Salaries for communications executives at nonprofit organizations have been relatively stable this year, up about 4% nationally, according to Lyn McCloskey, senior consultant
at PRM Consulting, a Washington, D.C.-based management consulting firm specializing in human resources. Part of the reason for the slight increase in salaries is that nonprofit
firms are less susceptible to market gyrations compared with commercial companies. Another factor: nonprofit organizations are starting to realize that in the current climate
communication specialists can provide real value, and if nonprofits don't cough up the cash for top talent, their messages might get lost in the shuffle. Salaries were highest in
New York City and the Washington, D.C., metro area because of the critical mass of nonprofit firms in those markets. Depending on the market and the overall budget, a PR pro
working in the nonprofit area for just a short time might make more than someone who has been at it for nearly 10 years. This reflects the growing trend of PR pros who jump the
fence to nonprofit firms from the private sector, which has been hit a lot harder than the nonprofit space. Jobs described below manage an assigned work function within the
public affairs unit of a nonprofit. Skill sets involve overseeing press/media relations, publicity, and brochures or promotional materials of the organization. Contact: Lyn
McCloskey, [email protected].
|
BASE SALARY
|
||||||
|
|
Number of Orgs.
|
Number of Incs.
|
25th %ile ($000)
|
Mean ($000)
|
Median ($000)
|
75th %ile ($000)
|
| A. Summary |
91
|
103
|
57.1
|
76.5
|
71.5
|
90.8
|
| B. Geographic Location | ||||||
| Virginia |
8
|
9
|
57.3
|
80.0
|
62.0
|
104.5
|
| Maryland |
4
|
4
|
--
|
71.6
|
63.7
|
--
|
| Washington, DC |
28
|
39
|
57.9
|
85.4
|
79.9
|
111.8
|
| New York City |
12
|
12
|
57.5
|
78.1
|
60.5
|
99.0
|
| Chicago Area |
9
|
9
|
62.9
|
77.0
|
70.5
|
77.2
|
| Northeast |
7
|
7
|
53.9
|
72.7
|
82.9
|
84.0
|
| Midwest |
6
|
6
|
42.6
|
58.1
|
55.0
|
67.8
|
| South |
10
|
10
|
45.6
|
60.8
|
54.1
|
78.3
|
| West |
7
|
7
|
66.8
|
78.2
|
76.1
|
82.4
|
| C. Organization Type | ||||||
| Trade Association |
11
|
20
|
64.9
|
95.0
|
104.5
|
120.0
|
| Professional Association |
20
|
21
|
57.3
|
75.8
|
69.0
|
83.8
|
| Educational Organization |
16
|
16
|
53.9
|
68.9
|
63.7
|
80.7
|
| Health & Social Welfare Org. |
21
|
21
|
60.0
|
73.2
|
67.8
|
84.5
|
| Other Association |
23
|
25
|
57.3
|
76.5
|
70.5
|
90.6
|
| D. Organization Budget | ||||||
| Less than $2.5 mm |
--
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
| $2.5 mm - $5.4 mm |
4
|
4
|
--
|
40.7
|
34.3
|
--
|
| $5.5 mm - $9.9 mm |
8
|
8
|
43.6
|
55.9
|
46.8
|
63.4
|
| $10.0 mm - $14.9 mm |
13
|
14
|
50.0
|
56.5
|
54.5
|
60.0
|
| $15.0 mm - $24.9 mm |
16
|
16
|
67.8
|
84.0
|
78.4
|
93.5
|
| $25.0 mm - $49.9 mm |
21
|
29
|
60.0
|
75.5
|
75.7
|
82.1
|
| $50 mm or more |
29
|
32
|
64.4
|
92.6
|
91.5
|
113.4
|
| E. Total Employees | ||||||
| Less than 25 |
4
|
4
|
--
|
43.1
|
37.0
|
--
|
| 25 - 49 |
10
|
11
|
44.7
|
58.9
|
53.8
|
68.5
|
| 50 - 99 |
20
|
27
|
55.1
|
67.2
|
62.9
|
75.6
|
| 100 - 199 |
23
|
24
|
59.9
|
78.9
|
78.1
|
88.4
|
| 200 - 499 |
19
|
22
|
64.0
|
90.9
|
84.0
|
113.2
|
| 500 or more |
15
|
15
|
66.7
|
87.5
|
92.2
|
106.9
|
| F. Time In Position | ||||||
| Less Than 1 Year |
26
|
28
|
--
|
74.3
|
68.5
|
--
|
| 1.0 - 2.9 |
23
|
31
|
50.0
|
73.5
|
73.6
|
89.9
|
| 3.0 - 4.9 |
20
|
21
|
59.3
|
71.1
|
65.5
|
82.3
|
| 5.0 - 9.9 |
16
|
17
|
62.3
|
84.7
|
84.5
|
102.9
|
| 10.0 - 14.9 |
2
|
2
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
| 15 Years or More |
4
|
4
|
--
|
91.4
|
56.7
|
--
|
| Source: PRM Consulting, 2003 | ||||||