jobfacts

Market research interviewers

SOC 2020 7214

Market research interviewers conduct interviews to collect information on the opinions and preferences of consumers, businesses, the electorate and other selected groups.

Also calledMystery shopperField interviewerMarket research interviewerMarket researcherMarketing research assistantTelephone researcherand 13 more titles
Demand for workersCritical
New adverts a month952↑ 52%on last year · 199th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
Typical pay by regionUK median —
North EastNot published by ONS–
North WestNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
East of EnglandNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
Show as table
UK median, —
North EastNot published by ONS
North WestNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
East of EnglandNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 952 jobs for market research interviewers are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as critical.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (5 in all)
Show as table
Aug 20261,278
Jul 2026929
Jun 2026Not published
May 2026983
Apr 2026891
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026659
Jan 20261,059
Dec 2025Not published
Nov 2025931
Oct 2025800
Sept 20251,034
Aug 2025548
Jul 2025Not published
Jun 2025Not published
May 2025778
Apr 2025804
Mar 2025881
Feb 2025531
Jan 2025736
Dec 2024534
Nov 2024541
Oct 2024537
Sept 2024554
Aug 2024679
Jul 2024690
Jun 2024408
May 2024607
Apr 2024485
Mar 2024667
Feb 2024704
Jan 2024738
Dec 2023623
Nov 2023911
Oct 2023662
Sept 2023563
Aug 20231,129
Jul 2023860
Jun 20231,401
May 20232,337
Apr 2023457
Mar 2023366
Feb 2023509
Jan 20231,261
Dec 2022664
Nov 2022734
Oct 20221,544
Sept 20221,317
Aug 20221,715
Jul 20222,106
Jun 20221,608
May 20221,653
Apr 2022961
Mar 20221,095
Feb 2022875
Jan 2022963
Dec 2021536
Nov 20211,534
Oct 20211,301
Sept 2021878
Aug 20211,298
Jul 2021877
Jun 20211,378
May 2021625
Apr 2021741
Mar 2021819
Feb 20211,268
Jan 2021331
Dec 2020189
Nov 2020682
Oct 2020335
Sept 2020396
Aug 2020238
Jul 2020184
Jun 2020796
May 2020150
Apr 2020232
Mar 2020729
Feb 20201,249
Jan 20201,022
Dec 2019718
Nov 2019640
Oct 2019959
Sept 2019898
Aug 2019787
Jul 2019551
Jun 2019512
May 2019658
Apr 20191,098
Mar 20191,291
Feb 2019886
Jan 20191,063
Dec 2018477
Nov 20181,138
Oct 20181,055
Sept 20181,078
Aug 2018664
Jul 2018822
Jun 2018755
May 2018468
Apr 2018685
Mar 2018932
Feb 2018612
Jan 20181,306
Dec 2017415
Nov 2017711
Oct 2017829
Sept 2017986
Aug 2017843
Jul 20171,004
Jun 20171,316
May 2017863
Apr 2017497
Mar 20171,066
Feb 2017455
Jan 2017848
Is there a shortage of market research interviewers?
Critical

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment; in 2024 it was elevated.

  • Visas grantedUsual
  • Online job advertsWell above usual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsAbove usual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Note: uncertainty in change in hourly wage.
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
14%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for customer service occupations, which includes market research interviewers. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
Aberdeen CityNot published–
AberdeenshireNot published–
AdurNot published–
Amber ValleyNot published–
AngusNot published–
Antrim and NewtownabbeyNot published–
Ards and North DownNot published–
Argyll and ButeNot published–
Armagh City, Banbridge and CraigavonNot published–
ArunNot published–
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.

Recruitment from abroad. Fewer than 10 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
WomenToo few in the survey to give a reliable figure
Age of market research interviewers
n/p
n/p
22%!
n/p
n/p
45%!
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–34Not published
35–4422% (small sample)
45–54Not published
55–64Not published
65+45% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!129%
Higher education below degree!18%
A levels or equivalent!48%
GCSEs or equivalent–
Not published
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent129% (small sample)
Higher education below degree18% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent48% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalentNot published

Main employers: market research and public opinion polling (48%), general public administration activities (37%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
129%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
None
none leads directly into this work

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • approaches members of the public, individuals, households and organisations to arrange and conduct face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, focus groups, panel interviews etc.
  • records progress of interviews by noting answers, completing questionnaires, making audio or visual recordings or inputting responses into a computer
  • collects questionnaires, diaries, and other research materials left with interviewees and conducts follow-up interviews
  • collates and reviews information collected and compiles reports to pass back to the organisation/individual commissioning the market research

Skills

  • adhere to questionnaires
  • capture people's attention
  • document interviews
  • evaluate interview reports
  • explain interview purposes
  • prepare survey report
  • respond to enquiries
  • tabulate survey results
  • communicate by telephone
  • design questionnaires
  • perform data analysis
  • present reports
  • revise questionnaires
  • use shorthand

Knowledge

  • communication
  • information confidentiality
  • interview techniques
  • survey techniques
  • data quality assessment
  • market research
  • politics
  • psychology

Suits people who like

  • Organising and following procedures
  • Working with ideas and solving problems

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for customer service occupations, a group of 6 jobs that includes market research interviewers.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 47%about 285,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 2035648,000including people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.