Survey Researchers
Survey Researchers (SOC 19-3022) earn a median $69,460 a year ($33.40 an hour) in the United States, with 8,290 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Minnesota.
What survey researchers do
Survey researchers plan, design, and carry out surveys that collect information from people about opinions, behaviors, and characteristics. Typical tasks include consulting with clients to identify what they need to learn and what constraints apply, such as special samples, deciding on sources of information, procedures, and methods, and conducting surveys through interviews, questionnaires, focus groups, or other means. They may also suggest or test question wording, and they prepare and present summaries and analyses of the data, with tables, graphs, and written findings. It also covers social scientists whose main work is designing questionnaires or supervising survey teams. It excludes market research analysts, who study the demand for products and services, and it differs from statisticians, who focus on mathematical methods, and from interviewers who administer surveys without designing them. They also monitor and evaluate survey progress using sample disposition reports and response rates, and they coordinate operations for single or multiple surveys.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported education level is a bachelor's degree.
Also called: Data Collection Specialist, Field Interviewer, Data Analyst, Analytic Methodologist, Bilingual Field Interviewer.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $18.87 | $24.65 | $33.40 | $47.96 | $62.91 | $38.26 | 8,290 |
| Annual | $39,260 | $51,270 | $69,460 | $99,760 | $130,860 | $79,580 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where survey researchers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $26.65 | $48.05 | $50.11 | $54.45 | $59.69 | $47.33 | 340 | 0.12 | 2.15 |
| Annual | $55,420 | $99,940 | $104,220 | $113,260 | $124,140 | $98,450 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $38.00 | $39.31 | $49.23 | $65.89 | $104.37 | $58.20 | 150 | 0.22 | 4.03 |
| Annual | $79,040 | $81,770 | $102,390 | $137,040 | $217,080 | $121,060 | ||||
| Michigan | Hourly | $27.43 | $36.64 | $48.82 | $60.39 | $74.92 | $49.71 | 150 | 0.03 | 0.64 |
| Annual | $57,050 | $76,210 | $101,550 | $125,610 | $155,830 | $103,410 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $25.81 | $31.78 | $46.43 | $61.21 | $82.34 | $49.15 | 350 | 0.07 | 1.31 |
| Annual | $53,680 | $66,110 | $96,560 | $127,320 | $171,270 | $102,230 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $26.39 | $37.48 | $45.95 | $52.33 | $91.52 | $51.29 | 100 | 0.02 | 0.44 |
| Annual | $54,900 | $77,970 | $95,580 | $108,840 | $190,360 | $106,680 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $25.05 | $33.10 | $40.16 | $57.25 | $82.52 | $49.12 | 1,180 | 0.07 | 1.21 |
| Annual | $52,110 | $68,840 | $83,520 | $119,090 | $171,640 | $102,180 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $12.52 | $18.03 | $22.76 | $24.61 | $39.45 | $22.95 | 680 | 0.05 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $26,040 | $37,500 | $47,330 | $51,180 | $82,060 | $47,730 | ||||
| Maryland | Hourly | $21.50 | $30.06 | $40.40 | $54.35 | $65.16 | $44.43 | 390 | 0.14 | 2.64 |
| Annual | $44,730 | $62,520 | $84,030 | $113,040 | $135,520 | $92,410 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $29.27 | $35.23 | $41.77 | $51.18 | $61.45 | $43.45 | 380 | 0.04 | 0.74 |
| Annual | $60,890 | $73,290 | $86,890 | $106,440 | $127,820 | $90,370 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $25.81 | $31.78 | $46.43 | $61.21 | $82.34 | $49.15 | 350 | 0.07 | 1.31 |
| Annual | $53,680 | $66,110 | $96,560 | $127,320 | $171,270 | $102,230 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $31.30 | $43.85 | $53.14 | $94.68 | $137.70 | $68.69 | 180 | 0.08 | 1.43 |
| Annual | $65,100 | $91,200 | $110,540 | $196,930 | $286,420 | $142,860 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $32.11 | $38.85 | $52.57 | $83.92 | $97.46 | $61.39 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $66,780 | $80,800 | $109,350 | $174,560 | $202,710 | $127,690 | ||||
| Ann Arbor, MI | Hourly | $29.72 | $37.23 | $49.59 | $60.38 | $62.01 | $48.94 | 60 | 0.29 | 5.48 |
| Annual | $61,820 | $77,430 | $103,140 | $125,590 | $128,980 | $101,790 | ||||
| New Haven, CT | Hourly | $27.72 | $36.88 | $47.39 | $61.52 | $62.49 | $48.37 | 30 | 0.11 | 2.06 |
| Annual | $57,660 | $76,700 | $98,570 | $127,970 | $129,980 | $100,610 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $21.50 | $33.39 | $47.01 | $65.16 | $82.37 | $48.94 | 620 | 0.20 | 3.71 |
| Annual | $44,730 | $69,460 | $97,780 | $135,520 | $171,320 | $101,780 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $21.50 | $33.39 | $47.01 | $65.16 | $82.37 | $48.94 | 620 | 0.20 | 3.71 |
| Annual | $44,730 | $69,460 | $97,780 | $135,520 | $171,320 | $101,780 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $25.05 | $33.10 | $40.16 | $51.06 | $62.55 | $42.17 | 550 | 0.09 | 1.63 |
| Annual | $52,110 | $68,840 | $83,520 | $106,190 | $130,100 | $87,710 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $20.56 | $26.00 | $26.00 | $50.21 | $65.25 | $36.97 | 310 | 0.07 | 1.28 |
| Annual | $42,750 | $54,080 | $54,080 | $104,430 | $135,730 | $76,900 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $10.98 | $14.05 | $18.03 | $24.26 | $29.07 | $19.67 | 260 | 0.06 | 1.20 |
| Annual | $22,850 | $29,230 | $37,500 | $50,450 | $60,470 | $40,910 | ||||
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | Hourly | $31.25 | $35.30 | $41.77 | $51.18 | $58.14 | $43.19 | 210 | 0.46 | 8.60 |
| Annual | $64,990 | $73,420 | $86,890 | $106,440 | $120,930 | $89,840 | ||||
Top industries employing survey researchers
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services employ 32.6% of survey researchers nationally (2,700 jobs) at a median $65,880 a year ($31.67 an hour), followed by Scientific Research and Development Services (17.2%) and State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (7.8%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services NAICS 541900 | 2,700 | 32.6% | $65,880 | $31.67 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services NAICS 541700 | 1,430 | 17.2% | $98,470 | $47.34 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999200 | 650 | 7.8% | $66,310 | $31.88 |
| Social Advocacy Organizations NAICS 813300 | 300 | 3.6% | $78,010 | $37.50 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 230 | 2.8% | * | * |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (8,290). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $59,740 for survey researchers in May 2021 and $69,460 in May 2025, with employment of 8,850 and 8,290.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $59,740 | $28.72 | 8,850 |
| May 2022 | $60,410 | $29.04 | 7,880 |
| May 2023 | $60,960 | $29.31 | 8,190 |
| May 2024 | $63,380 | $30.47 | 7,720 |
| May 2025 | $69,460 | $33.40 | 8,290 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
33 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota profile | $50.11 | $104,220 | $55,420 | $124,140 | 340 | 0.12 | 2.15 |
| 2 | District of Columbia profile | $49.23 | $102,390 | $79,040 | $217,080 | 150 | 0.22 | 4.03 |
| 3 | Michigan profile | $48.82 | $101,550 | $57,050 | $155,830 | 150 | 0.03 | 0.64 |
| 4 | North Carolina profile | $46.43 | $96,560 | $53,680 | $171,270 | 350 | 0.07 | 1.31 |
| 5 | New Jersey profile | $45.95 | $95,580 | $54,900 | $190,360 | 100 | 0.02 | 0.44 |
| 6 | Wisconsin profile | $44.55 | $92,660 | $66,800 | $125,410 | 60 | 0.02 | 0.35 |
| 7 | Colorado profile | $43.21 | $89,870 | $47,600 | $145,040 | 110 | 0.04 | 0.71 |
| 8 | Connecticut profile | $42.46 | $88,320 | $56,800 | $129,980 | 110 | 0.07 | 1.25 |
| 9 | New York profile | $41.77 | $86,890 | $60,890 | $127,820 | 380 | 0.04 | 0.74 |
| 10 | Wyoming profile | $40.56 | $84,360 | $55,940 | $108,300 | 40 | 0.14 | 2.61 |
| 11 | Maryland profile | $40.40 | $84,030 | $44,730 | $135,520 | 390 | 0.14 | 2.64 |
| 12 | California profile | $40.16 | $83,520 | $52,110 | $171,640 | 1,180 | 0.07 | 1.21 |
| 13 | Iowa profile | $39.99 | $83,170 | $74,350 | $93,950 | 90 | 0.06 | 1.12 |
| 14 | Utah profile | $38.02 | $79,090 | $51,160 | $175,100 | 50 | 0.03 | 0.57 |
| 15 | Massachusetts profile | $36.01 | $74,890 | $43,730 | $90,780 | 160 | 0.04 | 0.83 |
| 16 | Alaska profile | $33.93 | $70,560 | $63,490 | $89,230 | 40 | 0.11 | 2.10 |
| 17 | Washington profile | $33.46 | $69,590 | $48,760 | $97,150 | 130 | 0.04 | 0.70 |
| 18 | Tennessee profile | $32.16 | $66,900 | $45,760 | $97,380 | 210 | 0.07 | 1.22 |
| 19 | Missouri profile | $31.95 | $66,460 | $29,270 | $97,990 | 130 | 0.04 | 0.81 |
| 20 | Oregon profile | $31.09 | $64,660 | $57,270 | $107,290 | 190 | 0.10 | 1.78 |
| 21 | Nebraska profile | $31.02 | $64,530 | $33,070 | $83,540 | 210 | 0.21 | 3.85 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania profile | $30.44 | $63,310 | $18,180 | $82,930 | ** | ** | ** |
| 23 | New Mexico profile | $29.51 | $61,380 | $52,270 | $80,450 | 130 | 0.14 | 2.70 |
| 24 | Arizona profile | $28.47 | $59,210 | $46,930 | $142,980 | ** | ** | ** |
| 25 | Kansas profile | $27.74 | $57,700 | $33,730 | $79,080 | 210 | 0.14 | 2.70 |
| 26 | Ohio profile | $27.71 | $57,630 | $36,130 | $112,490 | 320 | 0.06 | 1.08 |
| 27 | Oklahoma profile | $27.50 | $57,200 | $44,490 | $84,640 | 50 | 0.03 | 0.56 |
| 28 | Illinois profile | $26.00 | $54,080 | $42,750 | $135,730 | 320 | 0.05 | 1.00 |
| 29 | Georgia profile | $24.81 | $51,590 | $41,780 | $92,800 | ** | ** | ** |
| 30 | Maine profile | $22.76 | $47,330 | $35,820 | $77,880 | 60 | 0.09 | 1.65 |
| 31 | Texas profile | $22.76 | $47,330 | $26,040 | $82,060 | 680 | 0.05 | 0.91 |
| – | Delaware profile | * | * | * | * | 80 | 0.17 | 3.27 |
| – | Florida profile | * | * | * | * | 310 | 0.03 | 0.59 |
Part of Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 19-3022 Survey Researchers.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked. A withheld or top-coded median in that table shows the marker explained above.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 19-3022, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 19-3022.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.