Gloss Creative Recruitment’s Salary Survey 2012

Gloss Creative Recruitment’s Salary Survey 2012

Representing Yorkshire’s finest talent

Introduction

It’s that time of year again when we spend a good week analysing another year’s worth of candidate’s applications and salaries.  We always find it interesting producing our annual salary survey, this time collating information for applications of over 200 new job vacancies since November 2011!  We would like to share our findings, thoughts and reflections with you, our valued clients as we focus on the salaries across the digital / creative / Marketing and PR industry from November 2011 to November 2012.  We always like to receive your feedback on our efforts and hope this latest survey is of some use to you.

This year we have experienced a large surge in demand for more technical candidates with a huge emphasis on web developers rather than web designers. There has been a significant demand for good account handlers – the biggest trend being the need for digital and retail experience. This demand has slowed during the second half of the year making room for more design led positions but the only raise with regards to salaries came from the more technical coding roles.

There has been a much more varied mix of vacancies registered with Gloss Creative Recruitment as opposed to last year which was primarily dominated by digital positions. Print and traditional marketing has picked up along with a more even spread of industry sectors (last year was more about the retail sector). Retail has been more focused towards the “economical” brands with the luxury orientated brands working more on replacement roles.

We have also seen a much higher rise in the level of digital content roles this year with a marked trend towards digital copywriters, content management, and bloggers.

There has still been plenty of opportunity in search with a constant need for good SEO and PPC candidates but this time with permanent positions opening in CRO and Analytics. Once again the biggest change has been the rise in roles for good digital copywriters / bloggers with a good knowledge of content for SEO purposes.

Here at Gloss, we advertise all of our roles through the usual social media channels but still find that the best method of recruiting has been through the contact of our passive candidates (people on our database that might not be proactively looking for jobs but are open to suggestion). Whilst advertising still has its uses, the fact that we keep all of our applicants for future roles has definitely made the difference for those harder to fill vacancies.

The biggest trend of all for us this year has been the huge rise in ongoing (extendable) contract roles ranging from 1 to 6 months for the purpose of flexibility, control and overheads. Whilst this has its benefits, this does limit the options when it comes to getting the best of who is available (although for less technical roles this has not been a problem). It would seem that the economy is making long term vision something for the distant future!

Digital 

Key trends:

1. Rise in technical, hand coding and back end development roles.

2. Much more stringent, 2-3 stage interview techniques as well as a rise in working trials.

3. Companies using short term contracts to fulfil requirements to the end of the year.

 

Salaries

Job
Web Design	Min (K)	Max (K)	Ave (K)	Most common name (John)
Junior Designer	15	22	19.50
MW Designer	20	32	24.19		Male	89%
Senior Designer	27	35	30.44		Female	11%
Front End Developers				Most common name (Andrew)
Junior Developer	18	26	20.33
MW Developer	21	24	24.67		Male	100%
Senior Developer	25	32	29.88		Female	0%
SEO
Junior	15	24	18.83	Most common name (Richard)
Middleweight	19	35	25.75
Senior	20	40	30.29		Male	77%
					Female	23%
Content	15	35	22.6	Most common name (Peter)
					Male	64%
					Female	36%
PHP Developers				Most common name (Christopher)
Account Execs	16	25	19.63
Account Managers	20	35	28.14		Male	100%
Account Directors	30	60	39.17		Female	0%
Digital Marketing				Most common name (Paul)
Exec	16.5	28	21.45
Manager	22	36	29.23		Male	73%
Director	35	75	48.00		Female	27%
Project Manager	23.5	43	30.69
PPC				Most common name (Mark)
Junior	18	30	21.00
Middleweight	18	34	25.25		Male	75%
Senior	28	40	34.50		Female	25%

Graphic Design, Marketing and PR.

Graphic design within the print sector has made a healthy return this year – matching the level of digital roles we received for 2012. One of the most welcome changes has been the rise of junior level roles with companies showing a strong interest in the development of junior talent and longer term benefits. Unfortunately, salaries have still not risen, but the amount of redundancies and out of work middle weight to senior level designers has dropped significantly.

Our review shows that the average salary across the creative agency sector is very similar to that of 2011.  New roles have started to arrive due to some growth and strong designers have been moving out of the job market quite quickly. The graduate level market is still very tough, though this could be helped by university careers departments creating a minimum standard application course (e.g. all designers applications should come with a portfolio for a start!).

We have had a steady flow of marketing and communication roles this year on both agency and client side with an emphasis on the social marketing arena. Gloss Creative Recruitment has a varied mix of clients from the public sector through to retail but the common theme has been much more about creating content and delivering the message leading to the demand for more candidates with a deeper knowledge of social media trends and its applications.

Once again, with all our roles, the emphasis on local talent has been very high on the priory list with clients and candidates looking for smaller commutes and greater flexibility.  With salaries still remaining static, compensation has had to come in different forms including personal growth, a passion for the specific industry sector and culture fit.

Finally, we are very grateful for the amount of repeat business we have received from both our candidates and clients – our business mirrors that of the creative sector by gaining business via good customer satisfaction and communication. We have worked hard on providing a quality service with a complete feedback system and (most importantly) a continued commitment to the long term needs of our customers.

 

Key trends:          

1. Bounce back in demand for junior level designers although still very competitive at the straight graduate level.

2. Clients wanting more exposure to candidates via a longer interview process.

3. Salaries mainly frozen from the year before with more emphasis on non direct company benefits.

5. Rise in communications and marketing roles at the middleweight level with senior positions still thin on the ground.

 

Salaries

Job
Artworkers	Min (K)	Max (K)	Ave (K)	Most common name (John)
Junior artworker	14	19	16.50
MW Artworker	15	22	18.13		Male	77%
Senior Artworker	17	32	22.48		Female	23%
Studio Manager	20	30	27.25
Designers				Most common name (Matthew)
junior Designers Agency	14	16	15.57
junior Designers Inhouse	15	24	17.91		Male	66%
MW Designers Agency	20	25	21.86		Female	34%
MW Designers Inhouse	20	30	22.93
Senior Designers Agency	23	30	26.69
Senior Designers Inhouse	23	32	25.75
Marketing (Agency)				Most common name (David or Claire)
Account Execs	16	25	19.63
Account Managers	24	35	28.77		Male	50%
Account Directors	30	45	39.17		Female	50%
Marketing (Inhouse)				Most common name (Sarah)
Exec	16	28	20.35
Manager	22	35	26.42		Male	34%
Director	35	50	45.00		Female	66%
PR Roles				Most common name (Sarah)
PR Executive	15	25	19.63
PR Manager	20	35	24.44		Male	8%
PR Director	35	50	40.71		Female	92%
Comms Manager	15	40	27.50
Copywriter	15	30	22.38	Most common name (Robert)
					Male	50%
					Female	50%

Sources

The data summarised in this survey has been collated from candidates that have registered with our agency within the last year and are based on actual salaries rather than the upper limit of client job specs. Please note that Gloss Creative Recruitment operates on Permanent and contract positions both Inhouse and agency only within the Yorkshire area.

For more information please visit www.glossrecruitment.com or call us on 0870 321 9788. For the official version email cvs@glossrecruitment.com