Last Updated: November 4, 2020

Before making a large decision, it’s ideal to clearly understand how that decision will affect the future. Instead of blindly developing products, goods, or services, most companies heavily research how those products will fit into the marketplace, and what factors can improve their impact.

To spearhead these efforts, market research supervisors provide guidance and analytical problem-solving skills to research teams. Read on to learn how these professionals lead their researchers to dig through market data and provide marketing managers with crucial information that drives sales.

What do they do?

Location and Opportunity

According to Indeed.com, several areas in the country are in need of market research supervisors. Some of these areas include:

  • New York, NY
  • Houston, TX
  • Washington, DC
  • Chicago, IL
  • San Francisco, CA

While market research supervisors have much in common with market research managers, their position is much more “hands on” with the research team. The market research supervisor ensures that all team members are following research strategies accurately, and helps develop new research methods to increase effectiveness.

Working with their teams, market research supervisors design objectives for research projects, coach research specialists about how to best meet those objectives, and report back to market research managers about progress.

They might oversee campaigns where market interviewers poll several consumers, or they may engage in quantitative research projects that engage many consumers. Assisting them through this task are many different marketing professionals, such as:

Qualifications

Our Recommended Schools

  1. Grand Canyon University (GCU)

    GCU's Colangelo College of Business offers leading edge degrees that address the demands of contemporary business environments.

  2. Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU)

    Explore the bond between business and consumer behavior with a degree in marketing.

Most companies want their market research supervisors to have previous experience in other research positions before supervising. This allows supervisors to gain an understanding of research methodology and team management. Typically, research supervisors obtain between five and seven years of experience before moving up.

Before entering the field, market research supervisors usually earn bachelor’s degrees in marketing, while others focus more on statistical procedures. Each company has different requirements they ask of their market research supervisors.

Become a Market Research Supervisor

The average salary of a market research supervisor in August 2012 was $62,000, though that salary increases or decreases depending on previous experience and the company itself. Some market research supervisors could stand to earn over $85,000.

If you’re interested in learning more about a career in market research, contact schools offering degrees in marketing.