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.

Most important skills

Reading Comprehension
Active Listening
Writing
Critical Thinking
Speaking
Active Learning
Complex Problem Solving
Judgment and Decision Making

Key knowledge

English Language
Sales and Marketing
Administration and Management
Customer and Personal Service
Administrative
Mathematics
Computers and Electronics
Communications and Media

What the work involves

Collect and analyze data on customer demographics, preferences, needs, and buying habits to identify potential markets and factors affecting product demand.
Prepare reports of findings, illustrating data graphically and translating complex findings into written text.
Measure and assess customer and employee satisfaction.
Forecast and track marketing and sales trends, analyzing collected data.
Seek and provide information to help companies determine their position in the marketplace.
Measure the effectiveness of marketing, advertising, and communications programs and strategies.
Conduct research on consumer opinions and marketing strategies, collaborating with marketing professionals, statisticians, pollsters, and other professionals.
Gather data on competitors and analyze their prices, sales, and method of marketing and distribution.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Enterprising, Conventional, Investigative.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education: Bachelor's Degree (70% of expert ratings)
Related experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (40%)
On-the-job training: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months (33.3%)
Preparation level: O*NET job zone 4: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Licensing: Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.

Check before planning

Licensing for Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.

Limits

Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	Very low	Lower on contact with others than 91% of occupations compared	40% of surveyed respondents chose “Contact with others most of the time”
Dealing with the public	Low	Lower on dealing with the public than 72% of occupations compared	40% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important”
Teamwork	Low	Lower on teamwork than 76% of occupations compared	35% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important”
Freedom to make decisions	High	Higher on freedom to make decisions than 62% of occupations compared	55% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom”
Time pressure	Low	Lower on time pressure than 67% of occupations compared	60% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day”
Conflict situations	Very low	Lower on conflict situations than 90% of occupations compared	70% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	Very low	Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 95% of occupations compared	55% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Consequence of error	Very low	Lower on consequence of error than 88% of occupations compared	55% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly serious”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: low
Conflict situations: very low
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very low
Consequence of error: very low

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions