How to hire a marketing research specialist

How to hire a marketing research specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step marketing research specialist hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your marketing research specialist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a marketing research specialist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A marketing research specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, marketing research specialists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of marketing research specialists.

   Type of Marketing Research Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Marketing Research Specialist	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.	$16-38
   Sales And Marketing Internship	In a sales and marketing internship, one of the primary duties is to assist in marketing-related tasks under a manager's supervision. The responsibilities will vary depending on the orders or directives given... Show more	$13-30
   Marketing Consultant	A marketing consultant is responsible for utilizing their extensive retail expertise to develop strategies on how to strengthen client base and achieve better sales. Furthermore, a marketing consultant must perform research and analysis to determine opportunities for financial gains, devise plans to improve client satisfaction, assess the competition, look out for any risks, and develop its brand and image... Show more	$21-53

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Research Projects
   • Access Database
   • Primary Market Research
   • Competitive Intelligence
   • Data Analysis
   • Press Releases
   • Market Analysis
   • Analyze Data
   • ROI
   • Market Trends
   • Outbound Calls
   • Business Development
   • PowerPoint
   • Data Collection

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Accomplish in presentation, negotiation, and closing with demonstrate talent for establishing positive rapport and instilling client confidence and loyalty.
   • Analyze customer-specific results to demonstrate ROI and justify program continuation and growth.
   • Collaborate with marketing team on customer-facing PowerPoint presentation detailing portal's key features.
   • Initiate KPI monitoring including baseline performance, road map for improvement and milestones for achievement.

   More marketing research specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your marketing research specialist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A marketing research specialist salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a marketing research specialist in Nebraska may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level marketing research specialist usually earns less than a senior-level marketing research specialist. Additionally, a marketing research specialist with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average marketing research specialist salary

   $53,928yearly

   $25.93 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level marketing research specialist salary

   $35,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average marketing research specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$87,541	$42
   2	New Jersey	$73,649	$35
   3	California	$71,071	$34
   4	New York	$67,608	$33
   5	Oregon	$63,849	$31
   6	Connecticut	$63,006	$30
   7	Massachusetts	$55,906	$27
   8	Illinois	$53,811	$26
   9	Texas	$50,735	$24
   10	Utah	$50,640	$24
   11	North Carolina	$50,246	$24
   12	Ohio	$50,174	$24
   13	Florida	$45,441	$22
   14	Indiana	$44,666	$21
   15	Arizona	$44,158	$21

   Average marketing research specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Capital Group	$76,329	$36.70	7
   2	JustAnswer	$68,747	$33.05
   3	Mentor	$67,154	$32.29
   4	Deloitte	$66,512	$31.98	408
   5	CHG Healthcare	$62,509	$30.05	2
   6	BMO Harris Bank	$62,250	$29.93	2
   7	ICSA Labs	$57,454	$27.62
   8	CHI - Cultural Homestay International	$55,105	$26.49
   9	Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey	$54,075	$26.00
   10	Coding Dojo	$53,811	$25.87
   11	Noble Corporation	$53,791	$25.86	1
   12	*n/a*	$53,785	$25.86	2
   13	iiicareer.com	$53,514	$25.73
   14	International Bonded Couriers	$53,091	$25.52
   15	Duke University Health System	$51,024	$24.53	35
   16	Nexgrill	$44,625	$21.45

4. Writing a marketing research specialist job description

   A good marketing research specialist job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a marketing research specialist job description:

   Marketing research specialist job description example

   Are you energized by driving business development and sales strategy? Are you a business development or marketing professional with a passion for leveraging data to uncover actionable insights? If so, Deloitte's Audit & Assurance (A&A) Growth Team is looking for someone like you.
   Work you'll do
   
   As the largest Big 4 accounting firm, Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax, and advisory services to many of the world's most admired companies. The Senior Specialist is an integral part of Deloitte's A&A Growth Team focused on developing targeted strategies and initiatives to grow the business and achieve market objectives.
   
   Responsibilities will include:
   
   + Collaborates with A&A Growth Team members to support initiatives aimed at increasing our professionals' market presence and overall brand awareness
   
   + Interfaces with internal resources to identify, request, analyze research to help inform our professionals of market opportunities
   
   + Supports target teams with company and competitor research, relationship mapping, and developing and tracking progress of relationship-building activities
   
   + Promotes a growth culture mentality within the A&A practice via meeting with and presenting to partners and staff on tools and platforms, including LinkedIn
   
   + Assists with:
   
   + Reporting, target list management/updates, and web-based tool management
   
   + Tracking market and industry developments to support regular target team meetings
   
   + Creating of client facing meeting materials
   
   + Liaises with local A&A leaders and proposal support to respond to new opportunities
   
   + Coordinates/contributes to A&A Growth Team national projects
   
   + Supports practice metrics, including CRM system utilization and reporting
   
   The team
   
   Our audits are fueled by more than just technology - what really sets us apart are our insightful professionals, collaborative culture, and commitment to innovation and continuous improvement. Our audit professionals apply a streamlined, intelligent approach to the audit, enabled by innovative tools and technologies. Quality is our top priority, and by focusing on innovation, we continue to raise the bar on quality and deliver greater value to our clients. Learn more about Deloitte Audit.
   
   Qualifications
   
   + 2+ years of prior relevant experience in sales, business development, pursuits or marketing, preferably in a large, matrixed organization
   
   + 4-year college degree, preferably in business, marketing, communications, journalism, English, or a related field
   
   + Superior organizational skills and attention to detail
   
   + Comfortable managing multiple projects & deadlines
   
   + Excellent analytical, written and oral communication skills
   
   + Strong skills in Microsoft suite - Word, Power Point, and Excel (required) - and Salesforce (preferred)
   
   + Comfortable engaging with all levels of an organization
   
   + Limited immigration sponsorship may be available
   
   Y ou may also be eligible to participate in a discretionary annual incentive program, subject to the rules governing the program, whereby an award, if any, depends on various factors , including, without limitation, individual and organizational performance.
   
   All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or protected veteran status, or any other legally protected basis, in accordance with applicable law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find marketing research specialists for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your marketing research specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit marketing research specialist 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

   To successfully recruit marketing research specialists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 marketing research specialist

   Once you've selected the best marketing research specialist candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new marketing research specialist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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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