Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists: salary, outlook & degrees

Research conditions in local, regional, national, or online markets. Gather information to determine potential sales of a product or service, or plan a marketing or advertising campaign. May gather information on competitors, prices, sales, and methods of marketing and distribution. May employ search marketing tactics, analyze web metrics, and develop recommendations to increase search engine ranking and visibility to target markets.

U.S. median wage
$78,760

Middle half $58,350–$108,310. 899,580 jobs.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025

Ages 25-34 in this job
$69,055

86% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $72,618.

Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation

Outlook, 2025-35
+7.0%

About 82,000 openings a year, including replacements.

BLS Employment Projections 2025-35

Typical entry
Bachelor's degree

Considerable preparation (usually a bachelor's).

BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone

Degrees that lead to this career

What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.

Field of bachelor's degreeShareDegree pages
Marketing And Marketing Research15%Marketing · Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations
Communications10%Communications · Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other
Business Management And Administration6%Business Administration
General Business4%Business
Journalism4%Journalism
Advertising And Public Relations4%Public Relations and Advertising
English Language And Literature4%English
Psychology3%Psychology
Economics3%Economics
Mass Media2%Broadcasting / Digital Media

Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.

Pay by state and metro

StateMedian wage
Massachusetts$101,810
Delaware$101,270
New York$98,580
District of Columbia$98,090
Washington$95,120
California$94,700
Colorado$93,050
New Jersey$88,190
Minnesota$87,510
Rhode Island$86,240
Oregon$79,150
Illinois$79,120
North Carolina$78,410
Connecticut$77,740
Virginia$76,980
Maryland$76,370
Georgia$75,850
Florida$75,450
Vermont$74,880
Ohio$72,790
Texas$72,520
Maine$71,980
Arizona$71,940
Nevada$71,840
Kansas$70,430
Missouri$70,140
Tennessee$69,790
South Carolina$69,440
Pennsylvania$68,760
Montana$68,080
Michigan$66,780
Alaska$66,710
Iowa$66,390
Arkansas$65,430
Wisconsin$64,800
New Hampshire$64,570
Indiana$63,700
South Dakota$63,490
Utah$62,630
New Mexico$61,950
Oklahoma$61,940
North Dakota$61,580
Kentucky$61,480
Wyoming$60,990
Idaho$60,970
Nebraska$60,000
VI$59,990
Louisiana$59,690
Alabama$59,530
Hawaii$59,390
Mississippi$56,640
West Virginia$52,340
GU$42,240
PR$39,330

Florida metro areas

  • Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$72,860
  • Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$75,210
  • Jacksonville$76,740
  • North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota$73,260
  • Cape Coral-Fort Myers$65,180
  • Lakeland-Winter Haven$76,630
  • Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville$73,350
  • Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent$63,400

Virginia metro areas

  • Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$87,160
  • Richmond$81,660
  • Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$69,560
  • Charlottesville$72,010
  • Roanoke$64,340
  • Kingsport-Bristol$65,420
  • Lynchburg$60,310
  • Winchester$66,920

California metro areas

  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$82,990
  • San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$123,250
  • San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$141,960
  • Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$69,840
  • Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$78,630
  • Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura$80,100
  • Fresno$62,880
  • Santa Maria-Santa Barbara$79,710

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.

What the work takes

Top skills

  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Writing
  • Critical Thinking
  • Speaking

Knowledge used

  • English Language
  • Sales and Marketing
  • Administration and Management
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Administrative

Work styles

  • Attention to Detail
  • Intellectual Curiosity
  • Achievement Orientation
  • Dependability
  • Innovation

People in this job tend to have Enterprising (leading), Conventional (organizing), Investigative (analytical) interests.

O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.

Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists: questions

How much do market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists make?

Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists earn a U.S. median $78,760 a year; the middle half earn $58,350 to $108,310 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $69,055 (Census ACS 2020-2024).

Is market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists a growing field?

BLS projects growth of 7.0% from 2025 to 2035, with about 82,000 openings a year, including replacements.

What degree do you need to be a market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialist?

BLS lists the typical entry education as bachelor's degree. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is marketing And Marketing Research (15%).

How much do market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists make in Florida?

The median in Florida is $75,450 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $78,760 nationally.

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 13-1161. Method
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Cite this: “Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/market-research-analysts-and-marketing-specialists.