Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for market research analysts and marketing specialistss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).

National mean salary $89,490 ≈ $43/hr
National median salary $78,760
Total employment 899,580 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth +6.7% Faster than average
Annual openings 87,200 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 941,700 → 1,004,700 (+63,000)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

  1. Massachusetts$108,600
  2. California$108,120
  3. Washington$107,970
  4. District of Columbia$106,270
  5. Delaware$105,940

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

  1. West Virginia$58,360
  2. Mississippi$61,820
  3. Hawaii$64,720
  4. Nebraska$64,970
  5. North Dakota$66,940
#StateMeanMedian Hourlyvs. U.S.Employment
1 Massachusetts $108,600 $101,810 $52 +21.4% 39,710
2 California $108,120 $94,700 $52 +20.8% 119,070
3 Washington $107,970 $95,120 $52 +20.7% 24,460
4 District of Columbia $106,270 $98,090 $51 +18.8% 6,340
5 Delaware $105,940 $101,270 $51 +18.4% 3,570
6 New York $103,270 $98,580 $50 +15.4% 80,500
7 Colorado $98,960 $93,050 $48 +10.6% 27,880
8 New Jersey $94,660 $88,190 $46 +5.8% 22,990
9 Minnesota $94,120 $87,510 $45 +5.2% 21,280
10 Oregon $90,540 $79,150 $44 +1.2% 11,310
11 Rhode Island $89,490 $86,240 $43 +0% 3,210
12 North Carolina $89,430 $78,410 $43 -0.1% 30,700
13 Illinois $87,940 $79,120 $42 -1.7% 40,560
14 Virginia $87,420 $76,980 $42 -2.3% 25,610
15 Connecticut $86,740 $77,740 $42 -3.1% 9,930

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 517 metro areas.

#Metro areaMedianMeanEmployment
1 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $141,960 $154,130 12,710
2 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $123,250 $130,760 24,120
3 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $102,390 $109,840 32,310
4 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $102,170 $116,050 18,030
5 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $100,520 $106,310 79,290
6 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $99,040 $103,200 17,000
7 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $97,910 $98,770 16,760
8 Boulder, CO $97,600 $105,070 3,130
9 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $93,110 $107,080 2,740
10 Worcester, MA $90,300 $96,080 2,030

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing market research analysts and marketing specialistss (BLS OEWS, by median).

#IndustryMedianMeanEmployment
1 Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services $161,220 $156,900 7,900
2 Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services $161,220 $156,900 7,900
3 Monetary Authorities-Central Bank $141,020 $144,570 150
4 Monetary Authorities-Central Bank $141,020 $144,570 150
5 Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing $139,610 $147,540 1,560
6 Taxi and Limousine Service $138,560 $138,450 2,400
7 Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation $138,330 $134,320 2,560
8 Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation $137,070 $130,120 230
9 Software Publishers $128,200 $129,250 23,490
10 Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing $127,230 $127,680 2,080
11 Waste Treatment and Disposal $126,920 $116,540 120
12 Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences $124,650 $128,780 6,660

Workforce Deep-Dive

Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.

Annual wage distribution

< $10K
115,733
$10-20k
27,637
$20-30k
28,740
$30-40k
35,188
$40-50k
42,753
$50-60k
49,308
$60-70k
48,205
$70-80k
41,624
$80-90k
32,559
$90-100k
24,137
$100-110k
26,199
$110-120k
16,236
$120-130k
21,411
$130-140k
11,573
$140-150k
13,103
$150-160k
13,358
$160-170k
8,079
$170-180k
9,343
$180-190k
8,510
$190-200k
4,312
$200k+
53,802

Pay by age band

16-24
$27,960
25-34
$71,811
35-44
$110,929
45-54
$124,412
55-64
$101,230
65+
$38,667

Education level

Bachelors Degree
$84,103
Masters Degree
$125,590
1 or more years of college credit, no degree
$43,428
Regular high school diploma
$39,315
Associates Degree
$49,560
Some college, but less than 1 year
$50,942
Professional degree
$107,939
Doctorate degree
$130,634
GED or alternative credential
$46,109
Grade 11
$39,035
No schooling completed
$64,362
12th grade - no diploma
$37,119
Grade 10
$29,892
Nursery school, preschool
$57,093
Grade 6
$42,772
Grade 8
$57,696
Grade 9
$26,354
Grade 4
$20,838
Grade 3
$51,552
Grade 5
$28,037
Grade 7
$48,937
Grade 1
$32,625

Full-time vs part-time

Full-time
456,911 · $109,014
Part-time
71,875 · $29,035

Race / ethnicity

White
$85,304
Two or More Races
$82,560
Asian
$103,795
Black
$64,003
Other
$61,860
American Indian
$45,832
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
$35,845
American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races
$73,116

Top fields of study

Marketing And Marketing Research
$87,518
Communications
$83,878
Business Management And Administration
$95,831
General Business
$112,404
English Language And Literature
$77,105
Psychology
$85,596
Journalism
$97,402
Commercial Art And Graphic Design
$71,828

Top Skills

Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).

Reading Comprehension
3.9
Complex Problem Solving
3.9
Active Listening
3.8
Critical Thinking
3.8
Active Learning
3.8
Judgment and Decision Making
3.8
Speaking
3.6
Writing
3.5
Monitoring
3.4
Systems Analysis
3.4
Systems Evaluation
3.4
Coordination
3.3

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do market research analysts and marketing specialists make in the U.S.?

The median market research analysts and marketing specialists salary in the United States is $78,760 per year (mean $89,490), and about 80% earn between $43,390 and $155,480.

How much do market research analysts and marketing specialists make per hour?

Roughly $43 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $89,490 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays market research analysts and marketing specialists the most?

Massachusetts has the highest average pay for market research analysts and marketing specialists at $108,600 per year (median $101,810).

What is the job outlook for market research analysts and marketing specialists?

Employment is projected to change +6.7% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 87,200 openings per year.

What People Search

Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.

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