Is this a competitive Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists salary in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS August 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$27K
P25$48K
P50$67K
P75$93K
P90$126K
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Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- finance & insurance openings are at 5.0% (JOLTS, August 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.
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Merit budget: Wages in financial activities are rising about 3.1% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.7-3.2% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $67,371 to $93,080 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role rose 2.4% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.1% wage growth of Finance & Insurance (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · MODERATE
Finance & Insurance is running a 5.0% job-openings rate with quits at 1.0% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has tightened for 3 straight months (3.7% up to 5.0%).
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 3.6 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is wider than typical, so expect large pay differences by experience, employer size, and geography; build generous ranges and differentiate strongly.
What changed recently
Sep 29, 2026JOLTS August 2026: sector openings rose to 5.0% (up 49K; July revised up to 4.4%). Quits eased to 1.0%, so workers are still staying put.
Sep 1, 2026JOLTS July 2026: sector openings flat at 4.1% for a second month (June revised down from 4.3%). Quits ticked up to 1.2%; layoffs fell 22K. Settling, not tightening.
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings whipsawed up to 4.3%, but quits fell to 0.9%, the lowest of any sector. Workers are staying put.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS August 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The median salary for Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands is $67,371 per year ($32.39/hr). This is 14.5% lower than the national median of $78,770.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Wage Percentiles: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · BLS metro data
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
vs National
P10Entry level
$12.96
$26,957
-37.9%
P25
$23.00
$47,840
-18.0%
P50MEDIAN
$32.39
$67,371
-14.5%
P75
$44.75
$93,080
-14.1%
P90Top earners
$60.46
$125,757
-19.1%
How Houston compares for Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists
Computed from this metro's own BLS distribution against national
Pay for Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists in Houston sits below the national range at every level: -37.9% at entry, -14.5% at the median and -19.1% at the top. The gap is larger at the top than at entry.
An offer at the national median of $78,770 would sit at about the 63rd percentile in Houston.
The top of the range earns 4.67 times the bottom here against 3.58 times nationally, so pay for this role varies more between entry and senior levels in Houston.
Houston employs 14,480 people in this role, 1.6% of the national total.
Ordered by BLS median. Shows only metros with published local data for this role.
What employers filed for Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists in Houston
US Department of Labor, Labor Condition Applications · FY2026 Q3 (decisions 1 Oct 2025 to 30 Jun 2026)
Across 127 filings, the median base salary employers stated for this role in Houston was $75,190, which sits at P58 on the Houston BLS pay curve.
What this is, and is not. These are base salaries stated on Labor Condition Applications for visa-sponsored roles, floored by prevailing-wage rules: offered pay on a legal form, not a payroll extract, and base only, with no bonus or equity. It shows how employers position pay for the role, not what the whole market pays.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median market research analysts and marketing specialists salary in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
The median (P50) annual salary for Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands is approximately $67,371, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 14.5% lower than the national median of $78,770. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.
