Survey Researchers Salary: $89,313 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 7,720 survey researchers nationally earn a mean of $89,313. Projections imply about 4.2% annual decline; much hiring sits in professional, scientific, and technical services.
Key Statistics
Survey Researchers: what the data shows
Common questions about survey researchers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a survey researchers?
Survey Researchers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 19-3022.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 7,720 workers.
What does a survey researchers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Working with Computers, Analyzing Data or Information, Getting Information, Processing Information, Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a survey researchers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $63,380 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $89,313 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $45,915 |
| 25th percentile | $65,010 |
| Median (50th) | $79,278 |
| 75th percentile | $102,964 |
| 90th percentile | $132,629 |
What education do you need?
For Survey Researchers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Critical Thinking, Writing, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, and knowledge areas including English Language, Mathematics, Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is survey researchers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 4.2% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -19.3%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -34.9%.
Current U.S. headcount: 7,720.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do survey researcherss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 7,720 | 19.1% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 6,080 | 15.1% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4,700 | 11.6% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4,700 | 11.6% |
| Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2,740 | 6.8% |
| Educational Services | 2,250 | 5.6% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Survey Researchers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Survey Researchers workforce.
Employment Over Time
7,720 Workforce in 2023
The Survey Researchers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Survey Researchers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$89,313 Average Wage
In 2023, Survey Researchers earned an average of $89,313.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Survey Researchers.
Salary distribution for Survey Researchers.
Employment Growth Projections
-4.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
3,032 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -19.3%
2,446 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -34.9%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Survey Researchers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Survey Researchers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Survey Researchers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Survey Researchers.
Wage Trends by Industry
21.6% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 7.6% growth (Current: $127,387)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Survey Researchers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Survey Researchers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 1,090 employees, $86,950 avg wage
- GA: 830 employees, $59,540 avg wage
- TX: 810 employees, $45,280 avg wage
- MD: 420 employees, $98,160 avg wage
- NY: 370 employees, $84,340 avg wage
- NC: 260 employees, $88,110 avg wage
- IL: 250 employees, $95,220 avg wage
- NE: 230 employees, $60,650 avg wage
- MO: 210 employees, $59,210 avg wage
- IA: 180 employees, $71,200 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Survey Researchers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 530 employees, $104,500 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 510 employees, $77,760 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 260 employees, $115,630 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 240 employees, $95,990 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 240 employees, $36,990 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 220 employees, $87,220 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 170 employees, N/A avg wage
- Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY: 170 employees, $91,520 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 140 employees, $63,220 avg wage
- Omaha, NE-IA: 110 employees, $61,180 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Survey Researchers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Survey Researchers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Survey Researchers in 2023 was 7,720 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Survey Researchers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Survey Researchers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Survey Researchers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Survey Researchers in 2023 were Business Administration, Biology, Chemistry.
Common majors for Survey Researchers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Survey Researchers workers.
Education level distribution for Survey Researchers.
Skills
Survey Researchers need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Writing, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening.
Required skills for Survey Researchers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Survey Researchers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Survey Researchers include English Language, Mathematics, Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management, Computers and Electronics.
Knowledge areas required for Survey Researchers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Survey Researchers include Written Expression, Inductive Reasoning, Written Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning, Oral Expression.
Required abilities for Survey Researchers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Survey Researchers.
Daily Activities
Survey Researchers spend their time on activities such as Working with Computers, Analyzing Data or Information, Getting Information, Processing Information, Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others.
Most important work activities for Survey Researchers.
About
Survey Researchers
The average yearly wage for Survey Researchers was $89,313 in 2023.
SOC Code
19-3022 - Survey Researchers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Survey Researchers reports an average salary of $89,313.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 7,720 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -4.2%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.