U.S. Market Research: Size, Growth & High-Value Recruitment
The U.S. market research industry reached $36.8B in 2025. Discover how brands recruit verified, high-quality participants in a digital-first landscape.
# The U.S. Market Research Industry: Size, Growth, and Participant Recruitment
Market Size & Growth Trajectory
The U.S. market research industry reached $36.8 billion in 2025, with projections of $37.7 billion in 2026. This represents a critical pillar of the American economy—the U.S. holds 55% of total market research market share, reflecting both the scale of the American economy and its data-driven business culture.
The industry's expansion has been remarkable. Between 2021 and 2024, the market research industry grew by 37.25% from $102 billion to $140 billion globally, with projected annual growth rates globally hovering around 8.4%. Employment of market research analysts is projected to grow 7 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations, signaling sustained demand for research expertise.
Methodology Shifts & Digital Dominance
The industry is undergoing rapid digital transformation. Online surveys rank as the most used quantitative method among market research professionals with 85% of respondents who say they use this method regularly. Mobile adoption has accelerated dramatically—in the U.S. specifically, 51.5% of responses came from mobile versus 47.3% non-mobile in Q3 2024, marking the first time mobile overtook desktop in American survey responses.
AI is reshaping the landscape. 83% of market research professionals plan to invest in AI for research in 2025, and AI-moderated interviews generate 4.5x more insightful responses than traditional surveys.
Recruiting High-Value Participants: The Critical Challenge
Participant quality directly determines research validity. Well-executed participant recruitment is essential to reliable market research, with any study needing high-quality respondents who give honest and thorough responses.
The recruitment process requires precision. Brands work with their research partners to set parameters for market research recruitment – things like annual income of household/firm, buyer motivations, challenges, pain points, etc., which paves the way for proper research participant selection and ensures the pool of participants only includes high-quality respondents.