Business Development Officers and Marketing Researchers and Consultants

(NOC 4163)

in All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

Business development officers and marketing researchers and consultants conduct research, formulate policies, and manage programs to stimulate industrial and commercial business investment or tourism in urban and rural areas, or to promote commercial or industrial products and services. For example, economic development officers design and administer programs to encourage and support the development of new industries in rural areas. Tourism industry consultants research and recommend marketing strategies to attract more tourists to an area. They work for government departments, international organizations, marketing firms and business associations or may be self-employed.

Job Outlook

Average

Read more

  • Estimate Strong growth employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 110 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate Moderate rate of unemployment in 2022

Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

  • Estimate 1830 employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 5515 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate rate of unemployment not available for these occupation.

Hourly Pay

$32.47

Minimum

$46.15

Median

$64.10

Maximum

Annual Pay

$5,136

Minimum

$50,929

Median

$100,093

Maximum

Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

Hourly Pay

$16.30

Minimum

$30.00

Median

$51.30

Maximum

Annual Pay

$5,616

Minimum

$44,335

Median

$92,599

Maximum

About the job

Nature of work

Business development officers and marketing researchers and consultants conduct research, formulate policies, and manage programs to stimulate industrial and commercial business investment or tourism in urban and rural areas, or to promote commercial or industrial products and services. For example, economic development officers design and administer programs to encourage and support the development of new industries in rural areas. Tourism industry consultants research and recommend marketing strategies to attract more tourists to an area. They work for government departments, international organizations, marketing firms and business associations or may be self-employed.

Job duties

Business development officers and marketing researchers and consultants:

  • Develop policies and administer programs to promote industrial and commercial business investment in urban and rural areas.
  • Design market research questionnaires.
  • Conduct social or economic surveys on local, regional, or national areas to assess development potential and future trends.
  • Plan development projects and coordinate activities with representatives of a wide variety of industrial and commercial enterprises, community and business associations, and government agencies.
  • Assess business opportunities and develop strategies to attract venture capital.
  • Respond to questions from members of the business community and public concerning development opportunities.
  • Review and evaluate commercial or industrial development proposals and provide advice on procedures and requirements for government approval.
  • Conduct surveys and analyze data on the buying habits and preferences of wholesale or retail consumers.
  • Evaluate customer service and store environments.
  • Conduct comparative research on marketing strategies for industrial and commercial products.
  • Develop social and economic profiles of urban and rural areas to encourage industrial and commercial investment and development.
  • Prepare reports, research papers, educational texts, or articles.
  • Plan and develop E-commerce strategies.
  • Provide consultation on planning and starting of new businesses.

Sample job titles

  • advertising analyst
  • business development officer
  • economic development consultant
  • economic development officer
  • marketing consultant
  • marketing researcher
  • regional development officer
  • small business counsellor
  • tourism development officer

Skills

  • You should be organized, resourceful, and able to co-operate with others in a team. You must be able to communicate clearly, both in speaking and in writing. You will need an interest in research and familiarity with computers. Advanced computer and technical skills for data manipulation and statistical analysis may be required in some positions.

Job requirements

  • A bachelor's degree in economics, commerce, business administration or public administration is required.
  • Certification as a certified economic developer (Ec.D.) may be required.

Other considerations

  • Progression to managerial positions is possible with experience.

By the numbers

Quick look

1,265

employed in 2016

87.7%

employed full-time

16.6%

self employed

45.5%
Icons/female Created with Sketch.
54.5%
Icons/male Created with Sketch.
43.3

median age

Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

55,420

employed in 2016

76.4%

employed full-time

6.6%

self employed

64.0%
Icons/female Created with Sketch.
36%
Icons/male Created with Sketch.
43.5

median age

Where will I likely work?

66.1%

Halifax

$51,687 median annual income
10.2%

Annapolis Valley

$36,764 median annual income
9.4%

North Shore

$55,351 median annual income
7.1%

Southern

$41,968 median annual income
7.1%

Cape Breton

$55,655 median annual income

Compared to: All NS Occupations

47.0%

Halifax

15.6%

North Shore

12.9%

Annapolis Valley

12.7%

Cape Breton

11.8%

Southern

Top Industries of Employment

32.3%

Professional, scientific and technical services

11.4%

Finance and insurance

10.9%

Public administration

6.8%

Retail trade

5.9%

Wholesale trade

What is the age of Employment?

27.0%

35-44

20.0%

25-34

20.0%

45-54

19.0%

55-64

8.0%

15-24

6.0%

65+

Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

24.2%

35-44

22.7%

45-54

21.4%

25-34

17.2%

55-64

8.4%

15-24

Top levels of education

42.7%

Bachelor

$55,887 median annual income
21.7%

College Diploma

$43,506 median annual income
16.6%

High school

$16,482 median annual income
11.9%

Master

$52,673 median annual income
3.2%

Trade Certification

$56,476 median annual income

Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

28.9%

Bachelor

$45,929 median annual income
21.2%

College Diploma

$35,398 median annual income
16.8%

Master

$71,043 median annual income
14.6%

High school

$29,055 median annual income
4.6%

Doctorate

$100,443 median annual income

Education & training

Advertising

College or University Program

These programs focus on creating, implementing, transmitting, and evaluating commercial messages in various media intended to promote and sell products, services, and brands and prepares students to function as advertising assistants, technicians, and managers. They include courses in advertising theory, marketing strategy, advertising design and production methods, campaign methods and techniques, media management, related principles of business management, and applicable technical and equipment skills.

Institutions providing this program

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

Business Administration and Management

College, Trades, or University Program

These programs prepare students to plan, organize, direct, and control the functions and processes of a firm or organization. They include courses in management theory, human resources management and behaviour, accounting and other quantitative methods, purchasing and logistics, organization and production, marketing, and business decision-making.

Institutions providing this program

Maritime Business College

Lower Sackville, NS

Academy of Learning Career College - Halifax

Halifax, NS

Acadia University

Wolfville, NS

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

Mount Saint Vincent University

Halifax, NS

Universite Sainte-Anne

Pointe-de-l'Église, NS

St. Francis Xavier University

Antigonish, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Cape Breton University

Sydney, NS

Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture

Truro, NS

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

Business/Commerce

College, Trades, or University Program

These programs focus on the general study of business, including the processes of interchanging goods and services (buying, selling and producing), business organization, and accounting as used in profit-making and non-profit public and private institutions and agencies. They prepare students to apply business principles and techniques in various occupational settings.

Institutions providing this program

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

University of King's College

Halifax, NS

Universite Sainte-Anne

Pointe-de-l'Église, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Computer and Information Sciences

College, Trades, or University Program

These programs focus on computing, computer science, and information science and systems as part of a broad and/or interdisciplinary program. Such programs are undifferentiated as to title and content and are not to be confused with specific programs in computer science, information science, or related support services.

Institutions providing this program

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Development Economics and International Development

College or University Program

These programs focus on the systematic study of the economic development process and its application to the problems of specific countries and regions. They include courses in economic development theory, industrialization, land reform, infrastructural development, investment policy, the role of governments and business in development, international development organizations, and the study of social, health, and environmental influences on economic development.

Institutions providing this program

Acadia University

Wolfville, NS

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

University of King's College

Halifax, NS

St. Francis Xavier University

Antigonish, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Cape Breton University

Sydney, NS

Economics

College or University Program

These programs focus on the systematic study of the production, conservation and allocation of resources in conditions of scarcity, together with the organizational frameworks related to these processes. They include courses in economic theory, microeconomics and macroeconomics, comparative economic systems, money and banking systems, international economics, quantitative analytical methods, and applications to specific industries and public policy issues.

Institutions providing this program

Acadia University

Wolfville, NS

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

University of King's College

Halifax, NS

Mount Saint Vincent University

Halifax, NS

St. Francis Xavier University

Antigonish, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Cape Breton University

Sydney, NS

International Business

College or University Program

These programs prepare students to manage international businesses and/or business operations. They include courses in the principles and processes of export sales, trade controls, foreign operations and related problems, monetary issues, international business policy, and applications to doing business in specific countries and markets.

Institutions providing this program

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

University of King's College

Halifax, NS

Universite Sainte-Anne

Pointe-de-l'Église, NS

St. Francis Xavier University

Antigonish, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

Marketing/Marketing Management

College or University Program

These programs prepare students to undertake and manage the process of developing consumer audiences and moving products from producers to consumers. They include courses in buyer behaviour and dynamics, principles of marketing research, demand analysis, cost-volume and profit relationships, pricing theory, marketing campaign and strategic planning, market segments, advertising methods, sales operations and management, consumer relations, retailing, and applications to specific products and markets.

Institutions providing this program

Acadia University

Wolfville, NS

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

Mount Saint Vincent University

Halifax, NS

St. Francis Xavier University

Antigonish, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Cape Breton University

Sydney, NS

Public Administration

College, Trades, or University Program

These programs prepare students to serve as managers in the executive arm of government and focus on the systematic study of executive organization and management. They include courses in the roles, development, and principles of public administration, the management of public policy, executive-legislative relations, public budgetary processes and financial management, administrative law, public personnel management, professional ethics, and research methods.

Institutions providing this program

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

Cape Breton University

Sydney, NS

Public Policy Analysis

University Program

These programs focus on the systematic analysis of public policy issues and decision processes. They include courses in the role of economic and political factors in public decision making and policy formulation, microeconomic analysis of policy issues, resource allocation and decision modelling, cost/benefit analysis, statistical methods, and applications to specific public policy topics.

Institutions providing this program

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

Mount Saint Vincent University

Halifax, NS

St. Francis Xavier University

Antigonish, NS

Employment requirements & contacts

No regulating bodies were found under this occupation profile

Contacts

Atlantic Provinces Economic Council
Halifax, NS
Public Service Commission of Canada - Atlantic
Dartmouth, NS
Institute of Public Administration of Canada
Toronto, ON
Economic Developers Association of Canada
Hamilton, ON
Marketing Research and Intelligence Association
Toronto, ON
Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia
Halifax, NS

Additional resources

There are no additional resources for this occupation.