Qualitative Research Manager Salary in the United States

How much does a Qualitative Research Manager make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Qualitative Research Manager in the United States is $88,645 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $43.

However, a Qualitative Research Manager's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $105,234
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $74,567 to $97,328
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $61,749
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View as table View as graph 25% $74,567 10% $61,749 90% $105,234 75% $97,328 $88,645 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Qualitative Research Manager Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $97,328 $8,111 $1,872 $47
Average $88,645 $7,387 $1,705 $43
25th Percentile $74,567 $6,214 $1,434 $36
Check out Qualitative Research Manager Job Openings in the United States
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Key Factors That Influence Qualitative Research Manager Salaries

A Qualitative Research Manager's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Qualitative Research Manager Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Qualitative Research Manager's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $83,757
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $84,734
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $86,690
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $89,623
  • Expert (over 8 years): $92,944
Levels Salary
Entry Level Qualitative Research Manager$83,757
Intermediate Level Qualitative Research Manager$84,734
Senior Level Qualitative Research Manager$86,690
Specialist Level Qualitative Research Manager$89,623
Expert Level Qualitative Research Manager$92,944
$83,757 0 yr
$84,734 < 2 yrs
$86,690 2-4 yrs
$89,623 5-8 yrs
$92,944 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

How Do Qualitative Research Manager Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Qualitative Research Managers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $98,148.
  • California: $97,775.
  • Massachusetts: $96,472.

Top Paying Cities for Qualitative Research Managers

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $111,808
  • San Francisco: $110,709
  • Oakland: $108,253

What Skills Can Increase a Qualitative Research Manager's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 14.17% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
  • Data Analysis (Mentioned in 3.45% Job Postings): Data analysis is a process of inspecting, cleansing, transforming, and modeling data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making. Data analysis has multiple facets and approaches, encompassing diverse techniques under a variety of names, and is used in different business, science, and social science domains. In today's business world, data analysis plays a role in making decisions more scientific and helping businesses operate more effectively. Data mining is a particular data analysis technique that focuses on modeling and knowledge discovery for predictive rather than purely descriptive purposes, while business intelligence covers data analysis that relies heavily on aggregation, focusing mainly on business information. In statistical applications, data analysis can be divided into descriptive statistics, exploratory data analysis (EDA), and confirmatory data analysis (CDA). EDA focuses on discovering new features in the data while CDA focuses on confirming or falsifying existing hypotheses. Predictive analytics focuses on application of statistical models for predictive forecasting or classification, while text analytics applies statistical, linguistic, and structural techniques to extract and classify information from textual sources, a species of unstructured data. All of the above are varieties of data analysis.
  • Cell Biology (Mentioned in 1.79% Job Postings): Utilizing techniques to study cell structures and functions for further research on human anatomy, physiology, and medications.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 14.17%
Data Analysis 3.45%
Cell Biology 1.79%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Qualitative Research Manager's salary.
  • Oncology: Can increase your salary by up to 29%.
  • Microbiology: Can increase your salary by up to 23%.
  • Immunology: Can increase your salary by up to 14%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Oncology
$114,352
29%
Microbiology
$109,033
23%
Immunology
$101,055
14%
Research and Development
$99,282
12%
Chemistry
$97,509
10%
Product Development
$96,623
9%
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How Education impacts a Qualitative Research Manager's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Qualitative Research Managers enter the field with a Master's Degree or MBA degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Qualitative Research Manager with a Master's Degree or MBA is between $88,967 and $96,667).

Qualitative Research Manager Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Qualitative Research Manager
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.5%
High School 0.3%
Associates 0.3%
Bachelors 8.8%
Masters 30.3%
Doctorate 59.8%
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Qualitative Research Manager Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Qualitative Research Manager's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on January 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Qualitative Research Manager

Salaries for a Qualitative Research Manager can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $94,376 in 2023 to around $92,048 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Qualitative Research Manager salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Qualitative Research Manager Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$94,376
2024
$94,555
2025
$92,048
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $94,376
2024 $94,555
2025 $92,048
2026
View More
2027
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Most common benefits for Qualitative Research Manager

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Qualitative Research Manager

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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