Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Bachelor's degree
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These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Market research analysts and marketing specialists study markets and help organizations understand customers, products, and competitive positioning. This career combines quantitative analysis, writing, and communication with creativity and problem solving. Nationally, there are 942,000 workers in this field, indicating a large footprint across the economy. The projected employment growth of 6.7% and 87,000 annual openings suggest a steady flow of opportunities for both new graduates and experienced professionals. Typical roles in this career benefit from strong critical and analytical thinking, mathematics, and computer skills, as well as project management and leadership. Professionals also rely on customer service abilities and effective speaking and listening to translate insights into action. With a national median annual salary of $76,950 and opportunities across many states and metro areas, this path can appeal to people who enjoy blending data, communication, and strategic thinking in a business-focused environment.
Market research analysts and marketing specialists earn a national median annual salary of $76,950. Earnings vary significantly by location. Among the top states by CareerGPS opportunity score, median salaries range from $93,050 in Colorado to $101,810 in Massachusetts. New York and Washington also show relatively high median pay at $98,580 and $95,120, respectively, with California at $94,700. At the metro level, salary differences are even more pronounced. The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro posts a median salary of $141,960, and the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro reaches $123,250. The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metros show median salaries of $100,520 and $102,390. These figures indicate that location choice can have a substantial impact on earning potential within this career.
National employment for market research analysts and marketing specialists stands at 942,000, pointing to a well-established occupation. Projected employment growth of 6.7% suggests continued expansion over the projection period. With 87,000 annual openings, there is a sizable volume of opportunities that may come from new positions as well as turnover and career movement. Across states and metros highlighted by CareerGPS, the projected growth rate is consistently listed as 6.7%, indicating alignment with the national projection in these key regions. For job seekers, this combination of large current employment, measurable growth, and substantial annual openings suggests that people entering or advancing in this field can anticipate an active job market with recurring opportunities to move between employers, industries, or locations over time.
CareerGPS data highlights several strong states and metro areas for market research analysts and marketing specialists, based on a combination of salary, employment, growth, and opportunity score. Among states, California, Massachusetts, and New York all show opportunity scores above 65, with median salaries from $94,700 to $101,810 and employment levels ranging from 39,710 in Massachusetts to 119,070 in California. Colorado and Washington also provide noteworthy opportunities, with median salaries of $93,050 and $95,120 and opportunity scores in the mid-50s. At the metro level, the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ areas stand out with opportunity scores above 77. San Jose in particular combines a very high median salary of $141,960 with 12,710 employed. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH also pair six-figure median salaries with sizable employment, giving candidates a range of high-opportunity urban markets to consider.
The typical education requirement for market research analysts and marketing specialists is a bachelor’s degree. This level of education supports the broad mix of analytical, technical, and communication skills reflected in the top skills list. Key capabilities include critical and analytical thinking, mathematics, and computers and information technology, which together support data-focused aspects of the work. Writing and reading, along with speaking and listening, enable professionals to communicate findings clearly to different audiences. Creativity and innovation complement these strengths by helping generate and refine ideas. Project management and leadership skills support organizing work and guiding initiatives, while problem solving and decision making help address complex questions. Customer service skills round out the profile by emphasizing responsiveness to client and stakeholder needs. Students and career changers can use this skill mix as a guide when choosing degree programs, electives, or training experiences aligned with this field.
Use CareerGPS Pro to compare markets, understand the tradeoffs, and focus on the places with the strongest potential.
