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Survey Researchers

Typical education: Master's degreeLower pressure

What they do

Plan, develop, or conduct surveys. May analyze and interpret the meaning of survey data, determine survey objectives, or suggest or test question wording. Includes social scientists who primarily design questionnaires or supervise survey teams.

Kinds of work

  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $69,460 Median per year · $33.40/hr Most earn $39,260–$130,860

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Monitor and evaluate survey progress and performance, using sample disposition reports and response rate calculations.
  • Analyze data from surveys, old records, or case studies, using statistical software.
  • Collaborate with other researchers in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of surveys.
  • Consult with clients to identify survey needs and specific requirements, such as special samples.
  • Conduct surveys and collect data, using methods such as interviews, questionnaires, focus groups, market analysis surveys, public opinion polls, literature reviews, and file reviews.
  • Conduct research to gather information about survey topics.

Job outlook

United States
5% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 600 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Research and development in the social sciences and humanities11.2%
  • Self-employed (their own business)9.6%
  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools9.1%
  • State government, excluding education and hospitals7.1%
  • Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences3.6%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Master's degreeExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Survey Researcher is not usually an entry-level job. Most people need a master's degree and about 1 to 2 years of related work experience, so plan on roughly 6 to 8 years from starting college to reaching this role.

  1. Bachelor's degree in social science, statistics, psychology, or survey methods

    4 years

    You build the basics of research design, statistics, and how people answer questions, which you'll need for every later step.

  2. Social Science Research Assistant

    1-2 years

    You help run studies by collecting data, cleaning survey results, and running basic analyses, which gives you hands-on experience with real surveys.

  3. Master's degree in survey research, statistics, or social science

    About 2 years

    A graduate program teaches advanced sampling, questionnaire design, and data analysis, which are the core skills employers expect for this career. Some people complete it part-time while working.

  4. Survey Researcher

    Career goal

    You plan surveys, write and test questions, analyze results, and interpret what the data means for clients or decision-makers.

Where it can lead

  1. Senior Survey Researcher

    3-5 years of experience first

    You take on larger projects, lead study design from start to finish, and mentor junior staff while spending less time on hands-on data work.

  2. Survey Research Manager

    5+ years as a senior researcher of experience first

    You supervise survey teams, manage budgets and timelines, and set research priorities for an organization.

  3. Director of Survey Research

    5-10 years total in the field of experience first

    You lead the whole research function, set its direction, and represent it to executives and clients.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take statistics or math classesStrong math skills, especially statistics if it's offered, prepare you for the data work that survey research depends on.
  • Join a debate, mock trial, or student governmentThese activities build the skill of asking clear questions and listening carefully, which matters when writing survey items.
  • Get a starter job or volunteer for a local poll or censusHelping with a community survey or a local election count shows you how surveys are run in real life.
  • Learn a spreadsheet toolPracticing with Excel or Google Sheets to sort, count, and chart data gives you a head start on analysis.

In college

  • Major in a social science, statistics, or psychologyThese majors teach research methods and statistics, which are the foundation for a graduate program in survey research.
  • Take a research methods or survey design courseA course focused on questionnaire design and sampling directly builds the core skills of this career.
  • Work as a research assistant on a campus projectHelping a professor collect or analyze data gives you hands-on experience and a reference for future jobs or graduate school.
  • Get an internship at a polling firm, market research company, or government statistics officeInternships show you how surveys are used in practice and help you qualify for the Social Science Research Assistant role.
  • Learn R, Python, or SPSSKnowing one of these tools is common in job ads and makes you a stronger candidate for research assistant roles.

Tips for getting started

  • Pick a bachelor's major that includes statistics and research methods, and take a course in survey design if your school offers one.
  • Look for part-time or temporary research jobs, such as at a university lab, a polling firm, or a local government office, so you get real survey experience early.
  • Learn a data tool like R, Python, SPSS, or Excel, since most survey jobs require at least one of them.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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