Salary Survey 2025: Payment Due? -

This year, we explore the question of whether events professionals earn a salary commensurate with the requirements of the job. Illustration by Ellen Marello.

Each year, we ask a question that would never be asked in polite circles: How much do you make? Our goal is to benchmark industry standards for compensation for event organizers — and moreover, to understand their drivers, challenges, and how they view their work. (View a PDF with the Salary Survey Graphics here.)

One metric that has remained consistent over the last few years is the small gap between planners’ perceptions of how well they are compensated vs. how satisfied they are with their job and the events industry as a whole. On a scale of one to 10 (least to most), the average level of salary satisfaction among Convene Salary Survey respondents averaged below seven. And while only 11 percent expressed the highest satisfaction with their compensation level, 14 percent rated their satisfaction with their role at the top — and 18 percent said they were extremely satisfied with the business events industry overall.

With more than a third of respondents (36 percent) believing they are underpaid compared to peers in the industry, we decided to check into whether salary dissatisfaction is unique among events professionals. As it turns out, they’re in good company — it’s a sentiment shared by a good number of white-collar workers at large, according to a few studies:

A December 2024 Pew Research study found that only three out of 10 workers are highly satisfied with their pay.
In the Korn Ferry Workforce 2025 survey of more than 15,000 professionals worldwide — from entry-level positions to CEOs across 10 major markets — more than one-third (35 percent) believe they are paid below the value of their skills and seven out of 10 indicated that they are feeling concerned about the cost of living outpacing their current salary.
New analysis from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reveals that only slightly more than half of Americans are satisfied with their current wages — the lowest satisfaction level since the NY Fed began tracking the measure in 2014.

Yet, despite being less satisfied with their salaries than the work itself and the industry, only a minority of Salary Survey events professional respondents — 16 percent — are actively searching for another job, although nearly half said they would be open to new opportunities, presumably if they presented themselves.

And staying put could wind up being a smart financial move. A recent article in The Economist identifies one strong signal of a softening labor market: a decline in job-hoppers. For the first time in 15 years, wage growth for those who have stuck with their employer is higher than for those who have switched jobs, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. “Hunkering down and impressing the boss may now be a better bet than polishing your CV or responding to those LinkedIn messages from head-hunters,” notes the article. “If ever there was a time to redecorate your office and invest in a comfier chair, now might be it. You could be there for a while.”

While you settle in, let’s explore the question of whether events professionals earn a salary commensurate with the requirements of the job — and at the same level as somewhat similar roles at associations and in the corporate world. And let’s go a little deeper — what is it about this work that should command better pay?

We’ll start with who answered our survey and what they had to say about their salaries, responsibilities, challenges, and changes in their roles and workplace.

Who they are. Around 275 event professionals completed this year’s Salary Survey conducted in late spring, 93 percent of whom work for organizations headquartered in North America. The remaining 7 percent work for organizations located in Europe (3 percent), Latin America and the Caribbean (2 percent), and Asia Pacific (2 percent). The average age for respondents is 47 — one-third were in the 50-59-year-old group, three out of 10 were 40-49, nearly one-quarter were in their 30s, 5 percent were starting their careers in their 20s, and 8 percent were 60 or older. On average, respondents possessed 17 years of experience. Nearly nine out of 10 were female, 72 percent white, 9 percent Black, 7 percent Hispanic, 6 percent Asian or Pacific Islander, and 1 percent Middle Eastern. (The remaining 6 percent checked “other” or preferred not to answer.)

Sectors represented. The largest share of respondents (47 percent) work for associations, followed by corporations (21 percent), nonprofits (16 percent), and PCOs (professional conference organizers, at 5 percent). Three percent of respondents identified as independent planners, while 6 percent work for association management companies, educational, and government sectors (2 percent each).

Salary deep dive. Our survey results show continued growth in annual compensation across the business events profession. The average annual salary among respondents based in North America is $116,700, an increase from last year’s $103,150. Among roles: Managers (the largest respondent group) report an average salary of $95,077; Directors earn $133,147 on average; and Executive/VP-level respondents average $176,217 annually. Parsing the data by organization type, respondents working in associations report the highest average salary at $129,860. Those in corporations follow at $113,980, followed by professional conference organizer employees, who are reporting an average salary of $115,274. Independent meeting planners earn on average $96,417. The lowest average salary is $80,000, among association management employees. The gender pay gap has widened slightly among this group of respondents — male respondents report earning $143,263 on average, compared to $127,620 for female respondents. This marks a gap of approximately $16,000 or 11 percent in favor of male earnings, up from 6 percent last year.

Experience vs. salary. Those in the 11-20 years of experience group consistently appear in the highest salary bands, earning on average $139,895. Respondents with one to three years of experience are clustered below $90,000, earning on average $66,667. There are some with nine to 10 — or six to eight — years of experience earning $150,000-plus, but they are the exception, averaging at $92,857.

Credentials count. Nearly half of this year’s respondents (49 percent) have earned the CMP (Certified Meeting Professional) designation, and 18 percent hold the DES (Digital Event Strategist) credential. Four percent of respondents are CAEs (Certified Association Executives), and 3 percent have earned the CMM (Certification in Meeting Management). Additional certifications include CASE, CGMP, and CMP-HC (1 percent for each), while 16 percent reported holding another designation, and 35 percent have no certifications. The average salary for those with a CMP is $132,370, while respondents without a CMP reported an average of $117,780 — representing a difference of 12 percent or $14,590. Those with the DES credential reported an average salary of $125,275.

More about satisfaction. Respondents who are most satisfied with the business events profession as a whole (giving it a 9 or 10 on the scale) earn on average $132,427. Those that feel most overwhelmed by their current workload (giving it a 9 or 10 on the scale) earn on average $140,662. When it comes to salary satisfaction, more than a third of respondents (36 percent) believe they are underpaid compared to peers in the industry. Forty-three percent feel fairly compensated, and 22 percent are unsure.

Going up. Four out of five respondents (80 percent) saw their salary increase over the past 12 months — the same percentage as reported last year. Just 2 percent said their salary remained the same, while 18 percent experienced a decrease, up slightly from 17 percent in 2024. The average salary increase was 7 percent, just one point down from last year’s 8-percent average. Meanwhile, those who experienced a salary decrease reported an average drop of 30 percent — nearly double last year’s 16 percent average.

When asked why their salary changed, 68 percent of respondents cited a regular salary increase, 18 percent said they had received a promotion, and 6 percent changed employers. Other responses included such factors as internal restructuring, role expansion, or market adjustments.

Expectations. Looking ahead in the short term, three out of five respondents (60 percent) expect to receive a raise in the next 12 months, while 16 percent do not, and nearly one-quarter (24 percent) are unsure — results that closely align with last year’s figures. But respondents were less optimistic about the longer term: A majority (73 percent) indicated that they do not believe salaries in the business events industry will increase over the next three years — suggesting a deepening sense of financial stagnation or skepticism about meaningful wage growth. Just 14 percent expect salaries to rise, while 13 percent fear they may decline.

Nine to five-ish. For the third consecutive year, more than half of respondents report working between 41 and 50 hours per week. Nearly one in five (19 percent) work 51 to 60 hours weekly, consistent with last year. Only 2 percent say they work 61 to 70 hours per week, a decrease from 4 percent in 2024. One-quarter of respondents maintain a more reasonable 30- to 40-hour workweek. When asked to rate the intensity of their current workload on a scale of 1 to 10, the average score was around 8, indicating a generally high workload. Nearly three in five respondents (55 percent) rated their workload at an 8 or above, with 14 percent selecting the maximum score of 10.

Time off. Just over one-quarter of respondents (28 percent) reported taking 11–15 days off in 2024, making it the most common chunk of time off for the third consecutive year — though slightly down from 33 percent in 2023. One in four took 10 or fewer days off, up from 20 percent the year prior, suggesting a slight backslide in time away from work. Meanwhile, 27 percent took between 16–20 days, and 19 percent said they took more than 20 days off — a modest decline from 22 percent last year.

Shouldering responsibilities. More than seven in 10 respondents (72 percent) said they’ve taken on additional responsibilities this year — a slight increase from 2024. Twenty-eight percent reported assuming more duties due to a loss of staffing, up from 21 percent last year. An additional 44 percent cited other reasons for their increased workload, including organizational restructuring, taking initiative to expand their role, or inheriting duties without official title changes. Only 28 percent said their responsibilities had not changed, consistent with last year. Open-ended responses suggest a recurring theme: Added responsibilities are not always accompanied by increased compensation or formal recognition. Many respondents shared that they’ve taken on new tasks across departments (e.g., marketing, sales, DEI, vendor management, and even IT support), often in response to budget cuts or colleague departures. Several noted that while these shifts have broadened their skills, they’ve also stretched their capacity, to the point of burnout.

A new question this year asked about formal organizational policies related to compensation and advancement. More than half (53 percent) of respondents said their organization has neither a pay transparency policy nor DEI-related practices that impact pay or promotions, while 19 percent said they weren’t sure. Only 9 percent reported that their organization has both policies in place — 10 percent reported pay transparency alone and 8 percent reported DEI policies alone.

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Policy pressures. More than half of respondents (about 55 percent) reported direct or indirect impacts on their roles or events hosted by their organizations resulting from recent U.S. administration policy changes. The most common consequences included reduced attendance — particularly among international and government-affiliated participants — due to visa issues, travel bans, or fear of retaliation. Many cited significant budget cuts and the loss of federal grant funding, especially for DEI-related initiatives and scientific or educational events, sometimes resulting in layoffs. Sponsorship and event revenue also declined, with some sponsors withdrawing from DEI-related programming. Several organizations were forced to cancel, downsize, or shift events online, while others adjusted programming to comply with new legal or political restrictions. About 10–15 percent of respondents haven’t yet seen direct effects, but expressed deep concern for upcoming events, especially regarding international participation. Meanwhile, around three out of 10 respondents indicated no impact, typically due to their local or non-U.S.-based focus.

‘Hybrid’ has many meanings. The majority — 87 percent — of respondents report that their employer offers a hybrid work policy, slightly up from 85 percent in 2024. While that number has remained high, the nature of “hybrid” varies. The most common structure (reported by 44 percent) is a fixed hybrid schedule — two to three days in the office, with the rest of the week remote. Another 36 percent say their schedule is flexible — they choose when to work from home and when to go into the office. Just over one in five (21 percent) said they had other arrangements, including coming in only for team meetings, client events, or quarterly planning; being fully remote but with the option to work at shared or borrowed office space; alternating office attendance based on department needs or event timelines; and regional flexibility depending on staff location (e.g., only those near HQ are asked to come in occasionally). The responses suggest a continued evolution of hybrid policies, shaped by both employee preferences and organizational logistics. A few noted an upcoming shift toward more in-office time, though these were in the minority.

Continuing ed. The overwhelming majority of respondents — 88 percent — said they pursue upskilling on their own, a two-point increase over last year’s already high figure. This suggests a strong individual commitment to staying competitive, even as employer support improves. In 2025, 85 percent of respondents said their company offers to pay for professional development, including conferences and training — up from 75 percent in 2024. That 10-point jump indicates significant progress in how organizations are investing in their teams. The average budget per employee for professional development in North America was $2,045. While this is encouraging, many professionals still supplement what their employer provides — especially when budgets are limited or approval processes are slow. The fact that nearly 9 in 10 respondents pursue learning independently reinforces the value they place on growth and staying current in a fast-evolving industry.

Tech toolkits. This year, 67 percent of respondents said they are using generative AI tools in their work — a significant jump from 51 percent in 2024. The most common uses include creating content (69 percent), as a research and strategy thought partner (56 percent), data analysis and event reporting (47 percent), event planning and logistics (40 percent), and event marketing (36 percent). This suggests a greater comfort with generative AI beyond marketing, with planners increasingly turning to these tools for strategic thinking, ideation, and operational efficiency. Only 9 percent reported using AI in other ways, including for administrative support, note-taking, and proposal writing. The steep year-over-year increase points to gen AI’s growing integration into daily workflows — and potentially signals that digital fluency with these tools is becoming an expectation, not just an advantage, in event roles.

Career growth. While only 16 percent of respondents are actively looking for a new job, nearly half (48 percent) say they are open to new opportunities. Just over one-third (36 percent) report being happy in their current role. The top reasons for looking for a new job include the desire for a higher salary (32 percent), more career growth opportunities (27 percent), and better work-life balance (21 percent). A smaller portion cited industry instability (5 percent) or other reasons such as organizational culture shifts, lack of leadership support, or dissatisfaction with hybrid work flexibility.

Key Insights

The lowest satisfaction levels (both job and professional) are reported by those who assumed additional responsibilities due to staffing losses — this reinforces the strain of workload increases without formal recognition or compensation, or ability to control their workloads.

Respondents who took on more duties for positive or strategic reasons (like growth, promotion, or interest) report higher satisfaction — even higher than those whose roles remained unchanged. This suggests the power of agency.

The profession overall is still seen in a positive light by most, regardless of job shifts.

View a PDF with the Salary Survey Graphics here.

Survey and analysis conducted by Convene Digital Media Editor Magdalina Atanassova, who used several generative AI tools for assistance. Overview by Convene Editor in Chief Michelle Russell.