SOC 13-1161 · Business and financial operations
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists prevailing wage by area
At Level II this ranges from $116,085 in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA down to $55,619 in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, a spread of $60,466 on the same job.
What this occupation covers
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.
Occupation definition from oes_soc_occs.csv, OFLC_Wages_2026-27.zip.
Every area with a surveyed figure
| Area | Level I | Level II | Level III | Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $78,395 | $116,085 | $153,754 | $191,443 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $69,576 | $100,027 | $130,458 | $160,909 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $64,293 | $90,043 | $115,794 | $141,544 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $64,834 | $85,467 | $106,122 | $126,755 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $59,883 | $81,432 | $103,002 | $124,550 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $54,870 | $80,850 | $106,829 | $132,808 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $60,403 | $79,498 | $98,571 | $117,666 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $57,221 | $77,709 | $98,176 | $118,664 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $55,744 | $76,378 | $97,032 | $117,666 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $55,370 | $75,546 | $95,722 | $115,898 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $53,685 | $74,568 | $95,430 | $116,314 |
| Richmond, VA | $49,379 | $72,696 | $96,013 | $119,330 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $54,850 | $72,467 | $90,085 | $107,702 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $54,309 | $72,238 | $90,147 | $108,077 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $49,109 | $71,282 | $93,454 | $115,627 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $48,381 | $70,824 | $93,288 | $115,731 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $51,355 | $70,512 | $89,648 | $108,805 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $50,710 | $69,909 | $89,107 | $108,306 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $49,629 | $69,701 | $89,773 | $109,845 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $48,880 | $69,202 | $89,502 | $109,824 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $47,570 | $67,517 | $87,443 | $107,390 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $49,566 | $66,643 | $83,741 | $100,818 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $45,261 | $66,622 | $87,984 | $109,346 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $48,630 | $66,269 | $83,886 | $101,525 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $48,069 | $66,248 | $84,448 | $102,627 |
| Rochester, NY | $50,045 | $65,749 | $81,474 | $97,178 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $47,902 | $65,562 | $83,221 | $100,880 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $46,592 | $64,896 | $83,221 | $101,525 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $48,693 | $64,272 | $79,851 | $95,430 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $46,613 | $64,251 | $81,890 | $99,528 |
| Columbus, OH | $47,362 | $64,168 | $80,974 | $97,781 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $45,926 | $64,022 | $82,118 | $100,214 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $44,470 | $61,485 | $78,520 | $95,534 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $44,491 | $61,006 | $77,542 | $94,058 |
| Cleveland, OH | $45,240 | $60,050 | $74,880 | $89,690 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $44,408 | $59,654 | $74,880 | $90,126 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $42,765 | $59,301 | $75,858 | $92,394 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $41,454 | $56,992 | $72,550 | $88,088 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $41,725 | $56,826 | $71,947 | $87,048 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $37,794 | $55,619 | $73,466 | $91,291 |
40 areas, all surveyed for that metropolitan area rather than imputed from a broader geography. 3 of them carry a full breakdown page, selected by filing volume; the rest show their figures here. ALC_Export.csv, wage year 2026-27.
How employers filed for this occupation
Across 668 certified H-1B filings in FY2025 Q1 to Q4 that recorded a level, the plurality landed on Level II. The median wage actually offered was $91,715 a year, from 684 filings.
| Level | Filings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Level I | 182 | 27.2% |
| Level II | 224 | 33.5% |
| Level III | 124 | 18.6% |
| Level IV | 138 | 20.7% |
LCA disclosure data, FY2025 Q1 to Q4. Certified H-1B filings only.
Work out a specific determination
The level depends on the requirements in the job description rather than the title. Run the worksheet for Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists with a specific area, experience requirement and education level.