ALUMNI SALARY SURVEY RESULTS Fall 2021
Table of Contents
3 Introduction 4 - 8 Overall Findings 4
Five Concentrations
4
Average Annual Salaries
5 5
Current Annual Salaries by Gender and Level
5
Work/Life Balance
6
Job Attributes
6
Job Tenure
6
Job Hunt (Top 3 reasons for planning to look for a new job)
7
Career Advancement
7
Job Offers by Graduation (For 2021 GRADS ONLY)
8
Average Starting Salaries (For 2021 GRADS ONLY)
8
Average Starting Level/Role (For 2021 GRADS ONLY)
8
Average Junior Salaries (Industry Average v. Brandcenter Average)
Job Happiness
9 - 18 Findings by Concentration 9
Art Direction
11 Copywriting 13 Experience Design 15 Creative Brand Management/Strategy (BRAND-side) (working on the BRAND-side in brand strategy, brand management, or marketing for companies e.g. Facebook, Nike, Apple) 17 Creative Brand Management/Strategy (AGENCY-side) (working on the AGENCY-side in strategic planning, account management, hybrid planning/ management roles, and/or brand consultancy)
19 Entrepreneurship 21 The Pandemic 22 Freelance 24 Talent-Related Trends 28 Appendix 28 Survey Questions
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Appendix - Survey Questions Introduction
Dear Brandcenter Alums, Following, please find the most recent Brandcenter at VCU Alumni Salary Survey Report. We conduct this survey every other year. I want to start by saying a HUGE thanks to: • Stacy Thomas (ST, 2001), Andrew Allen (ST, 2019), and Tobin Ward of Good Run Research & Recreation for helping me improve the survey questions and logic as well as analyze the results. If your agency or company is looking for a kick-ass research partner, you should check them out! They also have an amazing event space in RVA. Contact: andrew@goodrunresearch.com • Diana Tung Ojibway (AD, 2002) for turning my boring Word document and tables into beautiful infographics. • All of our alums who contributed to this report. I am so grateful to you all for everything you do to give back to our program, including taking our survey. Purpose: To help our alumni understand average salaries for their disciplines and level, and prepare them for annual reviews, salary negotiations, career shifts, etc. We also took a look at factors beyond salary – such as how happy our alumni are at their current job, how many hours they work each week, and what companies/agencies they want to work for next. What’s New? 2021 Notes: • We added several questions related to the pandemic in order to better understand how our alums have been impacted by COVID-19. • We reported salary data by major markets and non-major markets in addition to national averages. In past reports, we shared national averages only. • We looked at salaries by level and gender. • We reviewed the data from these alumni salary reports over the past five years and identified some key talent-related trends to help our alums and the companies recruiting them. Methodology: Online survey, 30 questions, fielded between July 2021 – September 2021 Response rate: 898 alumni responses with an 88% completion rate. Response rate by concentration: • 25% Copywriting • 24% Strategy/Communication Strategy • 22% Art Direction • 16% Creative Brand Management • 13% Experience Design/Creative Technology Note: CBM and XD are newer concentrations. The CBM concentration was not offered until 2005 and Experience Design until 2008.
Response rate by graduating class: • 10% 1998-2005 • 19% 2006-2010 • 30% 2011-2015 • 41% 2016-2021 Note: Earlier graduating classes were much smaller in class size than more recent graduating classes. For example, the Class of 1998 had 48 graduates. The Class of 2021 had 105 graduates.
Questions/Comments: Please let me know if you have questions, comments or suggestions about this survey or future ones. Best, Ashley Sommardahl Associate Director asommardahl@vcu.edu
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Five Concentrations
AD
Art Direction
First class graduated in 1998
CW
Copywriting
First class graduated in 1998
XD
Experience Design
CBM/ST
(formerly Creative Technology) First class graduated in 2010
Brand Management/ Strategy (brand-side)
First class graduated in 2007
CBM/ST
Brand Management/ Strategy (agency-side) First class graduated in 1998
Special note regarding CBM/ST alums The information in this report is generally broken out by concentration/discipline. As you may know there is a great deal of “crossover” among the CBM and ST alums in terms of the jobs they hold and the places they work. For this reason, we segmented them in the following way: • CBM/ST working on the BRAND-side in brand strategy, brand management, or marketing for companies – e.g. Facebook, Nike, Apple • CBM/ST working on the AGENCY-side in strategic planning, account management, hybrid strategy/management roles, and/or brand consultancy.
AD
CW
XD
CBM/ST
CBM/ST
Junior
$63,843 National Average $68,375 Major Market $57,801 Non-Major Market
$66,505 National Average $64,235 Major Market $57,801 Non-Major Market
$80,027 National Average n/a Major Market n/a Non-Major Market
$62,554 National Average n/a Major Market n/a Non-Major Market
$62,554 National Average $64,379 Major Market $60,000 Non-Major Market
Mid
$80,083 National Average $88,767 Major Market $71,400 Non-Major Market
$74,425 National Average $74,538 Major Market $74,321 Non-Major Market
$104,489 National Average $125,909 Major Market $ 95,763 Non-Major Market
$108,650 National Average n/a Major Market n/a Non-Major Market
$73,337 National Average $74,524 Major Market $72,341 Non-Major Market
Senior
$140,984 National Average $173,263 Major Market $118,270 Non-Major Market
$146,622 National Average $147,846 Major Market $145,900 Non-Major Market
$146,610 National Average $169,583 Major Market $131,296 Non-Major Market
$162,280 National Average n/a Major Market $150,858 Non-Major Market
$103,704 National Average $108,722 Major Market $ 98,686 Non-Major Market
Director
Note: Because titles and hierarchy vary greatly by individual agency/company, we asked alums to define their current level. Note: Segments marked n/a had less than 10 data points, and were thus omitted from the analysis.
$212,683 National Average $236,968 Major Market $186,724 Non-Major Market
$187,945 National Average $200,700 Major Market $172,640 Non-Major Market
$167,864 National Average $182,071 Major Market $153,657 Non-Major Market
$180,800 National Average n/a Major Market n/a Non-Major Market
$162,316 National Average $174,412 Major Market $149,844 Non-Major Market
Executive
Average Annual Salaries
Q: What is your current annual salary? (National Average; Major Market - NY, LA, SF, CHI; Non-Major Market)
n/a National Average n/a Major Market n/a Non-Major Market
$250,384 National Average n/a Major Market n/a Non-Major Market
n/a National Average n/a Major Market n/a Non-Major Market
n/a National Average n/a Major Market n/a Non-Major Market
$210,894 National Average n/a Major Market $184,300 Non-Major Market
(brand-side)
(agency-side)
Note: This analysis does not include freelance salaries. You can check out freelance info on page 19. 4
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Note: Because titles and hierarchy vary greatly by individual agency/company, we asked alums to define their current level.
Male
Female
1%
Prefer to Self-Identify
$166,695
$195,705 $128,426
$145,144 $84,006
$85,386
$70,990
$100,000
$199,654
50%
$239,541
49%
$200,000
$59,131
Average Annual Salaries By Gender and Level
Q: What is your current annual salary? (open-ended; national average)
$0
Junior
Mid
Senior
Director
Executive
Job Happiness
Q: How would you describe the way you feel about your current job? (multiple choice) Answered they “Like” or “Love” their job.
68%
68%
Art Direction
Copywriting
82%
83%
Experience Design
77%
CBM/Strategy
CBM/Strategy
(brand-side)
(agency-side)
Work-Life Balance
Q: In this industry, we understand that workload varies depending on things like current projects, production, new business, etc. ON AVERAGE, how many hours per week do you work? (multiple choice)
Work MORE than 50 hours per week.
irection 31% Art D ywriting 26% Cop sign rience De ) 18% Expe rand-side y Strateg (b / M B e) C id -s 9% ency trategy (ag S / M B C 19%
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Job Attributes
Q: Thinking of where you are in your career right now, rank your top THREE most important job attributes. Overall Respondents
Respondents at the Junior Level
(top 3 most important attributes)
69%
Work/Life Balance
63%
Salary
(top 3 most important attributes)
36%
Growth Potential
58%
49%
Work/Life Balance
40%
Salary
Clients I want to work with/Category work
Job Tenure
Q: How long have you been at your current job? (multiple choice) 100%
40% 0%
Less than 1 year
25%
24%
1-2 years
3-5 years
7%
4%
6-8 years
9+ years
Job Hunt
Q: Do you plan to actively look for a new job this year? (yes or no)
33%
34%
26%
17%
30%
Art Directors
Copywriters
Experience Designers
CBM/ST (brand-side)
CBM/ST (agency-side)
plan to actively look for a new job.
plan to actively look for a new job.
plan to actively look for a new job.
plan to actively look for a new job.
plan to actively look for a new job.
Q: What are the reasons you are looking for a new job? (Check all that apply) (across all respondents)
Top 3 Reasons for Planning to Look for a New Job
1 - Higher Salary 6
2 - Try a New Agency/Company Prepared by
3 - Higher Title and Good Run Research
Career Advancement
For 2020 GRADS ONLY
Q: If you graduated in 2020, have you received a promotion and/or raise since you graduated? (yes or no) The Class of 2020 had 103 graduating students total. 81 answered this survey. *Note: This data point is particularly impressive in a year where layoffs and furloughs were more common than raises and promotions.
81 alums from Class of 2020 answered this survey.
43% reported they earned a promotion and/or raise within their first year of work.
Job Offers by Graduation
For 2021 GRADS ONLY
Q: How many official job offers did you receive upon graduation? Official means the agency/company made a formal offer verbally or in writing including title, salary, etc. (multiple choice)
3+ job offers at graduation.
0 job offers at graduation.
27%
34%
13%
26%
2 job offers at graduation. 7
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Average Starting Salaries
For 2021 GRADS ONLY *Note: The majority of XD grads from 2021 accepted jobs at consultancies or tech companies.
Average Starting Level/Role
For 2021 GRADS ONLY
$65,850
$63,813
$94,822*
n/a
$65,625
Art Directors
Copywriters
Experience Designers
CBM/ST (brand-side)
CBM/ST (agency-side)
73%
junior/intern
27%
mid-level
Average Junior Salaries
Junior Salaries: Industry Average v. Brandcenter Average Source for national average salaries by role = Glassdoor
17%
more for BC grad
29%
more for BC grad
18%
more for BC grad
25%
more for BC grad
32%
more for BC grad
$100,000
$62,554
$47,558
$80,027
$64,121
$80,027
$67,692
$66,505
$51,518
$63,843
$54,371
$50,000
$0
Junior AD Industry Average
8
Junior CW
Junior XD
Junior XD
(product designer)
(UX designer)
Junior CBM/ST (agency-side)
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Art Direction
Employer Type Advertising agency: Brand-side (Nike, Target, etc.): Freelance: Other:
65% .............................................................. 13% ............. 14% .............. 8% ........
Annual Average Salary (national average; does not include freelancers) $212,683 $200,000
$140,984 $100,000
$63,843
$80,083
n/a
$0
Junior
Mid
Senior
Director
Executive
Job Happiness
-
+ 1%
I hate it
12%
I don’t like it
19%
52%
22%
6%
I am indifferent
I like it
16%
I love it
Weekly Hours Worked
19%
work 40 (or below 40) hours per week. 9
50%
work 41-50 hours per week.
work 51-60 hours per week.
work 61-70 hours per week. Prepared by
3%
work 71+ hours per week. and Good Run Research
Art Direction
Years at Current Job 100%
40% 0%
19%
Less than 1 year
1-2 years
28% 3-5 years
8%
5%
6-8 years
9+ years
Job Searching
34% plan to actively look for a new job in the next year.
Gender of Respondents
52%
47%
1%
Female
Male
Prefer to Self-Identify
Where They Work 22%
4%
New York City
6%
Portland
Chicago
8%
San Francisco
27% Other 18%
Richmond
10%
Los Angeles
5%
Austin 10
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Copywriting
Employer Type Advertising agency: Brand-side (Nike, Target, etc.): Freelance: Other:
64% ............................................................. 13% ............. 17% ................. 6% ......
Annual Average Salary (national average; does not include freelancers)
$250,384
$187,945
$200,000
$146,622
$100,000
$66,505
$74,425
$0
Junior
Mid
Senior
Director
Executive
Job Happiness
-
+ 2%
I hate it
7%
I don’t like it
23%
I am indifferent
46% I like it
22% I love it
Weekly Hours Worked
24%
work 40 (or below 40) hours per week. 11
50%
work 41-50 hours per week.
20%
work 51-60 hours per week.
6%
work 61-70 hours per week. Prepared by
0%
work 71+ hours per week. and Good Run Research
Copywriting
Years at Current Job 100%
39% 0%
Less than 1 year
26%
24%
1-2 years
3-5 years
7%
4%
6-8 years
9+ years
Job Searching
33% plan to actively look for a new job in the next year.
Gender of Respondents
34%
65%
1%
Female
Male
Prefer to Self-Identify
Where They Work
23%
New York City
5%
Chicago
6%
San Francisco
33% Other 15%
Richmond
13%
Los Angeles
5%
Austin
12
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Experience Design
Employer Type
Roles/Titles
Full-service advertising agency: Brand-side (Nike, Target, etc.): Brand/strategy/innovation consultancy: Digital advertising agency: Start-up: Freelance: Other:
UX Strategist/Designer:
24% 15% 15% 11% 6% 9% 20%
Experience Designer: Product Designer: Art Director: Creative Technologist: Other:
30% 18% 18% 11% 6% 17%
Annual Average Salary (national average; does not include freelancers) $200,000
$167,864 $146,610 $104,489 $100,000
$80,027
n/a
$0
Junior
Mid
Senior
Director
Executive
Job Happiness
-
+ 4%
I hate it
7%
I don’t like it
7%
52%
13%
3%
I am indifferent
I like it
30% I love it
Weekly Hours Worked
39%
work 40 (or below 40) hours per week. 13
43%
work 41-50 hours per week.
work 51-60 hours per week.
work 61-70 hours per week. Prepared by
2%
work 71+ hours per week. and Good Run Research
Experience Design
Years at Current Job 100%
45% 0%
30%
Less than 1 year
1-2 years
17% 3-5 years
6%
2%
6-8 years
9+ years
Job Searching
26% plan to actively look for a new job in the next year.
Gender of Respondents
52% Male
46%
2%
Female
Prefer to Self-Identify
Where They Work 16%
5%
Boulder/Denver
8%
New York City
Washington DC
6%
San Francisco
26% Other 29%
Richmond
10%
Los Angeles
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Creative Brand Management/Strategy (brand-side)
Annual Average Salary (national average; does not include freelancers)
$180,800
$200,000
$162,280 $108,650 $100,000
$62,554
n/a
$0
Junior
Mid
Senior
Director
Executive
Job Happiness
-
+ 2%
I hate it
9%
I don’t like it
7%
I am indifferent
52% I like it
31%
I love it
Weekly Hours Worked
41%
work 40 (or below 40) hours per week.
15
50%
work 41-50 hours per week.
7%
work 51-60 hours per week.
2%
work 61-70 hours per week.
Prepared by
0%
work 71+ hours per week.
and Good Run Research
Creative Brand Management/Strategy (brand-side)
Years at Current Job 100%
40% 0%
Less than 1 year
26%
24%
1-2 years
3-5 years
3%
7%
6-8 years
9+ years
Job Searching
17% plan to actively look for a new job in the next year.
Gender of Respondents
55%
41%
4%
Female
Male
Prefer to Self-Identify
Where They Work 15%
5%
5%
Seattle
New York City
Washington DC
12%
San Francisco
22% Other 28%
Richmond
8%
Los Angeles
5%
Austin 16
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Creative Brand Management/Strategy (agency-side)
Employer Type Advertising agency: 65% .............................................................. Freelance: 13% ............. Brand/strategy/innovation consultancy: 22% ......................
Annual Average Salary (national average; does not include freelancers) $210,894 $200,000
$162,316 $103,704
$100,000
$62,554
$73,337
$0
Junior
Mid
Senior
Director
Executive
Job Happiness
-
+ 2%
I hate it
4%
I don’t like it
17%
I am indifferent
54% I like it
23% I love it
Weekly Hours Worked
27%
work 40 (or below 40) hours per week. 17
54%
work 41-50 hours per week.
16%
work 51-60 hours per week.
2%
work 61-70 hours per week. Prepared by
1%
work 71+ hours per week. and Good Run Research
Creative Brand Management/Strategy (agency-side)
Years at Current Job 100%
41% 0%
Less than 1 year
27%
21%
1-2 years
3-5 years
8%
2%
6-8 years
9+ years
Job Searching
30% plan to actively look for a new job in the next year.
Gender of Respondents
40% Male
59%
1%
Female
Prefer to Self-Identify
Where They Work
28%
New York City
6%
Chicago
7%
San Francisco
31% Other 19%
Richmond
9%
Los Angeles
18
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Entrepreneurship
Q: Have you ever considered becoming an entrepreneur?
63% YES*
37% NO
* Note: 16% of those who responded “yes” already consider themselves to be an entrepreneur.
Answered “YES” by
Answered “YES” by
50% Female 49% Male 1% Prefer to Self-Identify
62% 55% 60% 62% 59%
GENDER
Answered “YES” by
CONCENTRATION
CURRENT JOB LEVEL
Art Direction Copywriting Experience Design Creative Brand Management Strategy
11% 19% 28% 32% 10%
Junior Mid Senior Director Executive
Job Happiness For those considering entrepreneurship, their self-described happiness at their current job:
-
+ 2%
8%
I hate it
I don’t like it
17%
49%
I am indifferent
24%
I like it
I love it
Career Attributes Ranking Q: For those considering entrepreneurship, what is MOST and LEAST IMPORTANT in terms of career attributes? (Respondents could select multiple answers)
Most Important
1
Work/Life Balance
19
2
Salary
Least Important
3
Growth Potential
1
Networking Potential/ Connections Prepared by
2
Title
3
Fast-Paced Nature
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Entrepreneurship
Career Attributes Preventing Entrepreneurship Q: What is holding you back from entrepreneurship? (Select all that apply)
33%
Financial Security: I need to save more, find external funding, etc.
25%
Career/Experience: I want to get more experience, I still have more to learn, etc.
18%
Risk: There are too many unknowns, I have a fear of failure, etc.
15%
Network: I want to build my network more, develop more relationships, etc.
9%
20
Something Else
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The Pandemic
Q: Would you say that your job, employment, or salary was impacted by the events of the past year? More than half of respondents said that they were impacted in their work by the events of the past year.
51% Yes
49% No
Q: For those who were impacted, were you furloughed or laid off over the last year? Over 100 respondents reported that they were furloughed or laid off over the past year.
23% Yes
77% No
Q: For those impacted by the pandemic, how was your salary impacted over the past year?
Even amidst a global pandemic, almost half of the respondents saw their salaries increase over the past year.
48%
32%
20%
Increased
Remain the Same
Decreased
Q: During the Pandemic, did you move from a large/expensive city (eg: NYC, LA, SF, etc.) to a smaller, less-expensive city?
14%
During the pandemic, of respondents moved to a smaller, less-expensive city and most plan to stay there.
27%
Only of them plan to move back to a major city in the next year.
86% did not move.
Note: Of those who moved to a smaller market, 24% said that their salary was impacted by their move. This means that most of the respondents were able to earn major market salaries while living in smaller, less expensive cities. That said, companies seem to be starting to adjust those discrepancies given the continued prevalence of remote work.
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Freelance
12% of respondents reported they are freelancers. 40%
59%
1%
Female
Male
Prefer to Self-Identify
ADs and CWs are most likely to freelance full-time, making up for 61% of respondents.
26%
35%
Art Direction
Copywriting
8%
Experience Design
9%
21%
Creative Brand Management
Strategy
Most of the alums who are freelancing full-time are experienced and working at senior or director levels.
93% of freelance respondents consider themselves senior level or above.
Top Freelancing Markets
6%
3%
Portland
19%
3%
New York City
Chicago
Minneapolis
8%
San Francisco
18%
26% Other
Richmond
11%
Los Angeles
3%
3%
Austin
Atlanta
Q: How long have you been freelancing?
About half of our freelancing alums are experienced (have been freelancing 3+ years).
50%
0%
22
10%
13%
Less than 6 months
6 months - 1 year
31% 1-3 years
23%
23%
3-5 years
5+ years
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Freelance
Senior/Director Level - Average Day Rate by Concentration
Job Happiness
Because 93% of the respondents were at the senior, director, or executive level, we only included day rates for that level.
$1368
$1196
Art Directors
Copywriters
$1224
71%
Strategy
reported that they “like” or “love” freelancing.
Weekly Hours Worked - They have an enviable work/life balance.
40%
work 40 (or below 40) hours per week.
37%
work 41-50 hours per week.
14%
7%
work 51-60 hours per week.
2%
work 61-70 hours per week.
work 71+ hours per week.
Q: How many jobs do you generally work on at one time? (multiple choice)
53% 1 Job
27%
2 Jobs
13%
3 Jobs
3%
4 Jobs
1%
3%
5 Jobs
5+ Jobs
Q: The Brandcenter is looking to build out resources for our growing freelance network. Please share your go-to
sites/sources you look to for freelancing. These could be for getting new clients/work, but could also be for other facets of freelancing (tax support, insurance resources, etc.)
Top Answers • Working Not Working • LinkedIn • Personal Networking/Contacts • Brandcenter Facebook Groups & Connections • Facebook (Groups) 23
Other Answers • FreelancersUnion.org • siftly.com • Bonsai • Upwork • Fishbowl Prepared by
• Ladies Who Strategize • Creative Mornings • Toggl.com • School of Motion
and Good Run Research
Talent-Related Trends
Where Our Alums Want To Work Now Q: What agency/company would you LOVE to work for? (open-ended) Some of the most popular choices include:
Work for Myself. Entrepreneur
Q: Your Adcenter/Brandcenter experience was an investment. In looking back on your decision to attend, do you consider it worth the investment?
24
81%
15%
4%
Yes, it was absolutely worth the investment.
It’s too early/ I don’t know yet.
No, it was not worth the investment.
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Talent-Related Trends
Talent Trends Over the Past Five Years Now that we’ve been fielding this study and analyzing the results for the past 5+ years, we compared the data over time and identified a few talent-related trends. Below are the key findings and what they mean for talent as well as the companies trying to recruit them. Source: Data from Brandcenter at VCU Alumni Salary Survey Report 2015 v. 2021; Brandcenter alums work at top agencies, brands, and consultancies.
Work/Life Balance is Paramount
WORK
LIFE
The most important job attribute at all levels (even the junior level!) is “work/life balance.”
Over the past 5 years, it seems that employers “got the memo” loud and clear that employees were burned out from glorifying the “sweatshop” mentality.
Our survey data shows that work/life balance across all disciplines has improved considerably over the past 5 years, most noticeably for art directors, copywriters, and strategists at agencies.
job happiness has increased by an average of 62% across all disciplines.
And on that note, Those two factors are very likely related.
-
+ I hate it
I don’t like it
I am indifferent
I like it
I love it
So….what does this mean for employers? Continue to protect work/life balance for your employees. Look for ways to support employees’ outside priorities and interests whether that’s family, friends, hobbies, side hustles, etc. Employers who do that should see ROI in terms of loyalty (employee retention) and improved culture/morale (employee happiness) which ultimately contribute to the bottom line.
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Talent-Related Trends
Interest in Entrepreneurship is Strong
63% of alums said they’ve
16% of alums
considered starting their own thing.
are already entrepreneurs.
The entrepreneurial spirit is high across all disciplines.
73% of those considering going out on their own reported that they currently “like”
or “love” their job. This indicates that the reason they want to go out on their own is not becauce they’re unhappy in their current job; but rather, they likely think they could be happier and more fulfilled doing their job for themselves. When asked, “What company would you LOVE to work for?”, one of the most popular answers was “myself.”
So….what does this mean for employers? Teach and encourage employees to think “Intrapreneurially” for your company. Recognize and reward them for that. Create incentives for employees to develop new revenue sources, grow existing business, etc. It’s a win/win – employees get rewarded by flexing their entrepreneurial muscles, and employers get business growth.
Employees Have a More Open Mind and More Choices Regarding Where They Want to Work ● In 2015, when we asked alums where they wanted to work, ALL of the answers were ad agencies. ● The list in 2021 is much more diverse including consultancies, agencies, tech/entertainment brands, social/ cause-related organizations, and working for themselves.
Higher Salary
Higher Title
Related to this point, 28% of alums reported that they plan to look for a new job this year AND the main reasons they plan to look for a new job are “I want a higher salary.” and “I want a higher title.”
So….what does this mean for employers? Recognize that your employees have more choices than ever. Reward your most valuable employees with raises, bonuses, and/or titles to demonstrate you recognize their value so they aren’t tempted to jump ship to another company. Take the time to talk to your most valuable employees one-on-one about exactly what motivates them so you can keep them engaged and fulfilled. Don’t take them for granted. In business, we know that it can cost FIVE TIMES MORE to recruit a new customer than to retain a current one. Why don’t we apply that thinking to talent? 26
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Our research suggests that the wage gap exists in our industry, as it does in others. After cutting the data by gender and level, we found that females start out stronger. At the mid-level, salaries among men and women even out. But, at the senior level and beyond, male salaries are 13% - 18% higher than females, which is in line with the national wage gap average of 16%.
Female
$84,006
$85,386
$70,990
$59,131
$100,000
$166,695
$195,705 $128,426
$145,144
$200,000
$199,654
Male
$239,541
Talent-Related Trends
Our Industry Can Do Better to Close the Wage Gap
$0
Junior
Females start out stronger.
Mid
Senior
Salaries even out among men and women.
Director
Executive
Male salaries are 13% - 18% higher than females at senior level and beyond.
So….what does this mean for employers? Be conscious of the wage gap and proactively analyze male vs. female salaries among your current employees. If there are discrepancies, correct them. Our industry has made great strides in promoting women to leadership roles, it’s important to ensure they are compensated fairly. When interviewing new female employees, be mindful of what their male peers are making so they start out at your company on equal footing.
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Appendix - Survey Questions
Welcome! Thank you for supporting the school and its past/present/future students by completing this survey. Should take ~5 minutes to complete. This information will be used to publish the biennial Brandcenter Alumni Report. What year did you graduate? (drop-down menu) 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 How many official job offers did you receive upon graduation? (Official means the agency/company made a formal offer verbally or in writing including title, salary, benefits.) 0 1 2 3 4 5+ What level of job did you accept after graduation? Intern Junior Level Mid Level Senior Level Have you received a promotion and/or raise since you graduated? Yes No
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Appendix - Survey Questions
What track/concentration were you at the Adcenter/Brandcenter? Art Direction Copywriting Strategy/Communications Strategy Creative Brand Management Experience Design/Creative Technology Which of the following best describes the type of role you’re currently in/your discipline? We know there are a many-a-titles so please choose the one that aligns most with your current position. (drop-down menu) Art Director Copywriter Creative Director Graphic Designer Strategist (Brand, Communications, Digital, etc.) Strategy Director Research (Design, Consumer, Market, etc.) Media Specialist UX Strategist UX Designer Creative Technologist Experience Designer Product Designer Brand Manager/Director/Supervisor/Executive Account Manager/Director/Supervisor/Executive Project Manager Resource Manager Marketing Manager New Business/Business Development Recruiter Producer All agencies/companies define titles in different ways and have their own ways of explaining hierarchies. How would you define your current level? Junior level Mid-level Senior level Director level Executive level Would you say that your job, employment, or salary was impacted by the events of the past year? Yes No At any point, were you furloughed or laid off over the last year? Yes No
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Appendix - Survey Questions
How was your salary impacted over the past year? Increased Decreased Remained the Same During the pandemic, did you move from a large/expensive city (eg: NYC, LA, SF, etc.) to a smaller, less-expensive city? Yes No Was your salary impacted by your move to a smaller market? Yes No Do you plan to move back to a major city within the next year? Yes No What city do you currently work in? Atlanta Austin Boston Boulder/Denver Chicago Los Angeles Minneapolis New York City Portland Raleigh/Durham Richmond San Francisco Seattle Washington DC/Northern Virginia Other (Please specify) What type of company do you currently work for? Freelance/Self Full-service advertising agency Digital advertising agency Brand/strategy/innovation consultancy Brand-side (Nike, Target, Casper, etc.) Non-profit Start-up Research or trend reporting company College or University Other (Please specify)
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Appendix - Survey Questions
How long have you been freelancing? Less than 6 months 6 months – 1 year 1 – 3 years 3 – 5 years Over 5 years What is your average day rate? Please enter a number (no $ symbol). ________________________________________________________ How many jobs do you generally work on at one time? 1 2 3 4 5 More than 5 Please share your go-to sites/sources you look to for freelancing. These could be for getting new clients/work, but could also be for other faces of freelancing (tax support, insurance resources, etc.) The Brandcenter is looking to build out resources for our growing freelance network. ________________________________________________________ Have you ever considered becoming an entrepreneur? Yes No I am already an entrepreneur. What is holding you back from entrepreneurship? (check all that apply) Career/Experience: I want to get more experience, I still have more to learn, etc. Financial Security: I need to save more, find external funding, etc. Risk: There are too many unknowns, I have a fear of failure, etc. Network: I want to build my network more, develop more relationships, etc. Something else (Please specify) What is your annual salary? Please enter a number with no $ symbol (ex. 80,000). If you are working abroad, please convert to USD. ________________________________________________________ How would you describe the way you feel about your current job? I hate it. I don’t like it. I am indifferent. I like it. I love it.
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Appendix - Survey Questions
Thinking of where you are in your career right now, rank your top THREE most important job attributes (#1 spot = your most important attribute). Label ONLY your top three with a 1, 2 or 3 in the corresponding boxes. Global/cultural impact Mentorship Clients I want to work with/category work Fast-paced Cultural fit Salary Cause-related work Work/life balance Title Networking potential/connections Growth potential Company/agency’s notoriety Autonomy Workload varies depending on current projects, production, new business, etc. ON AVERAGE, how many hours per week do you work? (multiple choice) 40 (or below 40) 41-50 51-60 61-70 71+ How long have you been at your current job? Less than 1 year 1-2 years 3-5 years 6-8 years 9+ years Do you plan to actively look for a new job this year? Yes No What are the reasons you are looking for a new job? (Check all that apply) I want a higher salary. I want a higher title. I want to move to a new city. I want to try a new agency/company. I want to do something else in marketing/advertising/branding industry. I want to leave marketing/advertising/branding and do something else. I want to feel more challenged. I want more job stability. Other (Please specify)
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Appendix - Survey Questions
Your Adcenter/Brandcenter experience was an investment – in time, money, energy (and likely more...). We want to know: in looking back on your decision to attend, do you consider it worth that investment? Yes, it was absolutely worth the investment. No, it was not worth the investment. I don’t know. How do you identify? Male Female Prefer to self-identify Last question – thanks for hanging. What agency/company/brand would you LOVE to work for? ________________________________________________________
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