UK AI JobsExpected · in use · happened
UK AI Jobs/Retail & Sales/Market researcher
Grows with AI

Market researcher

28.6K UK workers · typical pay £26,000 · entry route GCSEs grades 4-9 (A*-C). Projected growth of +15% to 2035.

How AI is actually used here · measured · Anthropic Economic Index
36%
Augmentation
AI mostly does the task
7.7×
Time compression
~6h → ~46min
2.79/5
AI autonomy
how hands-off it runs
64%
Automation
of measured usage
How the collaboration splits · the six measured modes
directive 35.9%feedback loop 26.6%task iteration 24.5%learning 9.7%unclassified 1.8%validation 1.4%
What people make with AI here
document / report22%analysis / summary16%explanation / answer11%

Real Claude.ai usage mapped to this occupation's SOC group, Apr+May 2026, CC-BY. Claude users only; task times model-estimated; augment/automate is how AI is used, not a count of jobs lost. Method →

Facts · ONS + NCS
UK workers (2024)
28.6K
Median pay
£26.0K
Our scored call · a labelled hypothesis, not a measurement
AI exposure
8 / 10
Elasticity
8.5 / 10
2035 outlook
+15%
Exposure · 8/10
Why AI can do the work

The core tasks of market research—designing surveys, gathering data, and writing reports—are fundamentally digital and information-based, making them highly susceptible to AI automation. Large Language Models can now generate survey questions, simulate focus group responses, and perform complex sentiment analysis, significantly reducing the human labor required for data collection and initial reporting.

Elasticity · 8.5/10
Whether demand expands when it gets cheaper

Cheaper insights unlock continuous, real-time consumer sentiment tracking for every product iteration rather than occasional periodic studies.

Trajectory to 2035

Headcount grows +15%, a Jevons-pattern curve.

Adoption scenario
×1.00 · Consensus

Change the scenario in the nav to reshape this curve.

Headcount projection · 2024 → 2035
Baseline 28.6K workers (2024) · % change vs baseline
Peak 2027 +16%2035 +15%
Peak 20272024202620282030203220342035-8%+0%+19%+15%
Peak headcount
2027
+16% vs 2024
2035 endpoint
+15%
33.1K workers
Time to −10%
Never crosses in model
Total wage pool
£0.7B
pay × jobs
Where this role lives

UK employment share by region, SOC-joined to 2434.

London
14.8K · 30.2%
South East
9.9K · 20.2%
West Midlands
8.8K · 18%
East
6.2K · 12.7%
North West
5.5K · 11.2%
Scotland
3.8K · 7.8%
Gender split

Relatively balanced: 59.7% women.

34.2K women · 60%23.1K men · 40%
Career pivots · same category, higher elasticity

Five roles with transferable skills and better demand dynamics.

slug: market-researcher · dataset 2026.03 · CC-BY-4.0