Study Reveals Pay for Association Meeting Planners

Washington -- Professional meeting planners working for associations earned a median salary of $40,451 last year, and planners in support positions earned $31,500, according to a study released by the American Society of Association Executives.

The salary findings for meeting planners were part of a first-time salary survey of 50 non-executive, professional and support positions in U.S. associations. The Association Staff Compensation & Benefits Study was based on responses from 952 associations nationwide.

Not surprisingly, planners in mid-level, professional staff positions and meetings department managers generally earned more money in associations with larger staffs and budgets, according to the study.

But geography also played a role. Professional meeting planners and managers in New York were the highest paid, at a median annual salary of $54,800; with Dallas second, at $48,542; and Washington, D.C., third, at $44,000.

The median annual salary for all association employees working in mid-level professional positions, which the study defined as requiring higher education or professional training but not typically involving supervisory duties, was $44,779. The median annual salary for clerical or staff-support employees was $28,248. Thus, professional planners earned $4,328 less annually than their mid-level counterparts, while support planners earned $3,252 more than their counterparts.

Among mid-level professionals, software developers earned the most money annually, $63,527; followed by controllers, $61,600; lobbyists, $60,583; and research statisticians, $53,050.

Nearly 30 percent of the associations participating in the survey reported having at least one mid-level meeting planner on staff.

In addition to the study on non-executive staff salaries, information garnered from responding associations resulted in two salary and benefit studies pertaining to association executives: one covering 34 executive-level positions and one focusing on chief executives earning at least $125,000 annually in total compensation.

To purchase the Association Staff Compensation & Benefits Study or the two other compensation studies, visit the ASAE Bookstore online at www.asaenet.org/bookstore. The cost per study is $125 for ASAE members, $195 for non-members.

ASAE's industry and market research department provides custom analyses of compensation using specified criteria. To request a custom analysis, contact the department at 202-626-2847 or by email at research@asaenet.org.