Life & Physical Science

Survey Researchers

SOC 19-3022

Design and run the surveys that measure opinion and behavior.

The job

Median pay

$69k

$51k to $100k typical range

Outlook, 2025 to 2035

Declining

-4.8% projected

Openings a year

600

BLS projection

Typical education

Master's

Our model

AI displacement risk

Very high

How much of this job AI may do instead of the person

Works with AI

3/100

AI alongside the person rather than instead of them

AI exposure

86th pct

More exposed than 86% of occupations · modeled estimate · 45th pct in Microsoft's data

Future-proof

40/100

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Weigh it against SociologistsPay, outlook, entry and AI exposure side by side See where it pays mostMinnesota leads at $104k; every state is below Find careers like itOpen the map at Survey Researchers and explore its neighbours See open jobsSurvey Researchers roles hiring now Learn the skillsCourses for Survey Researchers, who lean most on reading comprehension Real pay & reviewsWhat Survey Researchers say they actually earn

Key skills

Reading Comprehension
Active Listening
Writing
Speaking
Critical Thinking
Mathematics

Pay and jobs by state

BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's. A tilde marks a figure estimated from the parent occupation group where BLS publishes none.

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
California	1,180	0.1	1.2×	$84k
Texas	680	0.0	0.9×	$47k
Maryland	390	0.1	2.6×	$84k
New York	380	0.0	0.7×	$87k
North Carolina	350	0.1	1.3×	$97k
Minnesota	340	0.1	2.2×	$104k
Pennsylvania	336	0.1	1.0×	$63k~
Illinois	320	0.1	1.0×	$54k
Ohio	320	0.1	1.1×	$58k
Florida	310	0.0	0.6×	$63k~

All 51 states

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
Virginia	243	0.1	1.1×	$72k~
Kansas	210	0.1	2.7×	$58k
Nebraska	210	0.2	3.9×	$65k
Tennessee	210	0.1	1.2×	$67k
Oregon	190	0.1	1.8×	$65k
Georgia	187	0.0	0.7×	$52k~
Massachusetts	160	0.0	0.8×	$75k
Indiana	152	0.0	0.9×	$62k~
Washington DC	150	0.2	4.0×	$102k
Michigan	150	0.0	0.6×	$102k
Arizona	132	0.0	0.8×	$59k~
Missouri	130	0.0	0.8×	$66k
New Mexico	130	0.1	2.8×	$61k
Washington	130	0.0	0.7×	$70k
Colorado	110	0.0	0.7×	$90k
Connecticut	110	0.1	1.2×	$88k
New Jersey	100	0.0	0.4×	$96k
South Carolina	94	0.0	0.8×	$64k~
Iowa	90	0.1	1.1×	$83k
Louisiana	86	0.0	0.8×	$63k~
Alabama	82	0.0	0.7×	$62k~
Delaware	80	0.2	3.1×	$71k~
Kentucky	78	0.0	0.7×	$61k~
Idaho	71	0.1	1.6×	$57k~
Nevada	62	0.0	0.8×	$68k~
Maine	60	0.1	1.8×	$47k
Wisconsin	60	0.0	0.4×	$93k
Montana	50	0.1	1.8×	$60k~
Oklahoma	50	0.0	0.6×	$57k
Utah	50	0.0	0.5×	$79k
Mississippi	46	0.0	0.7×	$55k~
Arkansas	44	0.0	0.6×	$53k~
Hawaii	42	0.1	1.3×	$62k~
West Virginia	41	0.1	1.1×	$58k~
Alaska	40	0.1	2.3×	$71k
Wyoming	40	0.1	2.7×	$84k
New Hampshire	34	0.0	0.9×	$67k~
North Dakota	26	0.1	1.1×	$60k~
South Dakota	26	0.1	1.1×	$55k~
Rhode Island	24	0.0	0.9×	$75k~
Vermont	18	0.1	1.1×	$63k~

Top metro areas

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV620 jobs · $98k median
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA550 jobs · $84k median
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN310 jobs · $54k median
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX260 jobs · $38k median
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY210 jobs · $87k median
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ190 jobs · $88k median
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA180 jobs · $111k median
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH150 jobs · $75k median

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Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.