Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Wide pay band SOC 19-3022

Survey Researchers

The published band from $39,260 to $130,860 is the distinctive signal for this role, not a twin of Political Scientists.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Survey Researchers: Political Scientists ($142K) , Clinical and Counseling Psychologists ($101K) , Biochemists and Biophysicists ($127K) , Geographers ($102K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Survey Researchers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 19-3022 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Conduct surveys and collect data, using methods such as interviews, questionnaires, focus groups, market analysis surveys, public opinion…
  2. 2. Prepare and present summaries and analyses of survey data, including tables, graphs, and fact sheets that describe survey techniques and…
  3. 3. Consult with clients to identify survey needs and specific requirements, such as special samples
  4. 4. Determine and specify details of survey projects, including sources of information, procedures to be used, and the design of survey instr…
  5. 5. Support, plan, and coordinate operations for single or multiple surveys
  6. 6. Monitor and evaluate survey progress and performance, using sample disposition reports and response rate calculations
  7. 7. Collaborate with other researchers in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of surveys
  8. 8. Conduct research to gather information about survey topics
  9. 9. Direct and review the work of staff members, including survey support staff and interviewers who gather survey data
  10. 10. Direct updates and changes in survey implementation and methods
  11. 11. Produce documentation of the questionnaire development process, data collection methods, sampling designs, and decisions related to sampl…
  12. 12. Write proposals to win new projects

Survey Researchers: O*NET ranks Reading Comprehension first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 19-3022 - lead skill Reading Comprehension at 4.3 ; lead knowledge English Language. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Reading Comprehension 4.3
  2. 2. Active Listening 4.3
  3. 3. Writing 4.3
  4. 4. Speaking 4.3
  5. 5. Critical Thinking 4.3
  6. 6. Mathematics 4.0
  7. 7. Active Learning 3.9
  8. 8. Complex Problem Solving 3.9

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. English Language 4.6
  2. 2. Sociology and Anthropology 3.9
  3. 3. Mathematics 3.7
  4. 4. Computers and Electronics 3.6
  5. 5. Administration and Management 3.5
  6. 6. Customer and Personal Service 3.5
Published pay band (10th to 90th)
$39,260 to $130,860
median $69,460 · ~3.3× spread
$69K
National median
↓ -5%
Growth 2024-2034
700
Annual openings
8,290
Estimated US jobs
Political Scientists
Highest-pay peer · $142K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Master's degree

Top Paying States for Survey Researchers

1. Connecticut $88,320
2. Minnesota $104,220
3. Colorado $89,870
4. North Carolina $96,560
5. Wyoming $84,360
6. Michigan $101,550
7. New York $86,890
8. Wisconsin $92,660
9. New Jersey $95,580
10. District of Columbia $102,390

Other Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations titles

  1. 1. Biochemists and Biophysicists $127,410
  2. 2. Geographers $102,040
  3. 3. Economists $124,720
  4. 4. Clinical and Counseling Psychologists $100,580
  5. 5. Political Scientists $142,080
  6. 6. Sociologists $106,030

The OEWS band for Survey Researchers runs from $39,260 (10th) to $130,860 (90th), about 3.3× wide, with median $69,460. That spread, not the midpoint alone, is the distinctive published fact.

Employment Projections expect -5% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 700 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Master's degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Connecticut at $88,320. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Political Scientists at $142,080. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Survey Researchers pay-rank #36 in Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

On the Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations median table (48 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Survey Researchers lands at #36, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for Survey Researchers is unusually wide, so the state map and peer comparison carry more signal than the median alone.

Survey Researchers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 19-3022

Connecticut · top state for Survey Researchers

$88K published median

Minnesota · #2 state pay

$104K · behind Connecticut

Political Scientists

Highest-pay peer vs Survey Researchers · $142K

Clinical and Counseling Psychologists

Lower-pay peer beside Survey Researchers · $101K

Compare Survey Researchers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Survey Researchers with another occupation →

Pay-band next reads

Entry-Level vs Experienced Pay

What percentile bands reveal

Using Salary Data for Negotiation

Leverage BLS percentiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Survey Researchers land on the Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations median table? ▼
Survey Researchers is pay-rank #36 of 48 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Animal Scientists ($69K), Anthropologists and Archeologists ($71K), Forensic Science Technicians ($72K), Conservation Scientists ($73K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do survey researchers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Survey Researchers. Leading ones include: Conduct surveys and collect data, using methods such as interviews, questionnaires, focus groups, market analysis surveys, public opinion…; Prepare and present summaries and analyses of survey data, including tables, graphs, and fact sheets that describe survey techniques and…; Consult with clients to identify survey needs and specific requirements, such as special samples; Determine and specify details of survey projects, including sources of information, procedures to be used, and the design of survey instr…. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for survey researchers? ▼
For SOC 19-3022, O*NET importance scores lead with Reading Comprehension (4.3), Active Listening (4.3), Writing (4.3), Speaking (4.3). Knowledge areas emphasize English Language, Sociology and Anthropology, Mathematics. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How wide is the published pay band for Survey Researchers? ▼
OEWS places the 10th percentile at $39,260 and the 90th at $130,860 for Survey Researchers (3.3× spread). The national median is $69,460. OEWS does not isolate experience, employer, or geography as the cause of that spread.
What employment change does BLS publish for Survey Researchers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Survey Researchers is -5%. Projected annual openings: about 700. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Survey Researchers? ▼
BLS assigns Master's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Survey Researchers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Survey Researchers? ▼
Connecticut ($88,320), Minnesota ($104,220), Colorado ($89,870) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Survey Researchers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 19-3022. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Survey Researchers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics