How to hire a market research analyst

How to hire a market research analyst, step by step

Here's a step-by-step market research analyst hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a market research analyst job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new market research analyst
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a market research analyst do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The market research analyst hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect market research analyst also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of market research analyst salaries for various roles:

   Type of Market Research Analyst	Description	Hourly rate
   Market Research Analyst	Market research analysts study market conditions to examine potential sales of a product or service. They help companies understand what products people want, who will buy them, and at what price.	$17-35
   Analyst Sales	Analyst sales, or a sales analyst, is a professional who is responsible for increasing sales and revenue of a company by running competitive analysis and making recommendations on how the marketing and sales team should move forward. Sales analysts must assist in the review of monthly financial statements and prepare complex financial statements for retail and service businesses... Show more	$22-47
   Analyst	Analysts are employees or individual contributors with a vast experience in a particular field that help the organization address challenges. They help the organization improve processes, policies, and other operations protocol by studying the current processes in place and determining the effectiveness of those processes... Show more	$25-47

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • PowerPoint
   • Data Analysis
   • SPSS
   • Market Research
   • Data Collection
   • Market Trends
   • Product Development
   • Analyze Data
   • Primary Research
   • SQL
   • Market Analysis
   • Strong Analytical
   • Project Management
   • Research Findings

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage thousands of accounts using CRM software such as SalesForce.
   • Lead CRM presentation including product demo with business benefits to the client.
   • Perform statistical analysis using Minitab and SPSS.
   • Conduct primary research of aftermarket warranty products and analyze results using SPSS.
   • Develop portfolio strategy and asset class allocation using performance analytics, current market data and trend forecasts.
   • Assist with CRM reporting in SalesForce.

   More market research analyst duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your market research analyst job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A market research analyst salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, market research analysts' average salary in mississippi is 56% less than in delaware.
   • Seniority. Entry-level market research analysts earn 51% less than senior-level market research analysts.
   • Certifications. A market research analyst with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a market research analyst's salary.

   Average market research analyst salary

   $51,688yearly

   $24.85 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level market research analyst salary

   $36,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 15, 2026

   Average market research analyst salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$66,391	$32
   2	New Jersey	$62,977	$30
   3	District of Columbia	$58,887	$28
   4	New York	$58,128	$28
   5	California	$55,372	$27
   6	Connecticut	$54,483	$26
   7	Massachusetts	$52,857	$25
   8	Virginia	$51,744	$25
   9	Illinois	$51,263	$25
   10	Maryland	$50,083	$24
   11	Pennsylvania	$49,340	$24
   12	Texas	$48,122	$23
   13	Georgia	$44,719	$22
   14	Florida	$40,426	$19
   15	Nevada	$38,404	$18

   Average market research analyst salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Imply	$116,981	$56.24
   2	Intuitive Surgical	$115,338	$55.45	8
   3	Waters	$113,136	$54.39	2
   4	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$109,632	$52.71	213
   5	UTStarcom Inc	$109,468	$52.63
   6	American Express	$109,304	$52.55	28
   7	Deutsche Bank	$107,953	$51.90	14
   8	Apple	$107,950	$51.90	74
   9	KLA	$107,931	$51.89	5
   10	The New York Times Company	$107,246	$51.56	4
   11	Genentech	$107,059	$51.47	21
   12	Microsoft	$106,992	$51.44	232
   13	Meta	$106,663	$51.28	606
   14	Applied Materials	$106,042	$50.98	13
   15	Visa	$104,720	$50.35	12
   16	NRT	$104,492	$50.24
   17	Invesco	$104,246	$50.12	1
   18	Kyocera Mobile	$104,138	$50.07	2
   19	Mastercard	$103,680	$49.85	4
   20	JDS Development Group	$103,650	$49.83

4. Writing a market research analyst job description

   A job description for a market research analyst role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a market research analyst job description:

   Market research analyst job description example

   Holman is a global automotive leader that serves both commercial and consumer clients The Holman Way by always doing the right thing for our people, our customers, and the community since 1924. The Holman story began nearly a century ago as a single Ford dealership in New Jersey. Today, Holman, headquartered in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, is one of the largest family-owned automotive service organizations in North America with more than 6,500 employees across North America, the UK, and Germany.
   
   Holman delivers a unique range of automotive-centric services including industry-leading fleet management and leasing; vehicle fabrication and upfitting; component manufacturing and productivity solutions; powertrain distribution and logistics services; commercial and personal insurance and risk management; and retail automotive sales as one of the largest privately owned dealership groups in the United States. Guided by its deeply rooted core values and principles, Holman is continuously Driving What's Right.
   
   Holman Strategy Office is currently accepting applications for the role of Market Research Analyst. You will play an instrumental role in researching, compiling, and analyzing information on the automotive industry, extracting key observations to support Holman in making informed decisions based on data.
   Principal Purpose of Position:
   Perform market and industry research by gathering and compiling data on consumers, competitors, and market conditions Support the buildout of competitive intelligence data and consolidate information into actionable items, reports, and presentations Interpret and analyze information using business acumen in order to derive key insights Verify the quality, accuracy, and reasonableness of the data. Display and organize data into a compelling storyline Conduct light financial analysis to support research efforts and business planning Collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative information to assess and benchmark the performance of competitors Update inputs and maintain financial models and dashboards that support strategic initiatives Work with cross functional teams to gather inputs for research projects and financial analysis Develop market, industry and competitor intelligence reports and analyze data trends Regularly track news around disruptive trends within the automotive industry to gather insights and provide recommendations Support efforts to keep the senior leadership team informed of key industry and competitive trends Perform ad-hoc analysis and reporting to support the HSO Leadership Team Perform all other duties and special projects as assigned. Education and/or Training: Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Business, Finance or Economics required.
   Proficient in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint
   
   Familiarity with data visualization tools such as Tableau a plus.
   Relevant Work Experience: Minimum of 1-3 years of Strategy, Corporate Finance or Corporate Research & Development experience preferred
   
   At Holman, we exist to pro vide rewarding careers and better lives for employees and their families. We hire, train, empower, and reward exceptional people. Our journey is guided by our desire to get it right every time and the acknowledgement that we have an opportunity to be better. To be better, we have to do better, and to do better we must know better. That's why we are listening, open to learning new things - about ourselves and each other. We will never stop striving for improved diversity, equity, and inclusion because we are successful together when we feel trusted and supported. It's The Holman Way.
   
   Holman provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
   
   This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right market research analyst for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your market research analyst job on Zippia to find and recruit market research analyst candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as swipe files, exit five, marketinghire, american marketing association.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting market research analysts requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new market research analyst

   Once you've decided on a perfect market research analyst candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new market research analyst first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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