Business and Financial Operations Occupations·SOC 13-1161

Best degree programs for Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists, ranked by enrollment

16 college programs and 1,146 schools train Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $78,760 median wage, 899,580 U.S. jobs. Federal data.

16 college programs at 1,146 schools train market research analysts and marketing specialists, graduating 65,773 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Marketing/Marketing Management, General. The job pays a median of $78,760 (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Graduates / yr
65,773
from every feeder program
Median annual wage
$78,760
BLS OEWS May 2025
Projected growth
+6.7%
Faster than average
Openings / yr
87,200
new plus replacement
Schools
1,146
with a feeder program
States with jobs
51
BLS reports wages

About market research analysts and marketing specialists

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. May gather information on competitors, prices, sales, and methods of marketing and distribution. May employ search marketing tactics, analyze web metrics, and develop recommendations to increase search engine ranking and visibility to target markets.

Also calledMarket AnalystDigital Media PlannerPaid Search StrategistMarket Research AnalystMarket Research ConsultantMarket Research SpecialistOnline Marketing ConsultantSEO Strategist (Search Engine Optimization Strategist)MarketerStrategistWeb AnalystTrade Analyst

Fields of study that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.

16 degree programs that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 52.1401
49,123
74.7%
973$44,670$24,250
2
CIP 30.7102
11,181
17.0%
205
3
CIP 52.1404
1,960
3.0%
106$44,670$24,250
4
CIP 52.1499
1,226
1.9%
82$44,670$24,250
5
CIP 19.0905
530
0.8%
32$36,635$24,750
6
CIP 52.1403
516
0.8%
13$44,670$24,250
7
CIP 45.0602
378
0.6%
28$51,725$22,907
8
CIP 52.1909
204
0.3%
8$35,157$26,750
9
CIP 52.1402
182
0.3%
19$44,670$24,250
10
CIP 52.1905
141
0.2%
15$35,157$26,750
11
CIP 19.0203
107
0.2%
11$40,949$23,344
12
CIP 52.1904
74
0.1%
8$35,157$26,750
13
CIP 52.1910
56
0.1%
8$35,157$26,750
14
CIP 52.1907
46
0.1%
4$35,157$26,750
15
CIP 52.1908
33
0.1%
4$35,157$26,750
16
CIP 52.1906
16
0.0%
4$35,157$26,750

Top 50 schools by graduates into this job

Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad rateNet priceAcceptance
1The University of Texas at Dallas
Richardson, TX Public · 2 feeder programs
1,298Business Analytics76%65%
2Trine University - Regional/Non - Traditional Campuses
Angola, IN Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs
1,165Business Analytics0%$21,97640%
3Western Governors University
Salt Lake City, UT Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
991Marketing/Marketing Management, General46%$11,580
4Ensign College
Salt Lake City, UT Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs
952Marketing/Marketing Management, General43%$11,149
5University of Massachusetts - Amherst
Amherst, MA Public · 3 feeder programs
835Business Analytics83%60%
6University of North Texas
Denton, TX Public · 2 feeder programs
694Business Analytics61%72%
7Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester, NH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
671Marketing/Marketing Management, General43%$34,565100%
8Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL Public · 3 feeder programs
601Marketing/Marketing Management, General86%24%
9The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL Public · 2 feeder programs
583Marketing/Marketing Management, General73%77%
10Clemson University
Clemson, SC Public · 3 feeder programs
575Marketing/Marketing Management, General87%38%
11Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Tempe, AZ Public · 2 feeder programs
517Marketing/Marketing Management, General68%90%
12University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR Public · 1 feeder programs
508Marketing/Marketing Management, General71%74%
13The University of Tennessee - Knoxville
Knoxville, TN Public · 1 feeder programs
506Marketing/Marketing Management, General74%42%
14University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
Cincinnati, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
494Marketing/Marketing Management, General75%85%
15Florida International University
Miami, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
472Marketing/Marketing Management, General74%55%
16University of Houston
Houston, TX Public · 4 feeder programs
470Marketing/Marketing Management, General65%74%
17DePaul University
Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
456Business Analytics68%$28,14176%
18Auburn University
Auburn, AL Public · 2 feeder programs
441Marketing/Marketing Management, General82%46%
19Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL Public · 2 feeder programs
441Marketing/Marketing Management, General63%66%
20Ohio State University - Main Campus
Columbus, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
436Marketing/Marketing Management, General88%61%
21Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, AZ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
423Marketing/Marketing Management, General43%$21,53579%
22University of South Florida
Tampa, FL Public · 2 feeder programs
422Marketing/Marketing Management, General77%43%
23The University of Texas at Arlington
Arlington, TX Public · 3 feeder programs
420Marketing/Marketing Management, General54%80%
24The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX Public · 2 feeder programs
419Business Analytics89%27%
25Brigham Young University - Idaho
Rexburg, ID Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs
416Marketing/Marketing Management, General55%$6,76096%
26Boston University
Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs
414Business Analytics89%$21,95611%
27Kent State University at Kent
Kent, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
407Business Analytics64%86%
28University of Georgia
Athens, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
404Marketing/Marketing Management, General90%38%
29Oklahoma State University - Main Campus
Stillwater, OK Public · 2 feeder programs
392Marketing/Marketing Management, General68%75%
30Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX Public · 3 feeder programs
390Marketing/Marketing Management, General69%73%
31University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT Public · 3 feeder programs
379Business Analytics83%52%
32Miami University - Oxford
Oxford, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
353Marketing/Marketing Management, General80%75%
33Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus
University Park, PA Public · 2 feeder programs
351Marketing/Marketing Management, General86%61%
34Texas State University
San Marcos, TX Public · 2 feeder programs
351Marketing/Marketing Management, General55%89%
35Georgia State University
Atlanta, GA Public · 2 feeder programs
342Marketing/Marketing Management, General53%55%
36Ohio University - Main Campus
Athens, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
342Marketing/Marketing Management, General65%85%
37The University of Texas at San Antonio
San Antonio, TX Public · 2 feeder programs
334Marketing/Marketing Management, General53%87%
38University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
334Business Analytics92%$26,87310%
39University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign
Champaign, IL Public · 3 feeder programs
327Marketing/Marketing Management, General85%42%
40Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
325Marketing/Marketing Management, General52%69%
41University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY Public · 2 feeder programs
320Marketing/Marketing Management, General71%93%
42University of South Carolina - Columbia
Columbia, SC Public · 1 feeder programs
316Marketing/Marketing Management, General79%60%
43Washington State University
Pullman, WA Public · 2 feeder programs
310Marketing/Marketing Management, General60%87%
44East Texas A&M University
Commerce, TX Public · 2 feeder programs
308Business Analytics43%92%
45Utah Valley University
Orem, UT Public · 2 feeder programs
307Digital Marketing45%
46University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA Public · 1 feeder programs
285Marketing/Marketing Management, General75%84%
47Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA Public · 3 feeder programs
279Marketing/Marketing Management, General86%55%
48Illinois State University
Normal, IL Public · 2 feeder programs
278Marketing/Marketing Management, General65%88%
49University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
Whitewater, WI Public · 2 feeder programs
272Marketing/Marketing Management, General59%86%
50East Carolina University
Greenville, NC Public · 1 feeder programs
270Marketing/Marketing Management, General63%89%

What market research analysts and marketing specialists earn

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

Median annual wage
$78,760
Mean annual
$89,490
Median hourly
$37.87/hr
People employed
899,580
What the range looks like
10th pct$43,390Median$78,76090th pct$155,480

Top-paying metro areas

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$141,960median
12,710 jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$123,250median
24,120 jobs
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$102,170median
18,030 jobs
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$102,390median
32,310 jobs
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
$93,110median
2,740 jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$100,520median
79,290 jobs
Boulder, CO
$97,600median
3,130 jobs
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
$99,040median
17,000 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

Where the jobs are, state by state

Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.

This occupation state by state: pay, jobs, and schools
StateMedian payJobsConcentrationSchoolsGraduates / yr
Texas$72,52063,3500.78×677,780
Florida$75,45060,7701.06×484,101
Ohio$72,79027,3700.85×553,484
Utah$62,63014,5101.44×132,887
New York$98,58080,5001.44×742,870
Pennsylvania$68,76031,0400.88×672,797
Massachusetts$101,81039,7101.89×422,532
Illinois$79,12040,5601.15×542,399
Georgia$75,85027,8100.98×422,267
Wisconsin$64,80015,6000.92×362,022
Indiana$63,70014,4000.78×302,015
Arizona$71,94015,8500.85×171,946
Michigan$66,78024,2200.95×431,910
California$94,700119,0701.13×501,614
Alabama$59,5308,3900.69×161,448
North Carolina$78,41030,7001.07×221,412
South Carolina$69,44011,9200.89×181,358
New Jersey$88,19022,9900.93×251,335
Tennessee$69,79013,0400.69×251,290
Connecticut$77,7409,9301.01×121,208
Minnesota$87,51021,2801.25×331,125
Washington$95,12024,4601.19×271,062
Virginia$76,98025,6101.08×201,060
Missouri$70,14014,8900.88×28923
Oklahoma$61,9406,6200.67×18911
New Hampshire$64,5704,2001.06×11845
Iowa$66,3908,8800.98×17841
Kansas$70,4308,0900.97×20836
Kentucky$61,4806,2900.54×13826
Idaho$60,9703,7800.76×9820
Mississippi$56,6402,6200.39×20778
Louisiana$59,6905,3600.48×14764
Arkansas$65,4306,2500.83×16718
Maryland$76,37013,5700.85×16595
Colorado$93,05027,8801.68×14579
Rhode Island$86,2403,2101.11×9541
Oregon$79,15011,3100.99×15497
Nebraska$60,0003,7800.64×8449
Delaware$101,2703,5701.27×5390
Nevadamoderate$71,8405,7800.64×4305
West Virginia$52,3401,6500.41×8286
District of Columbia$98,0906,3401.56×5276
Hawaiimoderate$59,3901,6100.44×3193
North Dakota$61,5801,5500.62×7191
Maine$71,9802,3900.64×6181
South Dakota$63,4901,5300.58×7163
New Mexicomoderate$61,9501,6100.32×4109
Wyominglimited$60,9908500.52×259
Vermontlimited$74,8808600.49×254
Montanalimited$68,0801,4600.49×247
Alaskalimited$66,7105700.31×116

Skills and tools

From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.

What they do day to day

  • Prepare reports of findings, illustrating data graphically and translating complex findings into written text.
  • Collect and analyze data on customer demographics, preferences, needs, and buying habits to identify potential markets and factors affecting product demand.
  • Conduct research on consumer opinions and marketing strategies, collaborating with marketing professionals, statisticians, pollsters, and other professionals.
  • Measure and assess customer and employee satisfaction.
  • Devise and evaluate methods and procedures for collecting data, such as surveys, opinion polls, or questionnaires, or arrange to obtain existing data.
  • Measure the effectiveness of marketing, advertising, and communications programs and strategies.
  • Seek and provide information to help companies determine their position in the marketplace.
  • Forecast and track marketing and sales trends, analyzing collected data.

Skills

  • Reading Comprehension3.9
  • Critical Thinking3.9
  • Active Listening3.8
  • Writing3.8
  • Speaking3.8
  • Active Learning3.6
  • Monitoring3.3
  • Mathematics3.0

Knowledge areas

  • Sales and Marketing4.3
  • English Language4.3
  • Mathematics3.8
  • Computers and Electronics3.8
  • Communications and Media3.7
  • Customer and Personal Service3.6

Abilities

  • Oral Comprehension4.0
  • Oral Expression4.0
  • Written Comprehension4.0
  • Deductive Reasoning3.9
  • Fluency of Ideas3.9
  • Written Expression3.9

Core activities

  • Working with Computers4.7
  • Analyzing Data or Information4.7
  • Getting Information4.7
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.6
  • Processing Information4.6
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others4.5

Tools and technology

hotmarks an O*NET hot technology
Adobe PhotoshophotCascading style sheets CSShotFacebookhotGoogle AnalyticshotGoogle Looker AnalyticshotHubSpot softwarehotHypertext markup language HTMLhotJavaScripthotMarketo Marketing AutomationhotMicrosoft Accesshot

How to get in

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.

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

Related careers

Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.

Common questions

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 49,123 degrees in 2024-25, 74.7% 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 16 programs to this occupation. The largest are Marketing, Data Analytics, Specialized Sales, Apparel and Textiles, plus 2 more. Together they graduate about 65,773 people a year.

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

The median is $78,760 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $43,390 at the 10th percentile to $155,480 at the 90th. 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?+

1,146 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 16 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.

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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