Jobs May Not Have Hit '07 Levels, but Salaries Are Crawling Back

The 24 Seven/AdAge Salary & Job Market Study categorized employees by the following: client-side marketing employees; agency-side employees; creative and production employees in agencies; and digital employees in agencies. Age-wise, participants were categorized by generation: millennials, under 25 years old; Generation X, 25 to 44; and baby boomers, 45 to 59. Staffers specializing in creative and production in agencies saw the smallest increase, 8%, in average pay in 2011 vs. 2009, the last time the survey was conducted. That's a fairly impressive number given the state of the job market and the fact that the economy is still recovering. But compare it to the client-side category -- which shows a 30% pay increase in 2011 over 2009 -- and a disparity becomes clear. Overall, agency employees saw a healthy pay hike, with a 24.4% bump between the trough of the recession, 2009, and today. Those in a digital capacity saw an average 14% pay hike. "Salary, bonuses and commissions really flattened out during the recession, so what we're seeing here is normalization, the market coming out of doom and gloom," said Celeste Gudas, president of 24 Seven. "Data would lead me to believe that companies and agencies are making up for down years," and the biggest raises and bonuses are going to "folks who are driving the business," or the high-up strategic thinkers. Of course, the increases could "lead to some dissatisfaction amongst the ranks," said Ms. Gudas. "It doesn't seem like distribution is even." Across all the age groups, the single biggest reason why respondents would look for a new job is still because of pay, the survey showed. It's important to point out, though, that satisfaction and loyalty are not one and the same. For most respondents, job satisfaction is linked to other factors, and depends on age. For boomers, meaningful and challenging work was the most important factor, while the millennials preferred skill development and training. "People are not all that loyal to their jobs," said Ms. Gudas. She suspects some are skittish for fear their companies are not loyal to them. And with employment in the industry still not back up to pre-recession levels, employees are being asked to take on more work, which means more hours. Those who were most open to changing their jobs? Employees in creative or production capacities. Part of that could be because they saw the lowest increase in salary, but Ms. Gudas pointed out that freelance workers are being increasingly used, most frequently for executional jobs. In short, what it means is those who execute the work -- not those who create ideas, lead or strategize -- are valued less.

Jobs May Not Have Hit '07 Levels, but Salaries Are Crawling Back

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