Where is the money in PR these days? We analyse a salary guide from recruitment specialist Hudson to find out which sectors pay the best, and which jobs are the most in demand. At management levels, it seems the best money is in digital in London
Salaries are not to be sniffed at however, especially if you have digital skills. Here we look at the salary guide of recruitment specialist Hudson, to find out which comms sectors offer the best salaries, and in which parts of the country.
The tables compare Birmingham, Manchester, London, Edinburgh and Glasgow, looking at job titles ranging from press officer to director of communications. Regionally, there is not that much difference in salaries, so if you are looking to achieve a more comfortable standard of living you are probably best avoiding London, as the cost of accommodation is so much higher. That is unless you have digital skills. In Birmingham, an online manager can expect to earn between £30,000 and £60,000, whereas in London this goes up to £70.000 whilst a head of digital in the capital can expect to earn up to £100,000.
Discussing the growing demand for digital skills, Laurence Sidwell, director, sales, marketing and communications at Hudson, says: “The marketing landscape continues to immerse itself in all things digital – so it stands to reason that now more than ever, businesses are crying out for digitally adept candidates. With employers set on strengthening their existing marketing teams, user experience specialists and digital campaign specialists are now witness to a growing influx in demand, especially those who boast strong experience across the full digital mix.
“Digitally-minded experts who possess key transferable skills and are able to easily switch between sectors will most definitely get the attention of hiring managers. Furthermore, professionals who have worked on marketing campaigns end to end, showing strong communication skills internally and externally, will hold a very favorable position within the market.”
In terms of sectors, the guide compares the public sector, commerce, professional services and financial sectors. Although the financial sector does tend to pay the most, the difference according to this research is not as much as you might expect.
Banking and financial services
| Job Role | Min - Max Salary |
| Head of Communications | £65,000 - £75,000 |
| Communications Manager | £40,000 - £50,000 |
| Communications Executive | £25,000 - £35,000 |
| PR Manager | £40,000 - £50,000 |
Professional services
| Job Role | Min - Max Salary |
| Head of Communications | £50,000 - £60,000 |
| Communications Manager | £40,000 - £60,000 |
| Communications Executive | £25,000 - £40,000 |
| Corporate Communications Manager | £35,000 - £ 60,000 |
| Press and PR Manager | £45,000 - £65,000 |
| PR Manager | £40,000 - £55,000 |
| Press Officer | £28,000 - £38,000 |
Commerce and industry
| Job Role | Min - Max Salary |
| Director of Communications | £65,000 - £100,000 |
| Head of Communications | £70,000 - £100,000 |
| Communications Manager | £60,000 - £80,000 |
| Communications Executive | £35,000 - £55,000 |
| Head of Corporate Communications | £50,000 - £100,000 |
| Corporate Communications Manager | £50,000 - £80,000 |
| Head of PR | £35,000 - £50,000 |
| Press and PR Manager | £55,000 - £65,000 |
| PR Manager | £30,000 - £50,000 |
| Press Officer | £30,000 - £50,000 |
Public Sector, not for profit and charity
| Job Role | Min - Max Salary |
| Director of Communications | £65,000 - £100,000 |
| Head of Communications | £50,000 - £80,000 |
| Communications Manager | £40,000 - £55,000 |
| Communications Executive | £28,000 - £40,000 |
| Head of Corporate Communications | £65,000 - £80,000 |
| Corporate Communications Manager | £40,000 - £75,000 |
| Head of PR | £50,000 - £75,000 |
| Press and PR Manager | £40,000 -£60,000 |
| PR Manager | £40,000 - £65,000 |
| Press Officer | £28,000 - £48,000 |
Looking at comms professional salaries over the last year, Ross Boyce, senior consultant at Hudson Marketing and Communications, says there has not been much movement, but again highlights the value of having digital skills: “Salaries have been relatively static across the communications sector over the past 12 months, especially with increasing numbers of journalists seeking to move into communications away from a contracting media sector. That said, the increasing demand for content creators and curators in the rapidly evolving digital sector is fast seeing the development of a new type of communications role – the content manager – which is proving an interesting career path for digitally savvy communicators.”
Background
The Salary Guide is a compilation of salary and market information provided by Hudson consultants, clients, candidates and other sources across UK. Information was gathered by drawing on the extensive knowledge of recruitment consultants across Hudson’s specialist practice groups.
Salary ranges are approximate guides only. They relate to base salaries and exclude superannuation/bonuses/incentive schemes/stock options.
To see the full tables, click here.
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