Survey Researchers: Career Profile
Plan, develop, or conduct surveys. May analyze and interpret the meaning of survey data, determine survey objectives, or suggest or test question wording. Includes social scientists who primarily design questionnaires or supervise survey teams.
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What Tasks Do Survey Researchers Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of survey researchers cover:
- Conduct surveys and collect data, using methods such as interviews, questionnaires, focus groups, market analysis surveys, public opinion polls, literature reviews, and file reviews.
- Prepare and present summaries and analyses of survey data, including tables, graphs, and fact sheets that describe survey techniques and results.
- Consult with clients to identify survey needs and specific requirements, such as special samples.
- Determine and specify details of survey projects, including sources of information, procedures to be used, and the design of survey instruments and materials.
- Support, plan, and coordinate operations for single or multiple surveys.
- Monitor and evaluate survey progress and performance, using sample disposition reports and response rate calculations.
- Collaborate with other researchers in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of surveys.
- Conduct research to gather information about survey topics.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Top survey researchers rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Survey Researchers Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Analytic Methodologist
- Bilingual Field Interviewer
- Data Analyst
- Data Collection Specialist
- Data Collector
- Evaluation Analyst
- Field Collector
- Field Data Collector
Job Outlook
The U.S. employs around 68,888 survey researchers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +11.1% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Survey Researchers
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $108,538 |
| Hourly median | $52.18 |
| 10th percentile | $64,275 |
| 25th percentile | $86,407 |
| 75th percentile | $130,669 |
| 90th percentile | $152,801 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Survey Researchers Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $102,410 |
| District of Columbia | $96,670 |
| Minnesota | $95,650 |
| Illinois | $92,520 |
| Maryland | $90,190 |
| New York | $82,550 |
| Oregon | $82,300 |
| Iowa | $77,830 |
| California | $77,180 |
| North Carolina | $76,990 |
| Ohio | $75,400 |
| Colorado | $75,290 |
| Wisconsin | $75,070 |
| Connecticut | $66,220 |
| Washington | $64,160 |
| Michigan | $63,040 |
| Wyoming | $62,910 |
| Alaska | $62,640 |
| Nebraska | $61,960 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,100 |
| Kansas | $60,380 |
| New Mexico | $58,950 |
| Arizona | $58,460 |
| Tennessee | $55,950 |
| Virginia | $54,550 |
| Oklahoma | $51,900 |
| Missouri | $51,680 |
| Utah | $50,150 |
| Georgia | $48,800 |
| Maine | $42,960 |
| Texas | $36,950 |
Where Survey Researchers Earn the Most
Pay for survey researchers differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $86,465 | 18.2% | 1.93 |
| Great Lakes | $83,479 | 6.1% | 0.66 |
| Far Western US | $75,582 | 21.4% | 1.19 |
| Plains States | $62,476 | 12.4% | 2.73 |
| Rocky Mountains | $56,530 | 1.2% | 1.73 |
| Southeast | $55,481 | 21.4% | 2.43 |
| New England | $46,328 | 4.0% | 2.12 |
| Southwest | $40,406 | 15.2% | 1.35 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | NJ | $180,060 | 40 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | IL | $98,510 | 240 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $96,710 | 530 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | NY | $88,570 | 170 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $87,290 | 260 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | MN | $83,810 | |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $83,000 | 220 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | OR | $82,300 | 80 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of survey researchers work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4,700 | $64,640 |
| Educational Services | 1,490 | $63,290 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 260 | $61,530 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 160 | $56,100 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 120 | $63,960 |
Below are examples of industries where survey researchers work:
Software Survey Researchers Use
- Object or component oriented development software: C++ (hot technology)
- Enterprise application integration software: Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: JavaScript (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Project management software: Microsoft Teams (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
Work Environment
The on-the-job environment of survey researchers tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Spend Time Sitting
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Getting Started in This Career
Entry-level survey researchers positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Clinical Research Coordinators (Supplemental)
- Management Analysts (Primary-Short)
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists (Primary-Long)
- Financial Quantitative Analysts (Supplemental)
- Operations Research Analysts (Supplemental)
- Statisticians (Primary-Short)
- Biostatisticians (Primary-Long)
- Data Scientists (Primary-Short)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Future survey researchers typically earn programs in:
Social Sciences
3 programs across 2 majors
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
3 programs across 3 majors
Mathematics and Statistics
2 programs across 2 majors
Education
1 programs across 1 majors
References
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 19-3022.00 (Survey Researchers).
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