Results from the 2015 PRWeek/Bloom, Gross & Associates Salary Survey
Throughout 2014, we could feel the shift, and the changes were palpable: more jobs, faster hiring, a more robust market. Was it a Chicago area phenomenon? Or a nationwide trend? Is it smoke and mirrors, or is it real? What does it all mean for the industry? And what does it mean for YOU? You can review the full salary survey, but here are a few bits that may be of interest:
- Median (midpoint vs. average) salary in the Midwest is $85,500, $80,500 in Chicago, and $90,000 nationally.
- “Entry level” PR is taking on new meaning. In addition to new graduates entering the field of PR, there’s a growing number of professionals who are shifting to PR from other fields (up 8% from 2014) representing Journalism (19%), Education (7%), TV/Radio Production (7%), Financial Services (6%) and Social Media (5%)
- Increasing focus on specialization – “some are harder to find than others, particularly in healthcare and technology”. But overall, responsibilities are emphasizing strategic planning and research (78%), content creation (77%) and digital/social media marketing (68%)
- A significant percent of professionals with less than five years of experience would compromise on salary to work for a company that demonstrates “good corporate citizenship”: 56% female; 38% male. “Millennials were the most willing to make concessions on salary in exchange for employment with a ‘good corporate citizen’’’ at the rate of 49%
Among new and newly graduating professionals, key criteria for considering a firm are:
- Commitment to CSR
- Being part of the solution in their work;
- Training and career development programs;
- Tuition reimbursement;
- Flex time and personal days (to counteract the effects of long hours and potential burnout as they earn their stripes)
Do your experiences differ?
Tina Carroll Dugas is a senior associate with PR/marketing recruiting firm Bloom, Gross & Associates, Inc. Before joining Bloom, Gross nearly 20 years ago, Tina was a public relations professional.