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Research consultant salary
Average research consultant salary
$83,492
Average Research Consultant Salary
The role of a Research Consultant is vital across various industries, including healthcare, business, and technology. As of October 2025, the average salary for a research consultant stands at approximately $83,492 annually. This figure can differ based on several factors such as geographical location, years of experience, and specific sectors.
Salaries by Experience Level
Entry-level research consultants typically earn around $60,000, while those with several years of experience can see their salaries increase significantly. Senior consultants or those with specialized skills can command salaries exceeding $100,000.
Top-Paying States
Research consultants in states like California, New York, and Texas often report the highest earnings due to the concentration of industries that require research expertise. Additionally, metropolitan areas tend to offer more competitive salaries compared to rural regions.
Job Opportunities
As businesses increasingly rely on data-driven insights, the demand for skilled research consultants is on the rise. Exploring roles in consulting firms, research institutions, and corporate settings can open doors to lucrative opportunities.
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Where can a Research Consultant earn more?
Research consultant salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level research consultant | $52,400 | $25.19 |
| Mid-level research consultant | $88,500 | $42.53 |
| Senior-level research consultant | $145,000 | $69.66 |
Research consultant salary estimates from across the web
Average research consultant salary by state
The average research consultant salary in New York, New Jersey, and Delaware are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average research consultant salary states are Wyoming, Nebraska, and Montana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for research consultants
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $106,503 | $51.20 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $89,597 | $43.08 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $104,541 | $50.26 |
| 4 | North Carolina | $92,492 | $44.47 |
| 5 | Delaware | $99,585 | $47.88 |
| 6 | Colorado | $90,547 | $43.53 |
| 7 | New York | $109,127 | $52.46 |
| 8 | Maine | $92,970 | $44.70 |
| 9 | Washington | $98,502 | $47.36 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $86,204 | $41.44 |
| 11 | Oregon | $85,978 | $41.34 |
| 12 | Virginia | $89,464 | $43.01 |
| 13 | Alabama | $79,818 | $38.37 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $89,371 | $42.97 |
| 15 | California | $86,714 | $41.69 |
| 16 | Ohio | $84,385 | $40.57 |
| 17 | South Carolina | $89,641 | $43.10 |
| 18 | Illinois | $84,108 | $40.44 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $85,586 | $41.15 |
| 20 | Michigan | $79,035 | $38.00 |
| 21 | Georgia | $84,350 | $40.55 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $79,315 | $38.13 |
| 23 | Texas | $80,998 | $38.94 |
| 24 | Vermont | $78,214 | $37.60 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $76,969 | $37.00 |
| 26 | Idaho | $81,796 | $39.33 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $80,107 | $38.51 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $69,942 | $33.63 |
| 29 | Nevada | $79,823 | $38.38 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $67,950 | $32.67 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $71,224 | $34.24 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $76,202 | $36.64 |
| 33 | Missouri | $72,032 | $34.63 |
| 34 | Alaska | $82,318 | $39.58 |
| 35 | Iowa | $75,925 | $36.50 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $74,994 | $36.05 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $70,125 | $33.71 |
| 38 | Utah | $69,177 | $33.26 |
| 39 | Maryland | $81,358 | $39.11 |
| 40 | Arizona | $70,168 | $33.73 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $60,239 | $28.96 |
| 42 | Indiana | $68,806 | $33.08 |
| 43 | West Virginia | $67,506 | $32.45 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $63,610 | $30.58 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $69,166 | $33.25 |
| 46 | Montana | $63,264 | $30.42 |
| 47 | Florida | $61,394 | $29.52 |
| 48 | Kansas | $66,066 | $31.76 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $63,595 | $30.57 |
| 50 | North Dakota | $64,368 | $30.95 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $47,543 | $22.86 |
Highest paying cities for research consultants
The highest-paying cities for research consultants are New York, NY, Jersey City, NJ, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $109,451 | $52.62 |
| 2 | Jersey City, NJ | $106,599 | $51.25 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $104,582 | $50.28 |
| 4 | Wilmington, DE | $99,763 | $47.96 |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | $99,076 | $47.63 |
| 6 | San Francisco, CA | $97,642 | $46.94 |
| 7 | Raleigh, NC | $94,003 | $45.19 |
| 8 | Philadelphia, PA | $90,540 | $43.53 |
| 9 | Arlington, VA | $90,226 | $43.38 |
| 10 | Boston, MA | $89,363 | $42.96 |
| 11 | Shoreview, MN | $86,313 | $41.50 |
| 12 | Portland, OR | $85,839 | $41.27 |
| 13 | Hartford, CT | $85,425 | $41.07 |
| 14 | Des Plaines, IL | $84,419 | $40.59 |
| 15 | Atlanta, GA | $84,386 | $40.57 |
| 16 | Cincinnati, OH | $81,717 | $39.29 |
| 17 | Round Rock, TX | $81,453 | $39.16 |
| 18 | Bethesda, MD | $81,160 | $39.02 |
| 19 | Ann Arbor, MI | $78,955 | $37.96 |
| 20 | Warwick, RI | $77,116 | $37.08 |
Research consultant salary details
A research consultant's salary ranges from $60,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $115,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a research consultant's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $115,000 | $9,583 | $55 |
| 75th Percentile | $99,000 | $8,250 | $48 |
| Average | $83,492 | $6,958 | $40 |
| 25th Percentile | $70,000 | $5,833 | $34 |
| 10th Percentile | $60,000 | $5,000 | $29 |
Highest paying research consultant jobs
The highest paying types of research consultants are research director, research leader, and marketing and communication consultant.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Researcher | $52,309 | $4,359 | $25.15 | 23,734 |
| Marketing Research Internship | $34,196 | $2,850 | $16.44 | 160,264 |
| Market Research Internship | $35,920 | $2,993 | $17.27 | 99,512 |
| Marketing Research Analyst | $54,431 | $4,536 | $26.17 | 133,309 |
| Digital Marketing Consultant | $71,064 | $5,922 | $34.17 | 99,520 |
| Research Project Coordinator | $48,683 | $4,057 | $23.41 | 67,800 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for research consultants, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Heather Tanner Ph.D.
Associate Professor, The Ohio State University
Top companies hiring research consultants now:
Which companies pay research consultants the most?
Research consultant salaries at Microsoft and eBay are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average research consultant salary at companies like Slalom and Excellus BCBS are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Microsoft | $125,957 | $60.56 |
| 2 | eBay | $122,196 | $58.75 |
| 3 | Slalom | $114,746 | $55.17 |
| 4 | Excellus BCBS | $107,462 | $51.66 |
| 5 | Wachovia Securities | $102,530 | $49.29 |
| 6 | Certara | $98,400 | $47.31 |
| 7 | Irex | $97,578 | $46.91 |
| 8 | The Fin Exploration Company | $97,307 | $46.78 |
| 9 | Dell | $97,167 | $46.71 |
| 10 | Advisory Board | $97,149 | $46.71 |
| 11 | CoStar Group | $97,083 | $46.67 |
| 12 | Econet | $97,082 | $46.67 |
| 13 | Optum | $97,027 | $46.65 |
| 14 | Marsh & McLennan Companies | $96,916 | $46.59 |
| 15 | Revenue Analytics | $96,275 | $46.29 |
| 16 | Qral Group | $96,244 | $46.27 |
| 17 | Directions Research | $96,143 | $46.22 |
| 18 | Univera | $95,565 | $45.94 |
| 19 | MassMutual | $92,213 | $44.33 |
| 20 | TNS | $92,119 | $44.29 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Research consultant salary trends
The average research consultant salary has risen by $7,054 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average research consultant earned $76,438 annually, but today, they earn $83,492 a year. That works out to a 5% change in pay for research consultants over the last decade.
Compare research consultant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average research consultant salary over time
Compare research consultant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Research consultant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $83,500 | $40.14 | +3.1% |
| 2025 | $80,900 | $38.91 | +1.1% |
| 2024 | $80,100 | $38.50 | -0.2% |
| 2023 | $80,200 | $38.57 | +1.1% |
| 2022 | $79,400 | $38.16 | +0.7% |
Recently added research consultant salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo | Lead Cyber Security Research Consultant-Red Team | New York, NY | 06/24/2025 | $111,100 |
| Wells Fargo | Lead Cyber Security Research Consultant-Red Team | San Francisco, CA | 06/24/2025 | $111,100 |
| Wells Fargo | Lead Cyber Security Research Consultant-Red Team | Philadelphia, PA | 06/24/2025 | $111,100 |
| Wells Fargo | Lead Cyber Security Research Consultant-Red Team | McLean, VA | 06/24/2025 | $111,100 |
| Wells Fargo | Lead Cyber Security Research Consultant-Red Team | Charlotte, NC | 06/24/2025 | $111,100 |
| State of Florida | Training & Research Consultant | Tallahassee, FL | 06/21/2025 | $55,000 |
| Penn State University | Research and Analysis Consultant | Parkesburg, PA | 06/10/2025 | $68,200 |
| Dignity Health | Clinical Research Consultant | Stockton, CA | 06/01/2025 | $86,986 |
| Trinity Health | Research and Insight Consultant, Remote Opportunity | Livonia, MI | 05/25/2025 | $84,774 |
| Career Mentors | Penetration Tester/Cyber Security Research Consultant | Charlotte, NC | 05/25/2025 | $118,959 |
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