so does San Jose's $141,960. When you weigh a posting, the sector and metro figures are a closer guide than the national median, but they still describe both jobs, so ask whether the role is research or campaigns before you anchor on a number.

How Can a Market Research Analyst Earn More?

A market research analyst earns more by moving toward the sectors and metros where the pooled figures run highest, and the two moves stack. Going from a health care employer at the $65,960 sector median to an information employer at $102,670 is a $36,710 difference in the medians alone. Doing the same work in San Jose at $141,960 rather than Dallas at $75,240 is a $66,720 difference in the metro medians. You won't capture both in full, because the metros with the highest medians are where the high-paying sectors already cluster, but each is a real lever.

Government is a weaker lever for a market research analyst than the federal figure suggests. The federal government's $114,910 median sits well above the private $78,910, but it covers 1,020 jobs, and state and local government both pay below private employers. If you're weighing a public-sector offer, compare it with the private median rather than assuming government pays a premium.

The handbook lists two credential paths. Some employers require or prefer a master's degree, and if the employers you're targeting are among them, the master's in general studies rankings cover programs at that level. Certification is voluntary, and the handbook describes it as a way to demonstrate a level of professional competency. Ask the employers you want whether either one changes the offer, because the answer differs from shop to shop.

The steps into the job, and whether a general studies degree is enough to get there, are in the market research analyst career guide.