The Salary Debate

Despite the superiority of women in PR in terms of their numbers, studies show time and time again that men earn more than women do. According to the PR Week Salary Survey 2005, male PR practitioners make on average $32,462 more than their female counterparts. However, what I found really interesting was the fact that the difference increased with age. So at entry level, at the ages of 26-30, the salary gap between the genders was virtually non-existent. In fact, women’s salaries were even slightly higher! But if the gap for the age group of 31-35 was $14.26 in favour of men, for the oldest age group of 61-65 it went up to the highest point - $36.38 in favour of men!

These results demonstrate that women fail to advance up the career ladder at the same rate as men, and as a result do not earn as much. The reasons why this is the case are a subject of extensive research and debate since the 1980s. Even though today women comprise 70% of the field, they are a minority in management. The majority of PR practitioners operating at board level are male. Instead women tend to cluster in the lower-pay technician roles. Researchers have suggested that there is a so-called “glass ceiling” – an invisible barrier that blocks women from obtaining top upper management jobs. But could this barrier be self-inflicted rather than a result of discrimination?

Firstly, women could feel more comfortable in technician roles. They might be naturally more suitable for these types of jobs, so job satisfaction could be more important to them than career achievements.

Secondly, factors like higher male salary expectations and stronger careerist orientation should not be underestimated. Also, women tend to be less confrontational than men and might have difficulties in negotiating a higher salary.

Thirdly, many successful career women either do not return back to work after a career break, or stay at the technician job because it leaves more free time for looking after the children and the household. It is easier for men to progress up the career ladder as they do not have as many household responsibilities. In fact, it has been found that childless young career women’s salaries are 98% of comparable men’s salaries (Wilcox et al., 2003).

It should also be noted that male practitioners generally tend to work in the best-paid specialties of PR, such as investor relations and financial services, whereas female practitioners are found more often in lower-paid specialties like community relations and internal communications.

So how is the salary situation likely to develop in the future? At the moment it is difficult to make any predictions. But hopefully equality in pay will be achieved eventually as women become more career-oriented, gain more professional experience, and as family responsibilities become increasingly shared by men.