Survey researchers design surveys and analyze data. Surveys are used to collect factual data, such as employment and salary information, or to ask questions in order to understand people’s opinions, preferences, beliefs, or desires.
Many research positions require a master’s degree or Ph.D., though a bachelor’s degree may be sufficient for some entry-level positions. In addition, employers generally prefer candidates who have previous experience performing research, using statistics, and analyzing data.
EducationMany research positions require a master’s degree or Ph.D. Survey researchers can have a master’s degree in a variety of fields, including marketing or survey research, statistics, and the social sciences.
A bachelor’s degree is sufficient for some entry-level positions. To prepare to enter this occupation, students should take courses in research methods, survey methodology, and statistics. Many also may benefit from taking business courses, such as marketing and consumer behavior, and social science courses, such as psychology, sociology, and economics.
Other ExperienceProspective survey researchers can gain experience through internships or fellowships. Many businesses, research and polling firms, and marketing companies offer internships for college students or recent graduates who want to work in market and survey research.
Licenses, Certifications, and RegistrationsSurvey researchers are not required by law to be licensed or certified. Although not mandatory, certification can show a level of professional competence.
The Marketing Research Association offers the Professional Researcher Certification for survey researchers. To qualify, candidates must have at least 3 years of experience working in opinion and marketing research, pass an exam, and be a member of a professional organization. Researchers must complete continuing education courses and apply for renewal every 2 years to maintain their certification.
Important QualitiesAnalytical skills. Survey researchers must be able to apply statistical techniques to large amounts of data and interpret the results correctly. They also should be proficient in the statistical software used to analyze data.
Communication skills. Survey researchers need strong communication skills when conducting surveys and interpreting and presenting results to clients.
Critical-thinking skills. Survey researchers must design or choose a survey and survey method that best captures the information needed. They must also be able to look at the data and draw reasonable conclusions from the results of the survey.
Detail oriented. Survey researchers must pay attention to details, because survey results depend on collecting, analyzing, and reporting the data accurately.
Problem-solving skills. Survey researchers need problem-solving skills when identifying survey design issues, adjusting survey questions, and interpreting survey results.
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This specialization covers the fundamentals of surveys as used in market research, evaluation research, social science and political research, official government statistics, and many other topic domains. In six courses, you will learn the basics of questionnaire design, data collection methods, sampling design, dealing with missing values, making estimates, combining data from different sources, and the analysis of survey data. In the final Capstone Project, you'll apply the skills learned thro...
This UX course will provide an overview of survey methodology from the perspective of UX research. UX surveys typically focus on uncovering user needs, connecting needs to user characteristics, and gaining insight into user attitudes towards systems they use. In this course, learners will learn the basics of UX survey research and conduct a survey of their own design! Learners will be introduced to techniques for gaining UX insights from large numbers of users, including web analytics, A/B testi...
Master the use of Ground Control Points (GCPs) to make your UAV mapping projects absolutely survey grade!...
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 12.8% of Survey Researchers listed Conduct Interviews on their resume, but soft skills such as Problem-solving skills and Analytical skills are important as well.
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a Survey Researcher. The best states for people in this position are Maryland, New York, Maine, and Washington. Survey Researchers make the most in Maryland with an average salary of $78,299. Whereas in New York and Maine, they would average $71,070 and $63,946, respectively. While Survey Researchers would only make an average of $61,345 in Washington, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. New York
$71,070
Avg. Salary
2. Maryland
$78,299
Avg. Salary
3. Washington
$61,345
Avg. Salary