Survey Research Analyst
Designs, implements and analyses social surveys. Develops questionnaires, manages data collection, ensures survey quality and produces statistical analyses for research organisations, government and private sector.
- AI exposure
- 56 of 100, moderate exposure
- Hiring trend
- Stable
- Hiring rate
- 40%
The role
What the work is, what it pays, and what it costs you.
At a glance
- Remote friendly
- Yes
- Freelance potential
- High
- Time to senior
- 7 years
- Adaptation level
- Moderate
A day in the role
Reviews data from a national opinion survey, cleans and weights the dataset, produces cross-tabulations on public trust, and drafts a report on survey findings for a client.
What it pays
Kenyan market, per month- Entry
- KES 75,000-110,000
- Mid
- KES 140,000-230,000
- Senior
- KES 280,000-470,000
Exposure
How much of this a machine can already do, and how that was worked out.
Where this rating sits
1,516 rated careersRated above 77% of the 1,516 careers in the catalogue, which averages 43. Inside social sciences the mean is 41, across 88 careers.
What the rating is made of
Share of recorded tasks- Machine does it
- 18%Software can already complete this work end to end.
- Machine assists
- 42%A person still decides, but the drafting is done for them.
- Person does it
- 40%Judgement, relationships and accountability that do not transfer.
Named task by task
Already automated
- Automating data cleaning
- Generating cross-tabulation reports
- Detecting data quality issues
- Producing survey weight calculations
Still human
- Designing survey instruments
- Managing field data collection
- Ensuring sampling rigour
- Interpreting survey results
- Writing research reports
Getting in
The routes into the role and what each one asks for.
What to study
8 courses- Certificate in Marriage and Family TherapyKsh 36,000a year
- Certificate in Sciences of Human DevelopmentKsh 36,000a year
- Certificate in International RelationsKsh 36,500a year
- Certificate in Peace, Security and ConflictKsh 36,500a year
- Diploma in Development Studies and Project ManagementKsh 50,000a year
- Diploma in Peace and Conflict StudiesKsh 54,000a year
- Certificate in Development StudiesKsh 59,000a year
- Certificate in CriminologyKsh 60,000a year
How people get in
Statistics or social science degree
4 yearsHigh cost
BSc from UoN, KU or Moi
Survey methodology postgrad
2-4 yearsHigh cost
MA Survey Methodology or equivalent
Who hires
- KNBS
- Ipsos Kenya
- TIFA Research
- Infotrak Research
- Research Solutions Africa
Common misconceptions
Survey research is just asking questions
It involves sampling theory, questionnaire design, data weighting and statistical analysis — rigorous social science methodology.
Polls are always wrong
Well-designed surveys with proper sampling are statistically reliable — errors usually come from poor methodology, not the survey approach itself.
What happens next
How the role changes from here, and where it leads.
Supply and demand
- Demand
- 40
- Supply pressure
- 12
- Balance
- High demand
What to learn
- Survey methodology
- Statistical analysis
- Mobile data collection
Related careers
Kenyan market notes
Kenya has a robust survey research industry with Ipsos, TIFA, Infotrak and RSA. KNBS conducts national surveys. Election polling and market research create steady demand. Data quality and mobile survey methods are evolving.
Further reading
This role is rated 56 out of 100 today. Save it and the app keeps that number, then tells you by how much it has moved when the record is next reviewed.