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Director, market research vs research analyst

The differences between directors, market research and research analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a director, market research and a research analyst. Additionally, a director, market research has an average salary of $112,955, which is higher than the $70,232 average annual salary of a research analyst.

The top three skills for a director, market research include market research, data analysis and competitive intelligence. The most important skills for a research analyst are data analysis, data collection, and research projects.

Director, market research vs research analyst overview

Director, Market ResearchResearch Analyst
Yearly salary$112,955$70,232
Hourly rate$54.31$33.77
Growth rate19%19%
Number of jobs59,59881,374
Job satisfaction-4.5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age3737
Years of experience66

What does a director, market research do?

A director of market research oversees and directs the market research programs of a company. They must set goals and timelines, establish budgets and strategies, liaise with internal and external parties, and develop market research plans according to company objectives and standards. They may also participate in recruiting researchers and other experts, conducting market research and interviews, identifying key participants, and reviewing findings. Moreover, they lead staff in the joint effort to reach program goals, all while implementing company policies and regulations.

What does a research analyst do?

A research analyst is responsible for providing a company with insights and advice concerning finance, investments, and expenditures. Utilizing their analytical skills and extensive expertise in marketing, they analyze the trends and significant factors to conclude which decision should be the best to make. They can also take part in conducting an in-depth analysis of a business and examine which areas require improvement or has potential. Furthermore, they may work with a company or independently as a freelance analyst.

Director, market research vs research analyst salary

Directors, market research and research analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.

Director, Market ResearchResearch Analyst
Average salary$112,955$70,232
Salary rangeBetween $68,000 And $185,000Between $45,000 And $107,000
Highest paying CityDover, DESeattle, WA
Highest paying stateDelawareWashington
Best paying companyBarclaysThe Citadel
Best paying industryHospitalityFinance

Differences between director, market research and research analyst education

There are a few differences between a director, market research and a research analyst in terms of educational background:

Director, Market ResearchResearch Analyst
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of GeorgiaUniversity of Georgia

Director, market research vs research analyst demographics

Here are the differences between directors, market research' and research analysts' demographics:

Director, Market ResearchResearch Analyst
Average age3737
Gender ratioMale, 57.6% Female, 42.4%Male, 50.8% Female, 49.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 11.7% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.3% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between director, market research and research analyst duties and responsibilities

Director, market research example responsibilities.

  • Manage and balance annual syndicate research budget, including MRI, Nielsen, SRDS vendors.
  • Lead social path-to-purchase study, incorporating social media analytics into insight community to identify spectrum of social engagement among customers.
  • Network with fellow students and discuss events in the macro and micro environment.
  • Research property utilizing GIS and local government offices to locate ownership, property records, and tax information.
  • Conduct interviews with technology leaders, financial heads and other managers of major healthcare organizations regarding administrative and information technology issues.
  • Create budgetary protocol and project proposals that are successfully implement by Bloomberg.

Research analyst example responsibilities.

  • Develop VBA to automate the analysis of website data, which save staff labor time.
  • Manage medication studies, and ensury clinical trial centers conduct studies in accordance with GCP standards.
  • Manage project team meetings using SharePoint calendars.
  • Work with engineering teams to troubleshoot issues.
  • Design and code windows in PowerBuilder for EMPRV application.
  • Assist with ongoing implementation of POS and PC systems for upgrades and new locations.
  • Show more

Director, market research vs research analyst skills

Common director, market research skills
  • Market Research, 12%
  • Data Analysis, 8%
  • Competitive Intelligence, 7%
  • Project Management, 7%
  • Primary Research, 7%
  • Market Research Studies, 4%
Common research analyst skills
  • Data Analysis, 6%
  • Data Collection, 6%
  • Research Projects, 5%
  • PowerPoint, 5%
  • Market Research, 4%
  • Python, 4%

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