Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists
Research conditions in local, regional, national, or online markets. Gather information to determine potential sales of a product or service, or plan a marketing or advertising campaign. May gather information on competitors, prices, sales, and methods of marketing and distribution. May employ search marketing tactics, analyze web metrics, and develop recommendations to increase search engine ranking and visibility to target markets.
BLS SOC 13-1161 · O*NET-SOC 13-1161.00 · BLS 2025–2035 · O*NET 31.0
Median annual wage, 2025
$78,760
Projected change, 2025–2035
7%
2025–2035 annual average openings
82,000
AI exposure
Very high
Editorial analysis
Research gets faster; truth does not
Market research analysts and marketing specialists can now move from raw material to a first interpretation remarkably quickly. AI can summarize interview transcripts, group open-ended survey responses, scan competitors, identify themes in reviews, draft questionnaires, generate audience hypotheses, and help explain patterns in campaign or sales data. Work that once required days of sorting can sometimes be explored in hours.
The danger is a convincing answer to the wrong question
Market research is not just text processing. A biased sample is still biased after AI summarizes it. Correlation is still not causation. Social-media comments do not automatically represent a customer base. AI-generated personas or synthetic respondents can be useful for brainstorming, but they are not a substitute for observing real people when a business decision depends on what customers actually think or do.
- Qualitative coding and competitive scanning are becoming much faster.
- Researchers can test more hypotheses and produce more audience or message variations.
- Specialists will need to disclose and control when synthetic data or AI-generated material enters the research process.
- Research design, statistical reasoning, cultural context, and the ability to challenge a neat-looking result become more valuable.
In the future, market intelligence may feel less like a periodic report and more like a continuous conversation with live business data. Analysts may ask a system a question, receive an immediate synthesis, and then drill into the evidence behind it. The career opportunity is in becoming the person who can tell the difference between a useful pattern and an attractive story. AI can make research faster, but confidence still has to be earned.
Labor-market picture
Two measures, different questions
These measures offer two different ways to understand the occupation: BLS projections show how national employment may change over time, while relative AI exposure highlights where tasks may intersect with AI-related capabilities. Read them with the work profile and your local context to decide what deserves closer investigation.
Employment
- Employment, 2025
- 952,700 jobs
- Projected employment, 2035
- 1,019,000 jobs
- Projected change, 2025–2035
- 66,300 jobs (7%)
Relative AI exposure
BLS category: Very high. This is a relative task-exposure classification, not a forecast of employment change, automation, wages, or worker replacement.
Relative AI exposure · Very high
Work profile
Representative tasks
These task statements come from O*NET 31.0. They are source facts, not labels assigned by the AI exposure measure.
- Prepare reports of findings, illustrating data graphically and translating complex findings into written text.
- Seek and provide information to help companies determine their position in the marketplace.
- Conduct research on consumer opinions and marketing strategies, collaborating with marketing professionals, statisticians, pollsters, and other professionals.
- Collect and analyze data on customer demographics, preferences, needs, and buying habits to identify potential markets and factors affecting product demand.
- Devise and evaluate methods and procedures for collecting data, such as surveys, opinion polls, or questionnaires, or arrange to obtain existing data.
- Gather data on competitors and analyze their prices, sales, and method of marketing and distribution.
Skills that matter
Skills in the source profile
Importance uses O*NET's 1–5 scale. Level uses its 0–7 scale. Select a skill to see its source definition and reported values.
Technology and tools
These technology records come from O*NET and show software or tools reported in the occupation profile. They describe work context, not a required checklist for every employer.
- Word processing software
- Analytical or scientific software
- Customer relationship management CRM software
- Document management software
- Development environment software
- Video creation and editing software
- Graphics or photo imaging software
- Web page creation and editing software
Preparation
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
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Source provenance
Labor-market and exposure facts: bls-ep-2025-35. Work profile: onet-31.0. Verify release details on the Sources page.