Communications executives working in the corporate/financial and consumer spaces showed the biggest salary gains in 2003. Although executives working in each of these areas
have taken their lumps the last few years, their salaries are once again starting to creep back up as the economy shows signs of reviving. The numbers for PR people working in hi-
tech are up, albeit slightly. There are too many conflicting indicators in the hi-tech business to predict whether those numbers will continue upward.
For PR pros working in the investor relations, healthcare or public/government affairs arenas, the outlook is less than promising, with salaries either flat or down. Why?
During the boom years each of those sectors saw some of the biggest salary increases - in some cases up to 40%. But what goes up must come down, particularly during a prolonged
recession and weak recovery. Still, the numbers aren't so terrible. Indeed, when crunching all of the tables it's good to keep in mind that the numbers should be viewed compared
with the salad days of 1996-2000, when most white-collar salaries went through the roof. Now, they're falling back down to earth -- and then some.
|
Corporate Communicators' Average Base Salaries
* ($000) |
||||||||||
|
Comms Specialist
|
Manager
|
Director
|
Vice President
|
Sr. Vice President
|
||||||
| Specialty Category |
Range
|
Change^
|
Range
|
Change
|
Range
|
Change
|
Range
|
Change
|
Range
|
Change
|
| Corporate/Financial |
49-60
|
6.6%
|
72-86
|
10.6%
|
92-113
|
7.1%
|
118-131
|
7.6%
|
135-152
|
3.1%
|
| Consumer |
45-57
|
3.5%
|
69-82
|
7.4%
|
87-105
|
5.6%
|
113-129
|
7.6%
|
131-145
|
2.7%
|
| Hi-Tech |
54-66
|
1.5%
|
73-85
|
3.8%
|
96-114
|
4.7%
|
118-134
|
2.1%
|
136-155
|
0.1%
|
| Internal/Edit Comms |
53-63
|
0.2%
|
68-80
|
2.2%
|
84-99
|
1.4%
|
105-118
|
0.0%
|
122-137
|
0.0%
|
| Industry B-to-B |
53-64
|
1.0%
|
76-87
|
4.1%
|
95-113
|
4.0%
|
119-132
|
2.5%
|
127-136
|
2.1%
|
| Investor Relations |
52-62
|
-0.5%
|
75-86
|
3.2%
|
94-112
|
3.2%
|
117-132
|
3.8%
|
135-152
|
-1.9%
|
| Health/Med/Pharm |
64-76
|
0.3%
|
79-92
|
1.1%
|
102-118
|
0.1%
|
121-134
|
-0.1%
|
138-155
|
-1.7%
|
| Public/Gov't Affairs |
61-75
|
0.0%
|
77-90
|
-1.0%
|
98-114
|
0.0%
|
119-134
|
0.9%
|
137-152
|
1.0%
|
| *National salaries. ^Change vs 2002. Complete regional & key city salary info available in The Official PR Salary & Bonus Report - 2003 Edition Source: Spring Associates Inc. |
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