How to hire market research analysts and marketing specialists
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Collect and analyze data on customer demographics, preferences, needs, and buying habits to identify potential markets and factors affecting product demand. • Conduct research on consumer opinions and marketing strategies, collaborating with marketing professionals, statisticians, pollsters, and other professionals. • 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. • Measure and assess customer and employee satisfaction. • Monitor industry statistics and follow trends in trade literature. • 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. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Bachelor's degree] • Strong active listening, critical thinking, reading comprehension, writing, speaking and active learning skills • Working knowledge of sales and marketing, computers and electronics, English Language and communications and media • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $37.87 an hour ($78,760 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for market research analysts and marketing specialists
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to collect and analyze data on customer demographics, preferences, needs, and buying habits to identify potential markets and factors affecting product demand. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to conduct research on consumer opinions and marketing strategies, collaborating with marketing professionals, statisticians, pollsters, and other professionals. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to devise and evaluate methods and procedures for collecting data, such as surveys, opinion polls, or questionnaires, or arrange to obtain existing data. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to gather data on competitors and analyze their prices, sales, and method of marketing and distribution. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What market research analysts and marketing specialists do
- Collect and analyze data on customer demographics, preferences, needs, and buying habits to identify potential markets and factors affecting product demand.
- Conduct research on consumer opinions and marketing strategies, collaborating with marketing professionals, statisticians, pollsters, and other professionals.
- 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.
- Measure and assess customer and employee satisfaction.
- Monitor industry statistics and follow trends in trade literature.
- 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.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for market research analysts and marketing specialists
- Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
- Job outlook: +7% over ten years, faster than average · about 82,000 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay market research analysts and marketing specialists
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $101,810 |
| Delaware | $101,270 |
| New York | $98,580 |
| District of Columbia | $98,090 |
| Washington | $95,120 |
| Hawaii | $59,390 |
| Mississippi | $56,640 |
| West Virginia | $52,340 |
See market research analysts and marketing specialists pay in every state
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Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.