PR Trend Monitor: Salaries in PR are stagnating
According to News Aktuell's PR trend monitor, 78% of communications professionals in Switzerland did not receive a salary increase in 2023, or their salary only rose by less than the inflation rate of 2%. Nevertheless, only one in four is dissatisfied with their own income. One in five are thinking about changing jobs because of their salary.
However, there are significant differences in salary development between media outlets and PR agencies, as the survey shows. While 44 percent on the agency side have not received a salary increase, only 24 percent of PR professionals in companies have had to make do without a salary increase in the past twelve months.
More than half of the media positions received at least a moderate salary increase: As many as 58 percent saw their salary rise by less than 2 percent, which corresponds to the average inflation rate for 2023. Among PR agencies, only one in four benefited from an increase below the inflation rate (25%).
There are also significant differences on the agency and company side when it comes to salary adjustments in line with inflation, with PR agencies being the big winners here: Around a third of communications professionals in PR agencies (31 percent) can look forward to a salary increase of more than 2 percent. This corresponds to a salary increase that is above the average inflation rate of the past year. In contrast, only 18% of PR professionals in media agencies stated that they had received a salary increase above the inflation rate.
Majority satisfied with salary
Despite the rather stagnant development of salaries, the majority of respondents are satisfied with their current salary: very or rather satisfied: 51%, satisfied/neutral 24%. Only one in four PR professionals is rather or very dissatisfied (24%).
But there are also clear differences in satisfaction between companies and PR agencies: over half of respondents from media outlets said they were very or fairly satisfied with their current salary (55%). On the agency side, however, the figure is only 44 percent.
Salary negotiations tend to be more difficult
When it comes to asking for a higher salary, the majority of respondents believe that salary negotiations will be neither easier nor more difficult this year (43%), or that they will become tougher and more or definitely more difficult (41%). Despite this fear, only 18% of respondents are considering changing jobs if their salary does not develop as they would like. This means that 53% - and therefore the majority - will remain loyal to their current employer despite some dissatisfaction with their salary. A further 29% are undecided and might change jobs if their salary still does not meet their expectations.
Additional training opportunities and leisure time desired
If communications professionals could wish for additional benefits from their employer in addition to a higher salary, external training opportunities are at the top of the list. But the desire for additional vacation days is also high.
The top 5 desired additional benefits this year:
- External training courses 49%
- Additional vacation days 47%
- Home office options 20%
- More flexible working hours 16%
- Possibility to work in other EU countries 8%
At the PR Trend Monitor survey by News Aktuell and PER in February 2024, 49 PR specialists and executives have from companies, organizations and PR agencies in Switzerland took part.
