Survey Researchers pay in the U.S.
$79,580avg. a year
$38.26 an hour · 8,290 employed
Survey Researchers in the U.S. earn an average of $79,580 a year and a median of $69,460. Pay is highest in District of Columbia ($121,060) and lowest in Texas ($47,730).
$69,460Median pay
$38.26Average hourly
+19%Avg. pay since 2020
8,290Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for survey researchers
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1150 jobs
District of Columbia
$121,060
$58.20 an hour
2100 jobs
New Jersey
$106,680
$51.29 an hour
3150 jobs
Michigan
$103,410
$49.71 an hour
4350 jobs
North Carolina
$102,230
$49.15 an hour
51,180 jobs
California
$102,180
$49.12 an hour
650 jobs
Utah
$101,930
$49.00 an hour
7340 jobs
Minnesota
$98,450
$47.33 an hour
860 jobs
Wisconsin
$95,970
$46.14 an hour
9110 jobs
Colorado
$93,840
$45.11 an hour
10390 jobs
Maryland
$92,410
$44.43 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Survey Researchers pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $65k$65k–$76k$76k–$96k$96k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $142,860 | $68.69 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $101,780 | $48.94 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $92,340 | $44.40 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $89,840 | $43.19 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $87,710 | $42.17 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $78,060 | $37.53 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $77,650 | $37.33 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $76,900 | $36.97 |
Related jobs
- Clinical and Counseling Psychologists$112,750
- School Psychologists$99,160
- Urban and Regional Planners$94,750
- Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other$107,690
- Psychologists, All Other$111,210
- Economists$142,130
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Survey Researchers pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $74,640 | $70,560 | 40 |
| Arizona | $68,740 | $59,210 | – |
| California | $102,180 | $83,520 | 1,180 |
| Colorado | $93,840 | $89,870 | 110 |
| Connecticut | $91,780 | $88,320 | 110 |
| District of Columbia | $121,060 | $102,390 | 150 |
| Georgia | $62,640 | $51,590 | – |
| Illinois | $75,800 | $54,080 | 320 |
| Iowa | $82,010 | $83,170 | 90 |
| Kansas | $57,760 | $57,700 | 210 |
| Maine | $50,540 | $47,330 | 60 |
| Maryland | $92,410 | $84,030 | 390 |
| Massachusetts | $68,860 | $74,890 | 160 |
| Michigan | $103,410 | $101,550 | 150 |
| Minnesota | $98,450 | $104,220 | 340 |
| Missouri | $64,590 | $66,460 | 130 |
| Nebraska | $60,890 | $64,530 | 210 |
| New Jersey | $106,680 | $95,580 | 100 |
| New Mexico | $67,260 | $61,380 | 130 |
| New York | $90,370 | $86,890 | 380 |
| North Carolina | $102,230 | $96,560 | 350 |
| Ohio | $68,770 | $57,630 | 320 |
| Oklahoma | $60,510 | $57,200 | 50 |
| Oregon | $73,510 | $64,660 | 190 |
| Pennsylvania | $57,090 | $63,310 | – |
| Tennessee | $71,030 | $66,900 | 210 |
| Texas | $47,730 | $47,330 | 680 |
| Utah | $101,930 | $79,090 | 50 |
| Washington | $75,960 | $69,590 | 130 |
| Wisconsin | $95,970 | $92,660 | 60 |
| Wyoming | $79,550 | $84,360 | 40 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$101,780
620 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$87,710
550 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$76,900
310 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$40,910
260 jobsAlbany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
$89,840
210 jobsNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$92,340
190 jobsSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$142,860
180 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$68,990
150 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do survey researchers make?
The average is $79,580 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $69,460 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $38.26, and the median is $33.40 an hour.
Which state pays survey researchers the most?
District of Columbia, with an average of $121,060 a year. The best-paying metro area is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $142,860.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $39,260 a year, and the top 10% earn over $130,860.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 19-3022. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.