Canadian magazine publishers median pay package is $160,000

The media compensation package for a Canadian consumer magazine publisher is almost $160,000 and for a top editor it is $100,000, according to a just-released study.

Magazines Canada and the Cultural Human Resources Council have released a summary of a compensation study carried out by Mercer (Canada) Limited in the fall of 2008. The study was funded by the Government of Canada's Sector Council Program and was lead by a Magazines Canada committee that included Ari Berger of Public, Janet Stern of Rogers Publishing, Kathleen St. Cyr of Reader's Digest and Magazines Canada's general manager Barbara Zatyko.

All figures are effective September 1. The data -- which reflects the median for the reporting magazines (half pay less, half pay more) is based on submissions from 113 publication, representing 29 organizations. Note: "Total cash" reflects incentives or bonuses, if paid.

	Consumer
Position	Base salary	Total cash
Publisher	$135,600	$159,373
Top editor	$100,297	$100,297
Managing editor	$68,638	$72,438
Top marketing	$131,500	$137,750
Marketing manager	$72,300	$82,909
Top circulation	$95,677	$110,287
Circ sales & marketing director	$85,222	$89,421
Art director	$77,048
Graphic designer	$45,457	$46,000
Feature writer	$45,835
Copy editor	$47,502	$48,543
Online editor	$51,462
Production editor	$55,948
Production manager	$57,577

Of particular interest (but not particular surprise) is that special interest publications, which include literary and cultural magazines of small circulation, are paid considerably less:

Position*	Base salary	Total cash
Publisher	$40,000
Top editor	$58,239
Managing editor	$39,179
Art director	$53,948
Graphic designer	$34,060
Production manager	$45,854

*Some positions not reported because of insufficient responses

Similarly, trade (business-to-business) publications:

Position	Base salary	Total cash
Publisher	$95,000	$109,120
Top editor	$67,944	$68,437
Art director	$51,725
Graphic designer	$54,074