A survey researcher conducts research to find out how the general public feels about a certain topic. Survey research informs campaigns for everything from selling new technology to developing an effective public health outreach program, so this work is closely linked to marketing and advertising. A bachelor’s degree is required at the very least to work as a survey researcher, with graduate degrees providing more opportunities for employment. Excellent communication and analysis skills are also required.
Survey researchers choose a topic of interest and create a study to gather data on it. They choose how the survey will be carried out, such as through phone polls, online surveys, or mailed surveys. They also create the survey’s content, including demographic and control questions, as well as questions about the specific topic at hand. This job necessitates communication skills, as people must be able to phrase questions in a way that ensures the most accurate answers.
In addition, the survey researcher determines how to select a survey sample before launching the survey. As information is received, it is entered into a database and analyzed. All of the data collected during the survey can be used to compile information based on the results. This can include important demographic information, such as which age groups and races are responding to a marketing campaign, and can be used to better target campaigns and publicity.
Advertising firms, political campaigns, government offices, nonprofits, and educational institutions may hire survey researchers. Some work on survey development for psychological research, and degrees in psychology can be very useful for survey researchers, even if they don’t plan to pursue psychology in the long run, because survey design necessitates a thorough understanding of psychology. A survey researcher must also have math skills in order to be able to describe the results in a meaningful manner and to discuss margins of error and other related topics.
Survey researchers make a variety of salaries. Private-sector employees typically earn higher salaries, especially if they are involved in major advertising and research campaigns. Public employees are paid less and receive government benefits. A public survey researcher may have access to a larger data pool; for example, the United States Census, which is a type of survey research, is famous for its reach, with Census employees working to count every single person in the country with a survey.