Massachusetts·Business and Financial Operations Occupations·SOC 13-1161

Best Market Research Analyst programs in Massachusetts, ranked by enrollment

Research conditions in local, regional, national, or online markets. Gather information to determine potential sales of a product or service, or plan a marketing or advertising campaign.

42 schools in Massachusetts run programs that feed this job, graduating 2,532 people a year. The job pays a median of $101,810 in Massachusetts across about 39,710 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledMarket AnalystDigital Media PlannerPaid Search StrategistMarket Research AnalystMarket Research ConsultantMarket Research SpecialistOnline Marketing ConsultantSEO Strategist (Search Engine Optimization Strategist)
Graduates / yr
2,532
in Massachusetts
Median pay · Massachusetts
$101,810
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
39,710
people employed
Schools
42
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
62%
across those schools
Median net price
$28,321
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Massachusetts that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

6 programs in Massachusetts that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Massachusetts (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Massachusetts page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
11,147
45.3%
35$44,670$24,250
21,088
43.0%
10
3253
10.0%
2$44,670$24,250
439
1.5%
6$44,670$24,250
53
0.1%
2$44,670$24,250
62
0.1%
1$51,725$22,907

Top 25 schools in Massachusetts

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 12 of the 42 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1University of Massachusetts - Amherst
Amherst, MA Public · 3 feeder programs
835Business Analytics83%60%
2Boston University
Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs
414Business Analytics89%$21,95611%
3Hult International Business School
Cambridge, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
195Business Analytics67%$42,98160%
4Bentley University
Waltham, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
110Marketing/Marketing Management, General$60,44787%$31,67745%
5Emerson College
Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
76Marketing/Marketing Management, General$41,65177%$40,98251%
6Suffolk University
Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
75Marketing/Marketing Management, General$44,42461%$28,89582%
7Merrimack College
North Andover, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
65Marketing/Marketing Management, General70%$33,87770%
8Stonehill College
Easton, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
65Marketing/Marketing Management, General$50,02576%$24,00066%
9Babson College
Wellesley, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
60Business Analytics93%$30,32617%
10Bridgewater State University
Bridgewater, MA Public · 1 feeder programs
52Marketing/Marketing Management, General$39,87153%88%
11Assumption University
Worcester, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
46Marketing/Marketing Management, General$55,31475%$24,20683%
12University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth
North Dartmouth, MA Public · 1 feeder programs
44Marketing/Marketing Management, General$42,78252%91%
13Salem State University
Salem, MA Public · 1 feeder programs
42Marketing/Marketing Management, General50%96%
14Western New England University
Springfield, MA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs
42Marketing, Other64%$29,32783%
15Fitchburg State University
Fitchburg, MA Public · 1 feeder programs
37Marketing/Marketing Management, General55%87%
16Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
35Marketing/Marketing Management, General$66,22791%$21,12616%
17Curry College
Milton, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
31Business Analytics51%$28,32188%
18Endicott College
Beverly, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
31Marketing/Marketing Management, General$49,91376%$34,19571%
19Westfield State University
Westfield, MA Public · 1 feeder programs
30Marketing/Marketing Management, General54%81%
20Harvard University
Cambridge, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
29Marketing/Marketing Management, General98%$15,0134%
21Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
29Business Analytics90%$32,92660%
22Nichols College
Dudley, MA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs
28Marketing/Marketing Management, General63%$29,71881%
23Emmanuel College
Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
23Marketing/Marketing Management, General$46,49168%$29,72376%
24Clark University
Worcester, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
18Marketing/Marketing Management, General77%$23,33240%
25Framingham State University
Framingham, MA Public · 1 feeder programs
15Marketing/Marketing Management, General$39,21848%84%

All 42 schools in Massachusetts

Every school in Massachusetts with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Massachusetts that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
University of Massachusetts - AmherstAmherstPublic8353
Boston UniversityBostonPrivate not-for-profit4143
Hult International Business SchoolCambridgePrivate not-for-profit1952
Bentley UniversityWalthamPrivate not-for-profit1101
Emerson CollegeBostonPrivate not-for-profit762
Suffolk UniversityBostonPrivate not-for-profit752
Merrimack CollegeNorth AndoverPrivate not-for-profit651
Stonehill CollegeEastonPrivate not-for-profit651
Babson CollegeWellesleyPrivate not-for-profit601
Bridgewater State UniversityBridgewaterPublic521
Assumption UniversityWorcesterPrivate not-for-profit461
University of Massachusetts - DartmouthNorth DartmouthPublic441
Salem State UniversitySalemPublic421
Western New England UniversitySpringfieldPrivate not-for-profit423
Fitchburg State UniversityFitchburgPublic371

What market research analysts and marketing specialists earn in Massachusetts

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Massachusetts
$101,810
Mean annual
$108,600
Jobs in state
39,710
What the range looks like
10th pct$58,090Median$101,81090th pct$166,970
Versus the national median
+29.3%

U.S. median $78,760. Massachusetts pays above the national figure.

Job concentration
1.89×

Concentrated here: Massachusetts employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.

Metro areas in Massachusetts

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$102,390median
32,310 jobs
Worcester, MA
$90,300median
2,030 jobs
Springfield, MA
$85,970median
1,050 jobs
Pittsfield, MA
$75,940median
300 jobs
Barnstable Town, MA
$79,150median
440 jobs
Amherst Town-Northampton, MA
$72,550median
350 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+6.7%
Faster than average
Openings per year
87,200
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
63,000
941,700 → 1,004,700
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists page.

How to become a Market Research Analyst

Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Top skills

Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingActive ListeningWritingSpeakingActive Learning

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Massachusetts

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 16 majors mapped to Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists16 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 19.0203Consumer Merchandising/Retailing Management
  • 19.0905Apparel and Textile Marketing Management
  • 30.7102Business Analytics
  • 45.0602Applied Economics
  • 52.1401Marketing/Marketing Management, General
  • 52.1402Marketing Research
  • 52.1403International Marketing
  • 52.1404Digital Marketing
  • 52.1499Marketing, Other
  • 52.1904Apparel and Accessories Marketing Operations
  • 52.1905Tourism and Travel Services Marketing Operations
  • 52.1906Tourism Promotion Operations
  • 52.1907Vehicle and Vehicle Parts and Accessories Marketing Operations
  • 52.1908Business and Personal/Financial Services Marketing Operations
  • 52.1909Special Products Marketing Operations
  • 52.1910Hospitality and Recreation Marketing Operations

Common questions

Answers for people weighing market research analysts and marketing specialists programs in Massachusetts.

What degree do you need to become a Market Research Analyst?+

Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Marketing/Marketing Management, General, which awarded 1,147 degrees in Massachusetts in 2024-25, 45.3% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Market Research Analyst?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 6 programs to this occupation. The largest are Marketing, Data Analytics, Economics. Together they graduate about 2,532 people a year in Massachusetts.

How much do market research analysts and marketing specialists earn in Massachusetts?+

The median is $101,810 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 29.3% above the U.S. median of $78,760. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for market research analysts and marketing specialists growing?+

BLS projects a +6.7% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, faster than average, with roughly 87,200 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in Massachusetts?+

42 institutions in Massachusetts reported graduates from at least one of the 6 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do market research analysts and marketing specialists work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Market Analyst, Digital Media Planner, Paid Search Strategist, Market Research Analyst, Market Research Consultant, Market Research Specialist among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 13-1161.

Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists in other statesTexasFloridaOhioUtahNew YorkPennsylvaniaIllinoisGeorgia

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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