10 October 2006
How do your salary, department size and budget compare on a worldwide scale?
The Pulse, Melcrum's global survey of the internal communication industry, reveals the regions with the greatest growth and highest pay for communicators.
North American communicators are, on average, the highest paid communicators in the world, while UK communicators are most likely to have seen a reduction in their team's headcount over the last 12 months. These are among the findings of Melcrum’s forthcoming research report, The Pulse, based on a survey of 1,149 communication professionals worldwide.
Biggest bucks in North America North American communicators enjoy the highest salaries out of the regions surveyed, coming one salary band above the UK and two bands above Asia-Pacific. The average salary range for a North American communicator in 2006 is $80,001-$90,000.
But – there’s a significant variance over different industries within North America and average salary bands range from $60,000-$70,000 in the non-profit sector up to $90,000-$100,000 in sectors including telecommunications and technology.
Asia-Pacific has greatest growthThe number of internal communication departments reporting staff increases in the last year was steady across all regions, but it was Asia-Pacific that reported the highest amount of growth, with 43% of survey respondents from the region reporting an increase in headcount.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, UK communicators had the most reductions in team size, with 18% of respondents reporting they now have less staff than in 2005.
Extra investment for a third of departments In the last 12 months internal communication budgets have increased for 38% of respondents, with four percent of respondents reporting a dramatic increase and 34% seeing a moderate increase in their budgets.
This means that over one third of internal communicators surveyed have benefited from extra investment this year. This was particularly evident for communicators working in consulting, professional services and utilities.
But it’s not good news for everyone as 20% of respondents reported a decrease in their budget, with those operating in media, retail and wholesale being particularly hard hit.
Internal communication grows in stature and size Nearly half of the survey respondents who reported an increase in communication staff said it was primarily due to the function being taken more seriously within the organization.
How do these findings compare to your own experience? Let us know.
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