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Salary Survey Degree and Certificate Programs |
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Resources: 1999 Salary SurveyTo better understand the technical communication market, the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication surveyed its 624 members in November 1999. We received responses from 58% of those surveyed. Click one of the four categories below for a summary of the survey results. You will receive an illustrated copy of these results in your March newsletter. If you'd like a preview, click here for a PDF file of the 1999 results. Member Profile - membership type, gender, industry,
etc. Member ProfileMembership TypeMost respondents (60%) are regular STC members. Thirty-five percent are senior members and the remainder are students (4%) and fellows/associate fellows (1%). Years as an STC MemberThe number of respondents who have been STC members for between five and ten years decreased slightly. New memberships increased from 24% in 1997 to 29% in 1999. GenderAlmost three-quarters of all respondents are female (71%). AgeRespondents are primarily between 35 and 44 years old. Employment SituationOver three-quarters of the respondents work full time for a corporation (79%), 8% are independent contractors, 5% are agency employees, and the remaining 8% work part time. Employment LevelThe greatest number of respondents (38%) work in senior-level non-supervisory positions—a six percentage point decrease from 1997. Primary IndustryHalf of the respondents (51%) work in the computer software industry, followed by 13% in the telecommunications industry. Years of ExperienceThe overall median years of experience is eight. Thirty-four percent of all respondents have five years of experience or less. That percentage has steadily increased since 1995. Salary ProfileMedian Income by Years of ExperienceThe median income remains steady at $52,500 for respondents with six to ten years of experience. All other groups realized a noticeable increase in median income compared to the 1995 and 1997 surveys. Median Income by Education LevelAlmost all respondents (92%) hold a college degree. Thirty-four percent of those who have college degrees also have advanced degrees. In general, those with higher education levels earn higher incomes. Respondents with doctorates have the highest median income ($60,000), followed closely by those with other graduate degrees ($57,500). Median Income by Employment LevelSenior-level supervisors earn the highest median income ($67,500), followed closely by independent contractors ($62,500). All levels of employment except for entry-level and mid-level supervisors show an increase in median income compared to the 1995 and 1997 surveys. Median Income by IndustryThe three top-paying industries and their corresponding median incomes are:
Median Income by GenderWomen earn less than men on average, with a median income of $52,500 compared to $57,500 for men. Income Ranges by Years of ExperienceA majority of the respondents with 11 or more years of experience make more than $55,000 per year. Over half (51%) of those with two to five years of experience make between $40,000 and $54,999 per year. Income Ranges by Employment LevelCompared to 1997, all employment levels except mid-level supervisors show an increase at both the 25 and 75 percentile. We saw the greatest increases for senior supervisors and independent contractors. Independent Contractor ProfileResults SummaryThe median income for independent contractors increased from $45,000 in 1997 to $62,500 in 1999. The median hourly rate also increased, from $45 an hour in 1997 to $50 an hour in 1999. More of respondents' time is considered billable (80%) than in 1997 (75%). Respondents spend an average of 25% of their income on expenses. Primary Source of WorkOver half of the independent contractors who responded indicate that they find clients primarily through contacts (60%), while less than a fifth (18%) note client referrals as their primary source. Job Satisfaction ProfileRespondents rated ten factors on importance and satisfaction. The following four factors, in the order listed, reflect the greatest disparity between importance and satisfaction.
In 1997, all four factors were also listed as greater in importance with less satisfaction. Employers may want to consider these factors to retain or attract technical communications professionals. Comments?
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