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Marketing Research

Types of Degrees Marketing Research Majors Are Earning

Those studying Marketing Research have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1
Associate’s Degree	3
Bachelor’s Degree	6
Master’s Degree	190

What Marketing Research Majors Need to Know

Programs in Marketing Research build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Marketing Research graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Marketing Research emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Sales and Marketing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Marketing Research program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Marketing Research careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Marketing Research graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Marketing Research professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Hypertext markup language HTML	Web platform development software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Tableau	Business intelligence and data analysis software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	✓
JavaScript	Web platform development software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Marketing Research graduates include:

• Technical Marketing Specialist
• Social Media Specialist
• Marketing Specialist
• Marketing Consultant
• Email Marketing Specialist
• Trade Analyst
• Trade Specialist
• Marketing Representative
• Marketing Forecaster
• Digital Marketing Specialist
• Market Researcher
• Marketing Associate
• Marketer
• Marketing Analyst
• Marketing Research Analyst

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Marketing Research graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	48.3%
Master’s degree	28.1%
Doctoral degree	9.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.7%
Some college courses	3.1%
First professional degree	2.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.4%
Postsecondary certificate	1.2%
Post-master’s certificate	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Marketing Research?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 70.5% of Marketing Research degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	141	70.5%
Men	59	29.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Marketing Research graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	100	50.0%
Asian	8	4.0%
Hispanic or Latino	34	17.0%
Black or African American	14	7.0%
Two or More Races	8	4.0%
Race Unknown	7	3.5%
International Students	29	14.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Marketing Research Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Marketing Research graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$47,976
4 years	$58,749
5 years	$68,122

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $68,122 — roughly 42% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Marketing Research Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Marketing Research. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	1	1
Master’s	3	4

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Marketing Research Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Marketing Research graduates earn a median of $58,749 four years after completion — roughly 55% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Marketing	52.14
Digital Marketing	52.1404
International Marketing	52.1403
Marketing, Other	52.1499
Marketing/Marketing Management, General	52.1401
Business Statistics	52.1302
Hospitality and Recreation Marketing Operations	52.1910
Accounting and Business/Management	52.0305
Accounting and Finance	52.0304
Accounting	52.0301
Actuarial Science	52.1304

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.