Skip to content
worldsalaries .com

Average Director of Research Salary in Brazil for 2026

A director of research in Brazil earns about 130,400 BRL a year. That's 29% above the national average of 101,120 BRL.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Brazil sit around 60,160 BRL a year, while the very top stretches to 209,700 BRL. Everything on this page is in Brazilian real (BRL, symbol R$), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in Brazil, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.


How much does a director of research make in Brazil?

Average salary
130,400 BRL
10,866 BRL per month
Lowest reported
60,160 BRL
5,013 BRL per month
Highest reported
209,700 BRL
17,475 BRL per month

A typical director of research working in Brazil brings home around 10,866 BRL a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 60,160 BRL, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 209,700 BRL for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior director of research working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around.


How director of research pay ranges in Brazil

A good way to think about salary in Brazil is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all director of researches in Brazil earn less than 143,200 BRL a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 92,900 BRL (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 192,000 BRL (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of director of researches sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 60,160 BRL. The highest stretch to 209,700 BRL, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

60,160
Low
143,200
Median
209,700
High
92,900
25th
192,000
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in BRL

Director of research pay by experience in Brazil

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a director of research in Brazil, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical director of research salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    67,320 BRL
  • 2-5 Years
    +38% from previous
    92,880 BRL
  • 5-10 Years
    +48% from previous
    137,400 BRL
  • 10-15 Years
    +22% from previous
    168,100 BRL
  • 15-20 Years
    +8% from previous
    181,600 BRL
  • 20+ Years
    +7% from previous
    195,200 BRL

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 48%. That is the point at which a director of research typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.


Director of research pay by education in Brazil

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving director of research pay in Brazil. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average director of research salary in Brazil broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Certificate or Diploma
    78,940 BRL
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +58% from previous
    125,100 BRL
  • Master's Degree
    +66% from previous
    207,700 BRL

Director of research gender pay gap in Brazil

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Brazil is no exception. Male director of researches in Brazil earn an average of 142,300 BRL a year, while female director of researches earn around 123,400 BRL. That works out to a 15% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Director of Research gender pay gap

13%

Men earn this much more than women on average in Brazil.

Men 142,300 BRL
Women 123,400 BRL

Pay raises for a director of research in Brazil

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in Brazil sees a raise of about 13% every 16 months, which works out to roughly 10% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in Brazil, the national average raise is around 9% every 16 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in Brazil:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Director of research bonus rates in Brazil

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

85%

85% of director of researches in Brazil reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a director of research a high-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 5% to 9% of base salary. The remaining 15% of director of researches reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in Brazil

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Director of research: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in Brazil is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

7%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Brazil on average.

Public sector 106,500 BRL
Private sector 99,460 BRL

Director of research salary by city in Brazil

Director of research pay is not even across Brazil. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Fortaleza
  • Salvador
  • Manaus
  • Sao Paulo
  • Belem
  • Brasilia
  • Belo Horizonte
  • Curitiba
  • Recife
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
Rio de JaneiroCity159,400 BRL172,400 BRL75,040-252,300 BRL
FortalezaCity152,100 BRL152,300 BRL73,120-233,900 BRL
SalvadorCity152,100 BRL161,600 BRL69,780-239,000 BRL
ManausCity152,100 BRL154,700 BRL75,280-237,400 BRL
Sao PauloCity152,000 BRL157,600 BRL73,980-238,900 BRL
BelemCity148,300 BRL159,100 BRL65,920-232,400 BRL
BrasiliaCity148,300 BRL159,100 BRL69,240-232,400 BRL
Belo HorizonteCity148,300 BRL142,300 BRL78,160-225,300 BRL
CuritibaCity148,300 BRL142,300 BRL78,420-228,500 BRL
RecifeCity139,100 BRL130,400 BRL72,120-209,700 BRL
GoianiaCity139,100 BRL134,600 BRL70,600-209,500 BRL
MaceioCity137,400 BRL128,900 BRL69,400-208,600 BRL
CampinasCity136,100 BRL137,400 BRL66,480-209,700 BRL
Joao PessoaCity134,600 BRL142,300 BRL62,100-209,500 BRL
NatalCity134,600 BRL137,400 BRL64,920-208,600 BRL
Porto AlegreCity130,400 BRL136,200 BRL66,820-207,800 BRL
SantosCity129,000 BRL125,100 BRL66,140-195,200 BRL
LondrinaCity128,900 BRL127,700 BRL68,360-200,000 BRL
Sao LuisCity128,900 BRL138,800 BRL61,180-207,700 BRL
Vale do AcoCity128,500 BRL138,200 BRL58,000-204,000 BRL
AracajuCity125,700 BRL137,400 BRL57,620-201,100 BRL
TeresinaCity125,700 BRL128,500 BRL63,700-197,600 BRL
CuiabaCity124,400 BRL118,520 BRL64,180-192,000 BRL
MacapaCity124,400 BRL120,880 BRL66,820-192,000 BRL
Petrolina and JuazeiroCity119,900 BRL125,100 BRL59,940-190,500 BRL
MaringaCity119,860 BRL123,400 BRL60,480-187,300 BRL
VitoriaCity117,860 BRL129,000 BRL55,940-190,500 BRL


Director of Research in Brazil: FAQs

  • How much does a director of research make per month in Brazil?

    A director of research in Brazil earns about 10,866 BRL a month before tax, based on an annual average of 130,400 BRL.

  • What's the salary range for a director of research in Brazil?

    Entry-level director of researches in Brazil start near 60,160 BRL. Top-end pay reaches around 209,700 BRL. The middle 50% of earners sit between 92,900 and 192,000 BRL.

  • Is the median director of research salary in Brazil higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 143,200 BRL, higher than the average of 130,400 BRL. Half of director of researches in Brazil earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for director of researches in Brazil?

    Men working as a director of research in Brazil earn around 15% more than women on average (142,300 vs 123,400 BRL a year).

  • Do director of researches in Brazil get bonuses?

    About 85% of director of researches in Brazil reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 5% to 9% of base salary.

  • Do director of researches earn more in the public or private sector in Brazil?

    In Brazil, the public sector pays a director of research about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do director of researches in Brazil get a pay raise?

    A director of research in Brazil sees a raise of around 13% every 16 months, equivalent to roughly 10% a year.