Rocky Mountain Chapter of STC 2003 Salary Survey

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Last Page Update: Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Resources: 2003 Salary Survey

To better understand the Rocky Mountain region’s technical communication market, the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication surveyed its members in December 2003. We received a 34 percent response rate (down from a 52 percent response rate in 2001). This online survey was the first of its kind for STC RMC. In this report, we profile our representative members and summarize independent contractor responses. Results reported as “employed” are respondents that are employed but are not independent freelancers.

Click here for a PDF file of the 2003 results. If you're interested, compare these results to the 2001 salary survey.

Member Profile - membership type, gender, industry, etc.
Salary Profile - median income and income ranges
Independent Contractor Profile - independent contractor responses
Job Satisfaction Profile - levels of satisfaction for various factors

Member Profile

Experience in Field

On average, respondents have been working in the technical communications field for almost 12 years.

Primary Industry Employed Respondents

Forty percent of the employed (non-independent) respondents work in the computer software industry. The distribution of members in the various industries has remained relatively steady over the last seven years.

Age and Gender

The median age for respondents is 43 years. Seventy percent of respondents are female—a one-percentage-point increase from 2001.

Employment Category

More than three-quarters of the respondents are full-time employees (79 percent), 12 percent are independent freelancers, 4 percent work part time, and the remaining 5 percent are unemployed.

Employment Level


Entry Level	2%
Mid-level	16%
Senior Level	50%
Mid-level Supervisor	11%
Senior Supervisor	4%
Independent Freelancers	12%

Unemployment Market

Approximately 7 percent of respondents were laid off in 2003. It took those now employed an average of 7 months to find a new job.

Education Level

Respondents are well educated. Thirty-three percent hold a college degree. Thirty-seven percent hold advanced degrees (either graduate or doctorate).

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Salary Profile

Median Income by Years of Experience

The overall median income is $62,500, which has not changed since the 2001 survey. Respondents with 16 or more years of experience reported the greatest increase.

Median Income by Education Level

In general, those with higher education levels earn higher incomes. Respondents with a doctorate degree have the highest median income ($87,500), followed by those with graduate degrees ($67,500) and those with college degrees ($57,500). Additionally, those with degrees specifically in Technical Communication do not appear to earn higher salaries than respondents with other types of degrees.

Undergraduate Technical Communication degree: 57,500
Graduate Technical Communication degree: $67,500
No Technical Communication degree: $62,500

Median Income by Primary Industry

The three top-paying industries and their corresponding median incomes are:

1	Computer Hardware ($72,500)
2	Computer Software ($67,500)
2	Telecommunications ($67,500)

Income by Gender

The median income for both genders is the same ($62,500). However, the 75th percentile results differ.

	25th	75th
Female	$52,500	$72,500
Male	$52,500	$87,500

Median Income by Employment Level

Senior supervisors earn the highest median income ($87,500), followed closely by mid-level supervisors ($80,000). Senior-level respondents reported a decrease in median income compared to the 2001 survey.

Income Ranges by Employment Level

Compared to the 2001 survey, only senior supervisors saw an increase in 25th and 75th percentile ranges. The entry- and senior-levels saw a decrease in income ranges.

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Independent Contractor Profile

Independent Respondents

Twelve percent of respondents (19 individuals—considered a small sample size) identified themselves as independent freelancers. The median number of years they have been freelancing is 4.6. Most work at a senior level (79 percent) followed by mid-level non-supervisors (11 percent).

Hourly Rates

The median hourly rate compared to 2001 decreased from $50 to $48. More than half of the independent freelancers (58 percent) indicate that their rate changes depending on the service they are providing. User Interface / Human Factors shows the highest median hourly rate ($75), followed closely by Project Management ($60), and Writing and Web Design (both at $50).

Industry

Independents report working in the following industries:

Computer Software: 3%
Marketing / Advertising: 16%
Telecommunications: 11%
Health / Medical: 5%
Other: 5%

Source of Work

The top three primary methods for finding clients are: Contacts/Networking (58 percent), Client Referrals (26 percent), and Internet (16 percent). The other secondary sources independent freelancers use to find work are:

Contacts / Networking: 68%
Work for Former Employer: 68%
Respond to Client Ads: 53%
Client Referrals: 47%
STC List Serve: 47%
STC Job Web Site: 37%
Internet: 26%
Advertise Services: 11%
Cold Calls: 5%

Summary

Compared to our 2001 survey:

Median hourly rate decreased $2 to $48.
Median hours billed increased 35 hours to 1,178.
In 2003, respondents billed exclusively by the hour; whereas in 2001, 14 percent billed by job/project.
Independents are subcontracting less (12 percent less) and charging more for project management (3 percent more) when they do subcontract.

Median hourly rate	$48
Hourly rate change by service?	58% yes, 42% no
Median hours billed	1,178
Median years freelancing	4.6
Primarily find clients	Rely on Contacts / Networking
Billing method	100% by Hour, 0% by Project
Ever subcontract?	26% yes, 74% no
Project management fee	13% of project

Job Satisfaction Profile

Respondents rated twelve factors on importance and satisfaction. The following four factors reflect the highest “unhappy index”—a measurement of satisfaction relative to importance. The higher the number, the less “happy” respondents are for that factor.

1	Job Security (34)
2	Perceived Value (30)
3	Skills Development (29)
4	Creative Opportunities (23)

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