Mystery shopper demographics and statistics in the US
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Mystery shopper demographics by:
Mystery shopper gender statistics
71.1% of mystery shoppers are women and 28.9% of mystery shoppers are men.
- Female, 71.1%
- Male, 28.9%
Mystery shopper gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 71.1% |
| Male | 28.9% |
Mystery shopper gender pay gap
Women earn 85¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$51,533
Female income
$43,974
Mystery shopper gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in mystery shopper positions over time. Currently, 71.1% of mystery shoppers are female.
Mystery shopper gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 22.94% | 77.06% |
| 2011 | 22.15% | 77.85% |
| 2012 | 23.30% | 76.70% |
| 2013 | 24.75% | 75.25% |
| 2014 | 23.29% | 76.71% |
| 2015 | 26.16% | 73.84% |
| 2016 | 24.72% | 75.28% |
| 2017 | 25.47% | 74.53% |
| 2018 | 32.41% | 67.59% |
| 2019 | 30.60% | 69.40% |
| 2020 | 31.76% | 68.24% |
| 2021 | 28.93% | 71.07% |
Mystery shopper related jobs gender ratio
We compared mystery shoppers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, timber buyer and chief estimator have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Wedding Coordinator | 9% | 91% |
| Conference Planning Manager | 9% | 91% |
| Human Resources Administrative Assistant | 9% | 91% |
| Mystery Shopper | 29% | 71% |
| Electronic Security Specialist | 94% | 6% |
| Chief Estimator | 95% | 5% |
| Timber Buyer | 97% | 3% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Mystery shopper demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among mystery shoppers is White, which makes up 70.4% of all mystery shoppers. Comparatively, 9.4% of mystery shoppers are Hispanic or Latino and 8.8% of mystery shoppers are Asian.
- White, 70.4%
- Hispanic or Latino, 9.4%
- Asian, 8.8%
- Black or African American, 6.4%
- Unknown, 4.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
Mystery shopper race
| Mystery shopper race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 70.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 9.4% |
| Asian | 8.8% |
| Black or African American | 6.4% |
| Unknown | 4.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4% |
Mystery shopper race and ethnicity over time
See how mystery shopper racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Mystery shopper race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 71.64% | 9.14% | 7.50% | 9.18% |
| 2011 | 71.90% | 8.69% | 7.23% | 8.97% |
| 2012 | 69.84% | 10.88% | 7.75% | 9.10% |
| 2013 | 71.15% | 8.71% | 8.65% | 9.21% |
| 2014 | 70.05% | 9.83% | 9.19% | 8.22% |
| 2015 | 70.53% | 8.82% | 8.99% | 9.05% |
| 2016 | 70.07% | 8.42% | 8.90% | 9.52% |
| 2017 | 70.11% | 8.43% | 9.91% | 9.28% |
| 2018 | 74.70% | 6.12% | 8.75% | 7.78% |
| 2019 | 73.89% | 6.53% | 8.10% | 8.69% |
| 2020 | 71.54% | 6.02% | 8.75% | 8.96% |
| 2021 | 70.43% | 6.36% | 8.83% | 9.39% |
Mystery shopper wage gap by race
According to our data, asian mystery shoppers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino mystery shoppers have the lowest average salary at $48,011.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $51,649 |
| White | $51,338 |
| Black or African American | $48,272 |
| Asian | $59,143 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $48,011 |
Average mystery shopper age
See how the average age of mystery shoppers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Mystery shopper age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 46 | 46 |
| Unknown | 44 | 43 |
| Asian | 42 | 41 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 40 | 40 |
| White | 44 | 43 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 52 | 48.5 |
Mystery shopper age breakdown
The average age of mystery shoppers is 40+ years years old, representing 61% of the mystery shopper population.
Mystery shopper age breakdown
| Mystery Shopper Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 61% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 9% |
Mystery shopper educational attainment
The most common degree for mystery shoppers is bachelor's degree, with 49% of mystery shoppers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 26% and associate degree degree at 12%.
- Bachelor's, 49%
- Associate, 26%
- High School Diploma, 12%
- Master's, 4%
- Other Degrees, 9%
Mystery shoppers by degree level
| Mystery shopper degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 49% |
| Associate | 26% |
| High School Diploma | 12% |
| Master's | 4% |
| Other Degrees | 9% |
Mystery shopper jobs you might like
Mystery shopper wage gap by degree level
According to the data, mystery shoppers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $71,834 annually. With a Master's degree, mystery shoppers earn a median annual income of $69,274 compared to $56,575 for mystery shoppers with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $69,274 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $56,575 |
| Doctorate Degree | $71,834 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $42,131 |
Mystery shopper employment statistics
Most mystery shoppers work for a private in the professional industry.
Company size where mystery shoppers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where mystery shoppers work.
Mystery shopper jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 6% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 24% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 18% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 11% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 19% |
| > 10,000 employees | 22% |
Mystery shopper jobs by company type
Employees with the mystery shopper job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most mystery shoppers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Mystery shopper jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 1% |
| Public | 20% |
| Private | 77% |
| Government | 1% |
Mystery shopper jobs by industry
The most common industries for mystery shoppers are professional, finance and retail.
Mystery shopper industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Professional | 25% |
| Finance | 9% |
| Hospitality | 8% |
| Retail | 8% |
| Manufacturing | 7% |
| Fortune 500 | 7% |
| Media | 6% |
| Technology | 5% |
| Health Care | 4% |
| Start-up | 4% |
| Construction | 3% |
| Internet | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Mystery shopper turnover and employment statistics
Mystery shopper unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for mystery shoppers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Mystery shopper unemployment rate by year
| Year | Mystery shopper unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 5.91% |
| 2011 | 6.00% |
| 2012 | 5.43% |
| 2013 | 4.38% |
| 2014 | 4.31% |
| 2015 | 3.33% |
| 2016 | 3.41% |
| 2017 | 3.61% |
| 2018 | 2.68% |
| 2019 | 2.51% |
| 2020 | 3.52% |
| 2021 | 3.70% |
Average mystery shopper tenure
The average mystery shopper stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 844 mystery shoppers resumes in Zippia's database.
Mystery shopper tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 13% |
| 1-2 years | 20% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 23% |
| 8-10 years | 11% |
| 11+ years | 20% |
Mystery shopper LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of mystery shoppers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Crating And Moving Estimator | 4.41% | 11,371 |
| Transportation Analyst | 8.65% | 23,815 |
| Army Recruiter | 8.93% | 27,478 |
| Field Marketing Coordinator | 10.00% | 133,678 |
| Mystery Shopper | 11.05% | - |
| Public Works Inspector | 11.64% | 24,660 |
| Fundraising Coordinator | 19.25% | 19,121 |
Similar mystery shopper jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Crating And Moving Estimator | 4.41% | 11,371 |
| Transportation Analyst | 8.65% | 23,815 |
| Army Recruiter | 8.93% | 27,478 |
| Field Marketing Coordinator | 10.00% | 133,678 |
| Public Works Inspector | 11.64% | 24,660 |
| Fundraising Coordinator | 19.25% | 19,121 |
Foreign languages spoken by mystery shoppers
The most common foreign language among mystery shoppers is Spanish at 42.5%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 15.0% and Swedish is the third-most popular at 5.0%.
- Spanish, 42.5%
- French, 15.0%
- Swedish, 5.0%
- Italian, 5.0%
- Danish, 2.5%
- Other, 30.0%
Mystery shopper languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 42.5% |
| French | 15.0% |
| Swedish | 5.0% |
| Italian | 5.0% |
| Danish | 2.5% |
| Other | 30.0% |
