How to Become a Market Research Analyst
March 9, 2026
Employment of market research analysts is projected to grow 7% from 2024–2034 – much faster than average.
Below, we’ll walk through what it takes to become an analyst, covering key responsibilities, required skills, and how P.I.T. can help you succeed.
How to Get Started: 3 Key Steps
| 1 |
Earn an Undergraduate Degree
Most employers require market research analysts to hold a bachelor’s degree in areas such as communications, marketing, business administration or psychology. These programs help you build the skills needed to be successful in a research analysis career. A psychology background helps you understand consumer motivations and decision-making, while business administration builds your foundation in finance, leadership, and statistics.
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| 2 |
Gain Real-World Experience
Even while you’re in school and pursuing a degree, one of the best ways to land a job in the field you want is through developing experience. If you haven’t graduated yet, you can find opportunities through volunteering or internships. These options allow you to see first-hand what this role will look like and build your resume, and they may even lead to a full-time offer after graduation.
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| 3 |
Earn a Graduate Degree
There may come a point that you’ll want to further your education or stand out from other applicants. To do that, you can pursue a graduate degree. Additionally, more competitive positions require top education and skills, so many research analysts will actually go on to earn their MBA and DBA degrees.
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What You Can Expect in This Role
Market research analysts work to help businesses communicate as effectively as possible with their target consumers. Using data, they create strategies to effectively sell products or services to a company’s customer base.
While company needs may differ depending on who you work for, general responsibilities in this role will typically include:
- ✓ Conducting product testing and brand research
- ✓ Using data modeling tools
- ✓ Contributing data-backed insights to marketing strategies
- ✓ Developing data collection tools and techniques
- ✓ Analyzing data sets and communicating findings
Skills You’ll Need to Succeed as a Market Research Analyst
To be successful as a research analyst, you’ll need a mix of technical skills and the ability to use data collection tools. Here are some of the core competencies you’ll develop throughout your career:
| Soft Skills | Technical Skills |
|---|---|
|
Critical thinking Interviewing Communication Interpretation |
Data visualization Statistical analysis Programming languages |
What Kind of Research Will You Actually Do?
An analyst will conduct both qualitative and quantitative research, focusing on:
- Customers – Customer research, ranging from demographics to opinions, helps a company develop more targeted marketing and align its products and services with the target needs.
- Brands – Companies rely on brand research to strengthen their position in the market. Researching customers’ brand awareness helps businesses stay competitive and leads to insights into customer acquisition, retention, and loyalty.
- Markets – Market research analysts examine new and existing markets, learning as much as possible so that they can deliver precise suggestions that will enhance business operations.
- Campaigns – Understanding how a company’s customer feels throughout all phases of a campaign can help develop specific messaging and lead to more impactful campaigns. While this may traditionally be associated with a marketing role, smaller companies may have research analysts take a closer look at the strategy.
Why P.I.T. Is Built for Aspiring Analysts
Pennsylvania Institute of Technology tailors and designs opportunities to meet your specific educational needs. If a market research analyst role interests you, we’re here to help you succeed with our Business Administration degree.
This degree program provides students with a quality, career-enhancing education that promotes personal growth and prepares them for successful market research analyst careers.
By choosing our online program, you’ll benefit from:
- Flexible learning options – Our online format allows you to complete courses on your own time, allowing you to have freedom over your schedule. Whether you’re balancing work, family or other commitments, you can progress at a pace that works for you.
- Support services – We set up our students for success with extensive support services including free tutoring, job placement, and college transfer advisement.
- Career-focused education – At P.I.T., we use a hands-on learning approach to provide you with cutting-edge knowledge and skills. We build experiential learning right into the curriculum.