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Director, market research vs research director

The differences between directors, market research and research directors 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 director. Additionally, a director, market research has an average salary of $112,955, which is higher than the $108,875 average annual salary of a research director.

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

Director, market research vs research director overview

Director, Market ResearchResearch Director
Yearly salary$112,955$108,875
Hourly rate$54.31$52.34
Growth rate19%19%
Number of jobs59,59851,298
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
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 director do?

Research Directors oversee the research initiatives of the company. They are usually deployed in the academe, research facilities, or companies with research and development departments. They set research goals aligned with the company's vision. They also ensure that all research activities are significant and would have an impact. They usually aim to complete research work that would contribute to the advancement of their field. Research Directors provide strategic direction on how to complete their research goals. They guide their team of researchers to work more efficiently and more productively. They also lead the team in networking activities.

Director, market research vs research director salary

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

Director, Market ResearchResearch Director
Average salary$112,955$108,875
Salary rangeBetween $68,000 And $185,000Between $68,000 And $171,000
Highest paying CityDover, DESan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateDelawareWashington
Best paying companyBarclaysMeta
Best paying industryHospitalityTechnology

Differences between director, market research and research director education

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

Director, Market ResearchResearch Director
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of GeorgiaUniversity of Georgia

Director, market research vs research director demographics

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

Director, Market ResearchResearch Director
Average age3737
Gender ratioMale, 57.6% Female, 42.4%Male, 59.0% Female, 41.0%
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, 5.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 12.5% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between director, market research and research director 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 director example responsibilities.

  • Evaluate primary data using SPSS software, implement research plans and successfully manage the budget for the project.
  • Manage social media initiatives including Facebook and LinkedIn.
  • Manage Nielsen relationship to ensure successful measurement of the Seattle-Tacoma DMA.
  • Lead customer and competitor research, functional acquisition due diligence, and portfolio management of existing products/services and new investments.
  • Utilize Nielsen and Scarborough data to produce PowerPoint presentations and one-sheets, that convey the advantages of advertising on UPN24.
  • Conduct clinical research on skin cancer patients using electronic health record and total body photography imaging data.
  • Show more

Director, market research vs research director 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 director skills
  • Research Projects, 8%
  • Data Collection, 6%
  • Healthcare, 6%
  • Market Research, 5%
  • Data Analysis, 5%
  • Patients, 4%

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