How long does it take to become a survey researcher?

Typically about six years of study in total. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.

How much do survey researchers make?

The US median is $69,460 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.

Do you need a degree to become a survey researcher?

Yes — a degree is the usual way in.

Where can you train to become a survey researcher?

859 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

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How to become a survey researcher

Science · SOC 19-3022

$69,460US median pay, 2025

-4.8%Projected growth, 2025–35

600Openings per year

DegreeUsual way in

How you get in

A degree is the usual way in.

Master's degree
Work as a survey researcher

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

Program	Code	Schools
Economics, General	CIP 45.0601	657
Business/Managerial Economics	CIP 52.0601	206
Statistics, General	CIP 27.0501	194
Business Statistics	CIP 52.1302	89
Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods	CIP 45.0102	47
Applied Economics	CIP 45.0602	36
Applied Statistics, General	CIP 27.0601	28
Marketing Research	CIP 52.1402	27
Institutional Research	CIP 13.0608	1

See the 859 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does it take to become a survey researcher?: Typically about six years of study in total. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do survey researchers make?: The US median is $69,460 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree to become a survey researcher?: Yes — a degree is the usual way in.
Where can you train to become a survey researcher?: 859 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

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