MENLO PARK, CA: PR agency VP salaries range on average from $112,000 to $185,000 a year, according to The Creative Group's “2012 Salary Guide” report.
The findings indicate a slight increase in wages from last year across all PR positions on both the agency and corporate sides. The results are based on placements made by the group throughout this year, insights from its internal teams, and surveys of advertising and marketing executives. It did not factor seniority and work ethic into the salary ranges.
Salaries for PR VPs at corporations increased from a range of $107,500 to $180,000 last year to $113,500 to $182,000 in the most recent edition of the guide.
The salary range for agency VPs in the advertising and marketing industries are similar to those in PR, ranging from $114,000 to $170,000. On the corporate side, advertising and marketing VP salaries range from $107,750 to $196,000.
The salary ranges vary by city, according to The Creative Group. The average high and low salaries in New York are 1.4 times higher than the national average, while those in Washington are 1.3 times the national rates, and pay rates in Chicago are 1.23 times the national averages. Salaries in Los Angeles are 1.25 times higher than the national averages, while those in San Francisco are 1.35 times the national rates.
All agency PR positions in the 2012 edition of the guide, including account manager and supervisor, senior account executive, and account coordinator, increased by at least $1,000 from 2011 in both the low and high sections of the range. The corporate roles of PR director, PR manager, senior PR specialist, and PR and communications specialist all also increased by at least $1,000.Barbara Strohoffer, senior account manager at The Creative Group, attributed the increase in PR salaries to the need for companies to get their brands and messages to consumers in a competitive environment.
The firm expanded its digital and social media sections in the 2012 version of the guide, adding positions such as mobile designer, mobile developer, and online content manager. The salaries of mobile designers range from $61,500 to $90,000, while those of mobile developers start at $78,500 and end at $106,000. Online content manager salaries range from $59,500 to $77,000 a year, according to the report.
