Communications Salary guide 2024

In-house Comms Salary Survey - 2024

Foreword.

For long, the communications industry has grappled with the absence of standardized benchmarks for roles and compensation, leaving professionals in this critical function without reliable data to gauge their worth.

The 2024 Indian Communicators Group (ICG) Salary Survey Report is an endeavor born out of the collective yearning within the industry for a comprehensive understanding of compensation
trends.

The realization of the 2024 ICG Salary Report marks a significant milestone in addressing this gap. This would not have been possible without the gracious participation of inhouse communication professionals with ICG in this year’s survey.

Methodology.

In conducting our research on In-House Communications Salary Trends, a comprehensive survey methodology was employed to gather insights from professionals in the field. The survey, administered to a diverse pool of approximately 700 in-house communications professionals, featured a combination of qualitative and quantitative questions. The qualitative inquiries aimed to capture nuanced perspectives on industry trends, job satisfaction, and challenges, while the quantitative aspects focused on salary benchmarks, experience levels, and demographic information.

The survey was distributed through In-House Communications Group (ICG) WhatsApp channels, a community group on WhatsApp exclusively for in-house communication professionals, ensuring a broad representation and reliable responses.

Sincere efforts were made to maintain anonymity and confidentiality, fostering honest and candid responses. Conducted between December 1, 2023, and January 05, 2024, via a web-based platform, the data serves as a foundation for understanding of the current landscape of in-house communications salaries and the factors influencing compensation trends in the industry.

Salary Range.

The median salary for the sample across experience ranges was Rs.35L. The median salary for men coincided with the overall median, but the median salary for women at Rs.27.5L was much lower, indicating that a larger number of women worked for lower salaries, especially at lower experience levels.

More than 45% of the salaries fell between Rs.22.5L and Rs.62.5L. However, the starting salaries for in-house Comms roles for freshers is typically around Rs.5.3L-5.8L, though data shows that it can be as low as Rs.3.5L.

Scale Factor.

Median in-house salaries increase with experience. The average factor by which the median salaries increase comes to roughly Rs. 2.3L for every year of experience or 2.3x, with a lower bound of 1.5x and upper bound of 3.1x. Roughly 45% of the respondents fall in this range.

Broadly, this translates into almost one out of three ICGians (30%) being underpaid.

Pay parity.

More young women join the workforce and continue to work at very low salaries compared to men but at very high experience levels, median salaries for women continue to rise while men stagnate.