Research is a key component of many careers, no matter the major a student has chosen or the industry a professional works in, be it healthcare, education, technology, even sales.
Demand for Market Researchers
The demand for market researchers is continually growing in today’s increasingly competitive market. Businesses are competing internationally and constant advances in technology continue to expand the global market.
Companies want and need market researchers, so they can have a competitive edge.
According to US News, “A range of employers, including research companies, colleges and government agencies, should galvanize growth in this field. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 23.2 percent employment growth for market research analysts between 2016 and 2026. In that period, an estimated 138,800 jobs should open up.”
According to the BLS, this growth rate is much faster than the average for other occupations. It is anticipated that there will be 733,700 market research jobs available by 2026.
Market research analysts held around 595,400 jobs as of 2016, and the largest employers were:
If a company does any sort of business, it is likely they also conduct market research. Furthermore, most businesses need market researchers to guide their decision-making processes.
People can easily find market research jobs within the wide variety of businesses that exist today.
Job Opportunities in Market Research
Job opportunities in market research are becoming more popular as the demand continues to expand. More and more companies are looking for market researchers to help them determine sellable products, active audiences, and effective marketing strategies.
The good news is that market research isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. In other words, market research will stick around as long as businesses continue to exist and utilize new technologies.
From Google to Uber, there are job opportunities almost everywhere.
Real Market Research Opportunities
Today’s job market is full of market research opportunities. You can find entry level positions, management, even leadership positions within some of the biggest names in the industry.
Of course, depending upon your work experience and education, your pay will fluctuate. According to the BLS, “The lowest 10 percent earned less than $34,310, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $121,080.”
Below, you’ll find a few current job postings available online.
Gemdale USA: Real Estate Market Research Analyst:
Pasadena, CA
The market research analyst will conduct strategic analysis and research in support of various developments, asset management, market research, and marketing-related initiatives. They participate in design, analysis, and reporting. This role requires reports and analytics to be made for human resources, finances, and administration.
Gemdale’s expected qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting, business, finance, or related field
- Minimum of one year of experience in real estate, investment, or conusltin
- Proficient computer skills and advanced skills in Microsoft applications
- Competency in financial statement analysis, business valuation, accounting, and finance
Gemdale’s estimated salary for a real estate market research analyst is $55,000 to $90,000.
Google: Research and Insights Manager:
New York City, NY; San Francisco, CA; Mountain View, CA
At Google, the research and insights manager is responsible for mining data and conducting third-party research to illustrate changes in consumer behavior. They must transform data into coherent and actionable insights that shape Google’s view and get marketers to rethink their advertising. The research and insights manager has to transform complex data into interesting insights and manage multiple projects with multiple stakeholders.
According to Google, “Whether you’re on a consumer product or a business product, you take part in a complete marketing experience as you lead every facet of the product’s journey…you help shape the voice of the product and help it grow a consumer base.”
Google’s expected qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in market research or a related field
- Five years of market research experience
- Experience with data analysis and experimental design
- Experience with insight development and SQL queries
- Curious, passionate, creative and has an understanding of human behavior
Glassdoor’s estimated salary for a research and insights manager is $85,000.
According to Google, employee benefits include:
- Parental leave
- Retirement savings plans
- Death benefits
- Healthcare services, including on-site doctors and fitness centers
- Charitable donations on behalf of Googlers
- Flexible hours
- Financial advising
Uber Eats: Senior Market Research Manager:
San Francisco, CA
The senior market research manager is responsible for operating global market research projects that depict the future direction of the company and measure the impact of brand efforts. They are in charge of designing, executing, and delivering high-impact primary research, both quantitative and qualitative. Then, they must combine this information with secondary research to find opportunities and inform the brand.
Uber’s expected qualifications:
- A passion for Uber’s mission and an understanding of how the business works
- Curiosity and interest in making customers’ lives better
- Six years of experience in research and branding
- Strong collaboration skills
- Outstanding communication and presentation skills
Glassdoor’s estimated salary for the senior market research manager at Uber is $106,707.
Uber employee benefits include:
- Insurance and healthcare
- Retirement and financial savings plans
- Vacation and time off
- Employee discounts
- Free meals and snacks
- Gym memberships
- Commuter checks
- Mobile phone discounts
YouTube: Lead Effectiveness Researcher:
Mountain View, CA; New York City, NY
The lead effectiveness researcher is in charge of prioritizing topics YouTube wants to pursue, scope resourcing, and finalizing agendas with product executives, global marketing and sales, and industry representatives. Also, they must conduct and analyze primary and secondary research and partner with internal and external parties to meet objectives.
According to YouTube’s job description, “If you’re up for uncovering groundbreaking guidelines about how video ads work and how to make them successful, sharing those with the ad industry, and helping invent the future of marketing, this is the role for you.”
YouTube’s expected qualifications:
- Experience with SQL queries and SPSS, R, Python, or Tableau
- Bachelor’s degree in market research or a related field
- Eight years of advertising research experience
- Experience in designing and conducting experiments with data
- Skills in data analysis, experimental design, surveying, clickstream analysis, and planning tools
- Curiosity, creativity, and passion
Glassdoor’s estimated salary for a researcher at YouTube is $140,000.
According to Google, the owner of YouTube, employee benefits include:
- Parental leave
- Retirement savings plans
- Death benefits
- Healthcare services, including on-site doctors and fitness centers
- Charitable donations on behalf of Googlers
- Flexible hours
- Financial advising
Becoming a Market Researcher: Where to Begin
The road to a market research career generally begins with a bachelor’s degree in market research or a related field like statistics, math, or computer science. And some jobs require a master’s degree, although many analysts complete degrees non-specific to market research. In most cases, a master’s degree is required for leadership or technical positions.
In the video below, Hannah Clowes, from Kantar TNS, shares tips with college students about what they can do to get ahead of the competition in market research. She talks about her experience and how she landed her job as a research consultant.
Other options for building professional skills include licenses, certifications, and registrations such as the Professional Researcher Certification . The PRC requires candidates to qualify based on passing an exam at the end of educational courses and completing a certain number of hours in experience. Candidates must complete 20 hours of industry-related education courses every two years to keep their certification up-to-date.
Other market research certifications include:
- Certified Research Analyst
- Certificate in Market and Social Research Practice
- Graduate Certificate in Marketing Analytics and Market Research
- Post Graduate Certificate Program in Market Research and Data Analytics
The Job For You
Not many careers can provide the same opportunities and stability that market research does. The market research industry is booming, and will be for quite some time. Every business needs people to do research for them. There are plenty of job opportunities in all sorts of companies and areas.
Who knows? Maybe market research could be the job for you!
