Market research executive

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Career outlook for market research executive

UK Salary Ranges

Entry-level

£20,000

Experienced

£36,000


Currently employed in Scotland

17,000

Salary information is provided by the "National Careers Service". "Oxford Economics" supplies job forecasts and employment figures. Due to COVID-19 the jobs market is constantly changing. Some of the information may not reflect the current situation.

What's it like?

You would collect and analyse information find out people’s views about products or issues. You’d do the research for businesses and organisations to help them plan new products or services.

You’d either collect data by doing quantitative research, where you’d analyse the numbers from surveys of large samples of people.

Or you’d do qualitative research, where you analyse the language used by people in focus groups and in-depth questionnaires.

You’d probably specialise in consumer and industrial research, or focus on research into social and political issues.

You would:

  • Meet clients to discuss research projects
  • Come up with a plan or proposal and present it to the client
  • Manage a budget
  • Design questionnaires and organise surveys
  • Explain the process to interviewers and researchers
  • Monitor progress of surveys
  • Analyse data and present results to the client
  • Explain to your client how they can best use the research

Working conditions

Hours

If you work as a quantitative researcher in-house for a company, you’ll usually work in an office with standard hours, Monday to Friday, with occasional overtime to meet project deadlines. If you work as a qualitative researcher, you’ll often work evenings and weekends to travel to visit clients and focus groups.

Travel

If you work as a qualitative researcher, you’ll often work evenings and weekends to travel to visit clients and focus groups.

Environment

You would be office-based.

UK employment status

Full-time

61%

Part-time

28%

Self employed

11%

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Here are some of the skills needed for this job. Sign in to see how your skills match up.

  • Cooperating
  • Verbal communication
  • Written communication
  • Problem solving
  • Working with numbers
  • Observation
  • Questioning
  • Researching
  • Attention to detail
  • Developing a plan

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Getting in

Entry requirements for courses can change. Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you'll need.

Qualifications

Most market research executives have a degree (SCQF level 9/10) in areas such as:

  • Business studies
  • Consumer Studies
  • Maths
  • Statistics
  • Economics
  • Psychology
  • Marketing

To enter a degree (SCQF level 9/10) usually requires National 5 qualifications and a minimum of three Highers or a relevant HNC/HND. 

Competition for positions is strong.

Useful subjects

  • English (required by most courses)
  • Maths (required by most courses)
  • Business
  • Accounts/economics
  • ICT subjects
  • Modern languages
  • Social studies subjects such as media or psychology

Helpful to have

Previous experience in marketing, sales or advertising or as a market research interviewer.