Interactive marketing salary survey

The Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada (IABC) has published the results of its first salary survey of agencies and publishers working in the interactive marketing industry. The results suggest that web-related work pays somewhat better than traditional work associated with magazines. For example, here are the quoted salary ranges for editorial people with 5-7 years of experience:

• Editor in chief  $70,000 - $90,000
• Art director  $70,000 - $90,000
• Senior online editor $65,000-$75,000
• Web producer $55,000 - $65,000

The Excel-based spreadsheet gives definitions for these and other job positions in online marketing, both in agencies and in publishing.  The data is for base salaries and does not include bonuses or commissions. There is little information on the methodology for the somewhat general and broad-brush data or on how reliable the data is considered to be.

Do you want fries with that magazine?

A blogger for the Press Gazette points out an example of the downward pressure on wages exemplified by an advertisement for a b2b editor, with the skills to "produce a lively mix of magazines and newsletters". The salary is between £18,000 and £25,000 -- roughly $32,000 to $44,000 at today's exchange rate.

So to edit not just one but several publications - in London! - you are getting a salary that seems more commensurate with managing an average sized provincial amusement arcade.

By way of a reality check - a trainee McDonalds manager in Doncaster can look at a starting salary of £18,500 and they also get company car, pension, private health care and a potential bonus.

No matter what happens, RD chief execs have looked after themselves

According to a post by Jason Fell at Folio:, based on documents filed this week with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, no matter what happens in the bankruptcy reorganization of Reader's Digest, its two top managers will have a soft landing.

During the Chapter 11 process, [CEO Mary] Berner will be paid $125,000 per month in base salary. Meanwhile, [CFO Tom] Williams will receive $68,200 per month.

Multiplied out over 12 months, Berner’s new agreement would put her annual salary at $1.5 million. According to RDA’s last 10-K report, Berner in fiscal 2008 was earning a base salary of $600,000 (and was eligible for an annual guaranteed bonus of $500,000). That doesn’t include performance incentive bonuses that could have been as much as 400 percent of her base salary—although I’m sure they were nowhere near that much.

In case Berner isn’t offered her job back when RDA eventually emerges from bankruptcy protection, the company has agreed to up her severance package to $2.2 million, plus any earned but unpaid salary, vacation pay and/or unreimbursed business expenses. That’s up significantly from the $1 million severance package she agreed to when she signed on with RDA in 2007.

Williams agreed to receive a severance package worth $1.2 million.

Berner and Williams were smart. Even after putting together a pre-packaged plan of reorganization, you never know how things will shake out after taking it to a bankruptcy court, or if you’ll still have your job afterward.