Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists Salary in Raleigh-Cary
SOC 13-1161 · Raleigh-Cary, NC · BLS OEWS May 2025
Median Annual Salary
$78,978
$37.97/hr
0.3% higher than the US national median ($78,770)
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Is this a competitive Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists salary in Raleigh-Cary in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS September 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q3 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$46K
P25$60K
P50$79K
P75$112K
P90$156K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
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Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- finance & insurance openings are at 4.2% (JOLTS, September 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 3.4% a year (BLS ECI, Q3 2026). Budget a 3.0-3.5% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $78,978 to $111,717 (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 3.4% wage growth of Finance & Insurance (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · MODERATE
Finance & Insurance is running a 4.2% job-openings rate with quits at 0.9% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has held near 4.2% over the past quarter.
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
Nov 3, 2026JOLTS September 2026: sector openings fell to 4.2% (down 42K; August revised down to 4.7%). Quits eased to 0.9%, the lowest of any major sector, and hires eased to a 1.6% rate.
Oct 30, 2026ECI Q3 2026: financial activities wages rose 3.4% over the year, up from 3.1% in Q2.
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.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS September 2026, ECI Q3 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 Raleigh-Cary is $78,978 per year ($37.97/hr). This is 0.3% higher 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: Raleigh-Cary
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · BLS metro data
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
vs National
P10Entry level
$22.16
$46,093
+6.2%
P25
$28.67
$59,634
+2.2%
P50MEDIAN
$37.97
$78,978
+0.3%
P75
$53.71
$111,717
+3.1%
P90Top earners
$75.19
$156,395
+0.6%
How Raleigh-Cary 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 Raleigh-Cary is above national (+6.2%) at entry, in line with national (+0.3%) at the median and in line with national (+0.6%) at the top.
An offer at the national median of $78,770 would sit at about the 50th percentile in Raleigh-Cary.
The top of the range earns 3.39 times the bottom here against 3.58 times nationally, so pay for this role is more compressed between entry and senior levels in Raleigh-Cary.
Raleigh-Cary employs 6,470 people in this role, 0.7% of the national total.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median market research analysts and marketing specialists salary in Raleigh-Cary?
The median (P50) annual salary for Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists in Raleigh-Cary is approximately $78,978, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 0.3% higher 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.
