What Is a Market Research Analyst? 2026 Guide

Key takeaways

Market research analysts—sometimes called market researchers—help companies develop or maintain a competitive edge. Discover key facts:

• The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) anticipates that employment for market research analysts will increase by 7 percent from 2024 to 2034 [1].

• Market research analysts keep companies competitive by finding and delivering data-backed insights into potential markets, competitors, and even customer behavior.

• You can earn a median annual salary of $76,950 while working as a market research analyst [2]. 

Explore what a market research analyst does and how to begin your career as one. Afterward, consider enrolling in the Meta Marketing Analytics Professional Certificate. In as little as seven months, you’ll have the opportunity to summarize and analyze data using marketing analytics methods. Upon completion, add a shareable credential to your resume or LinkedIn profile.

What does a market research analyst do? 

Market research analysts pore over trending keywords, survey responses, social media mentions, and other data to find answers. They keep companies competitive by finding and delivering data-backed insights into potential markets, competitors, and even customer behavior. Essentially, these professionals transform information into actionable insights to help companies develop everything from competitive product launches to effective marketing campaigns. They’re an integral part of a company’s overall marketing strategy and are in demand across multiple industries.

Each company’s needs differ, but your responsibilities as a market research analyst may include:

• Developing data collection tools and techniques 

• Using data modeling tools

• Analyzing data sets and communicating findings 

• Contributing data-backed insights to marketing strategy 

• Conducting product testing and brand research

What type of research does a market research analyst conduct?

A market research analyst conducts qualitative and quantitative research. In other words, they gather statistical data and solicit responses about people’s beliefs, opinions, and experiences.

An analyst’s research can span multiple areas, including: 

Customers

Primary and secondary customer research—everything from demographics to opinions—helps a company develop more targeted marketing and align its products and services with customers’ differing needs. Market research analysts may also identify how companies find, acquire, and retain customers while avoiding churn—or customer loss.

Primary vs. secondary research: What's the difference?

Primary research is research you conduct yourself, building original tools or techniques to help you collect new information. Secondary research is published research someone else has done, like a government agency or research think tank.

Markets

As a company develops new offerings—like products, services, or ideas—market research about competitors, similar products, and potential sales can help successfully position each launch. Market research analysts investigate new and existing markets, learning as much as possible so they can deliver precise suggestions. 

Brands

Both new and established companies rely on brand research to strengthen their position in the market. Conducting a competitive analysis to see how a company’s brand fares against competitors and researching customers’ brand awareness and perception helps them remain competitive. Those findings can also yield insights into customer acquisition, retention, and loyalty.

Campaigns

Understanding how a company’s customers feel about advertising at all phases of a marketing campaign can produce specific messaging and, in turn, more impactful campaigns. While this type of research more typically falls under a marketing analyst role, market research analysts at smaller companies may sometimes analyze a company’s marketing strategy.

Market research analyst job description

Educational requirements, experience, and necessary skills are part of a market research analyst's job description. Explore these two factors in more detail.

Marketing research analyst education and experience

Market research analyst jobs typically require a bachelor’s degree and two or three years of experience. More senior-level market research analyst jobs may require a master’s degree.

Majors that can prepare you for a job as a market research analyst:

• Business administration 

• Economics 

• Marketing

• Psychology

• Sociology

• Statistics

How to do market research: Market research analyst technical skills

As a market research analyst, you will need technical skills like statistical analysis, programming languages, and data visualization. You’ll also need to know how to use tools for these and other skills, like data collection.

Data collection tools: Market research analysts gather data from an array of sources, including surveys, social media platforms, keyword trends, and audience insights. Market research analysts use Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, Typeform, Google Trends, and Semrush, among many other tools, to learn more about customers, markets, and competitors.

Statistical analysis: Because market research involves working with quantitative data, it’s important to understand how to apply statistical techniques to group your data into relevant and actionable findings. While you can choose from many programs, like the data visualization tools below, that offer a statistical analysis feature, it shouldn’t replace a more foundational knowledge.

Data visualization: Once a market research analyst has collected relevant data, they need to structure their findings in a comprehensible way. Knowing how to use data dashboards or data analytics suites can help you convey important findings to other teams. Market research analysts use data visualization tools like Tableau, QlikView, and Plotly.

Programming languages: Although not always necessary, some companies do require market research analysts to know a programming language, such as R, SQL, SAS, or SPSS, which feeds into their data gathering and data interpretation efforts. Make sure to read over job descriptions to learn which language, if any, a company prefers. 

A course, like IBM’s Introduction to R Programming for Data Science, offered on Coursera, can help you learn more about one of the most popular programming languages being used today for data analysis. 

Market research workplace skills 

To be successful as a market research analyst, you will also need workplace skills. You will need to be able to analyze and interpret data, think critically, and communicate with your team.

Interpretation: Parsing data is a critical part of a market research analyst’s role. After gathering the necessary data, you have to interpret those findings in light of a company’s product and marketing needs.

Critical thinking: Conducting market research means knowing how to ask the right questions to find the best data, extract meaning from collected data, and then apply those insights to a company’s marketing strategy.

Communication: Translating insights into recommendations that other teams can act upon will help in a marketing research analyst's line of work. A strong ability to speak and write clearly and constructively is an asset. 

Interviewing: Many market research analysts rely on digital surveys to glean customer responses, but the role can also involve conducting customer interviews or focus groups. Being comfortable speaking with strangers and getting them to open up about their experiences is a key skill.

Read more: 11 Interviewing Skills to Benefit Your Career

What are the benefits of being a market research analyst?

Among the advantages of pursuing a role in this field are the available job openings and the prospective salary. Take a look at both of these in greater detail.

Marketing data analysis job prospects

As companies continue to need insight into customer behavior to maintain their competitive edge, market research analysts will continue to serve an integral role. From 2024 to 2034, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics expects 87,200 job openings for market research analysts per year on average [1]. BLS also anticipates that job growth for market research analysts will increase by 7 percent from 2024 to 2034 [1]. 

Market research analyst salary

The median salary for a market research analyst in the US is $76,950, according to the US BLS, but the salary can differ depending on the industry [2]. 

Market research jobs: Market research analyst vs. similar roles

Market research analysts share much in common with roles that also parse data and deliver strategic insights.

Marketing analyst

Although market research analysts are sometimes confused—and even called—marketing analysts, the two roles differ slightly. Marketing analysts focus internally on a company’s marketing efforts rather than externally on markets, but both roles use data to inform their recommendations.

Business analyst

Another role that relies heavily on data—a business analyst analyzes large data sets in order to make recommendations that will strengthen a business’ processes and help it run more efficiently. 

Data analyst

A much broader role than the three previously described—a data analyst typically works with large, raw data sets that the analyst must first clean in order for the information to yield important insights. Data analysts apply their findings to an array of organizational and business needs.

How to become a market research analyst

To become a market research analyst, you can gain experience in an entry-level role, learn technical skills, and take a course to develop your expertise. Explore these steps. 

1. Look for a related entry-level role.

While you may find some entry-level market research analyst roles, employers may prefer a few years of experience. If you’re interested in becoming a market research analyst, consider a related role to help you gain experience and grow more competitive. Working as a marketing assistant or data analyst can provide you with the experience necessary to move into market research analysis.

2. Brush up on related technical skills.

Knowing that market research analysts use specific tools to gather and assess data about customers, markets, and competitors, it’s a good idea to research the most popular programs and refine your knowledge of them. Watch tutorials, use free trials, and familiarize yourself with the tools of the trade.

Develop your technical skills with one of these Guided Projects, designed to be completed in two hours or less:

• Measure a Marketing Strategy Using Facebook Insights

• Create a Customer Service Survey in Microsoft Forms

• Create a Brand Awareness Survey in Qualtrics

3. Take a course.

Taking courses or a Specialization that exposes you to key strategies of market research can help introduce you to the work of a market research analyst. This Market Research Specialization from UC Davis, available on Coursera, might be a good place to start. Not only can you learn about what it takes to do market research and decide if it’s a good career option for you, but you’ll also begin exploring the necessary techniques to succeed in the field. Or consider deepening your knowledge with a skill-specific series of classes, like the Tableau Business Intelligence Analyst Professional Certificate from Salesforce.

Discover digital marketing career resources

Subscribe to our Career Chat newsletter on LinkedIn for industry updates, tips, and trends. Explore free, digital resources to amplify your market research analyst career growth:

• Watch on YouTube: Digital Marketing Explained in 5 Minutes | Beginner's Guide

• Stay up-to-date on terms: Digital Marketing Terms Every Marketer Should Know

• Learn from industry experts: Career Advice: How to Become a Marketing Manager at Coursera

Whether you want to develop a new skill, get comfortable with an in-demand technology, or advance your abilities, keep growing with a Coursera Plus subscription. You’ll get access to over 10,000 flexible courses. 

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