EXHIBITOR Magazine's 39th Annual Salary Survey

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SALARY SURVEY

EXHIBITOR Magazine's 39th Annual
SALARY SURVEY

For nearly four decades, EXHIBITOR magazine's Annual Salary Survey has chronicled industry professionals' wage journeys. This year, we reveal not just who's moving up but also how these gains stack against inflation and mounting job responsibilities. By Emily Olson

In late February 2025, we sent our annual Salary Survey to a select group of events industry professionals. Conducting large-scale research in today's rapidly shifting economic climate poses unique challenges. While we're confident in the accuracy of our data, the context in which responses are given can change overnight. What held true yesterday might not apply tomorrow. This survey captures respondents' experiences and forward-looking speculations at a precise moment, offering a snapshot of the industry's salary landscape.

This year, 73 percent of participants reported receiving a raise last year (down slightly from 77 percent last year), with 19 percent enjoying raises of 7 percent or more. Twenty-four percent reported no change, a figure up a bit from last year's 22 percent. Notably, 53 percent of respondents said they anticipate a raise in the coming year, a drop from the 64 percent that was reported last year. The free-form responses we received reveal that 47 percent of those surveyed feel underpaid, largely because of increased job responsibilities with no accompanying compensation increase; however, 44 percent of respondents in their role long enough to ask for a raise have not had that conversation with their management team.

Team sizes have remained largely stable, which is promising. But only 13 percent said their teams have experienced growth in the last year, suggesting that relief for overworked staff may still be on hold. Despite these challenges, more than 60 percent of respondents said they are satisfied or very satisfied with their roles, and 81 percent of survey respondents said their managers show average to strong support for their company's trade show program. If you, like our survey respondents, enjoy your work and wonder how your salary compares to that of your peers, read on. And remember, every reported number has a story behind it.

EXHIBITOR Magazine's 2025 Salary Survey was conducted by Signet Research. Participants received an email survey invitation with a participation incentive included. The email invitations generated 584 total responses, and the final number of analyzed responses was 391, screening out incomplete responses or responses indicating no responsibility for their organizations' trade shows or corporate events. The sample achieves a +/- 5-percent margin of error at a 95-percent confidence interval.

Average Salaries

To read the full 2025 Salary Survey, including an in-depth analysis of the six most common job titles, visit www.ExhibitorOnline.com/Salary.

All Titles $101,598

Corporate Event Manager $112,198

Exhibit or Trade Show Coordinator $67,652

Exhibit or Trade Show Manager $100,445

Marketing Communications Manager $80,994

Marketing Director $131,714

Good News
▶ Strong Support
Eighty-one percent of respondents reported that upper management showed either strong or average support for their trade show program. This metric shows confidence in events as a marketing tool remains strong.

▶ Salaries Are Up
Seventy-three percent of respondents reported receiving a raise in the last year, which is within a few percentage points of 2024 data. Sixty-seven percent of respondents said that their salary increases were due to their performance.

▶ Mind the Gap
The gender pay gap is a persistent issue across all industries. But what about in events? According to our survey, women respondents reported earning 1.5 percent more than their male counterparts. However, it's important to note that women made up the vast majority of our respondents, which could skew results.

▶ Bonus Compensation
Sixty-three percent of respondents received a bonus last year, and data shows an average of $12,500 in additional compensation in the form of bonuses, 401ks and stock purchases.

Bad News
▶ School Daze
Thirty-five percent of industry professionals said they hold an industry certificate or certification, up from 31 percent last year. Despite the growth in that number, and the corresponding bump in pay that comes with certification, there's still plenty of room for an increase in formal training.

▶ Finding Balance
Twenty percent of survey respondents reported working more than 50 hours per week, with 3 percent working 60 hours or more and only 7 percent reporting overtime compensation. Industry professionals still have lessons to learn about work/life balance.

▶ Missed Connections
Forty-seven percent of respondents say their compensation is low, slightly up from last year's survey that showed 45 percent felt unfairly compensated.

▶ Lower Compensation
Although 73 percent of respondents received a raise over the last year, overall compensation decreased. The decrease came in the form of fewer or smaller bonuses and lack of additional forms of compensation.

Perks on Parade
Ninety-eight percent of exhibit and event professionals receive at least one form of additional compensation. This year, the value of those extras averaged $12,500, down from last year's $18,786. The following charts indicate what percentage of respondents receive each form of compensation tracked by the survey.

In Their Own Words
The following quotes are a sampling of respondents' answers to open-ended questions regarding their careers and compensation.

Where in the World?
Exhibit and event professionals in the Pacific region earn salaries that are roughly 7 percent above average and 18 percent higher than respondents in the East North Central region. Doing an apples to apples comparison on these numbers poses a challenge, however, since cost of living varies dramatically across the country.

What's Certification Worth?
Respondents with at least one industry certification (such as the Certified Trade Show Marketer designation) reported having salaries approximately 9-percent higher than those with no industry certifications at all, which amounts to roughly $8,705 in increased earnings per year.

Dollars and Cents
Base salaries have generally edged upward since our survey's inception, aside from setbacks in 1988, 1992, 1996, 2011, and 2016. Meanwhile, our research shows that bonuses and additional compensation have been remarkably varied, ranging from an average low of $2,981 in 1991 to peaks exceeding $16,000 in 2000, 2006, 2011 and 2024.

That Was Then
When EXHIBITOR magazine celebrated the milestone of its 30th Annual Salary Survey, we shared nothing but good news about increased compensation and a reduced gender gap (although we did lament the lack of overtime in an overtime-heavy industry). Since then, things have continued on an upward trajectory. Today, the average salary for all titles we surveyed is approximately 40 percent higher than it was nearly a decade ago, which outpaces inflation by about 5 percent.

On the Clock
Most of our survey respondents say they receive fixed annual salaries. But if those salaries were translated into hourly wages, what would an hour of their time be worth? Based on our calculations (assuming an average 48-hour work week and three weeks of vacation), exhibit and event professionals' average wage works out to roughly $43.18 per hour.

$43.18

We See Your Salary and Raise You
The vast majority (73 percent) of exhibit and event professionals said they received a raise in the past year, contributing to a 3 percent increase in average base salaries. Meanwhile, 24 percent of respondents are making the same amount as they were in 2023, and a mere 2 percent said they suffered salary cuts.