Average salaries of top digital executives register decline
Average salaries across all digital disciplines have registered a decline, driven south by a reduction in the percentage of digital industry managing directors, partners and chief executives earning in excess of £300k.
The findings have been published in the annual SoDA salary survey which found that 23% of respondents earned in excess of £300k, a fall from 35% in 2011.
Picking over their findings the report’s authors suggest that the gloomy prognosis can be attributed to a shrinking budget, the global economy and a greater diversity of junior and senior strategists and planners.
Amongst those affected are chief technology officers who earned an average £96,000, down by 5% on 2011 figures. Account directors averaged £69,000, down 16% year on year, while producers took home £43,000.
A marked divide in salaries between the US and Europe was also apparent with the average salary of a US-based art director coming in at £57,000, compared with 80% of European agencies paying less than
£50,000. Only 14% of art directors in the USA receive less than £50,000.
Chris Buettner, executive director at SoDA says: "It’s tough at the top due to a variety of factors from shrinking client budgets to the macroeconomic implications of global economic health. Incentive and variable based pay is also playing a more dominant role in the overall numeration package not reflected in the base."