Study: Average UK PR Salaries Fall Amid Industry Challenges

(MENAFN- PRovoke) LONDON - The average salary across the UK PR industry has fallen by more than £3,000 in two years, highlighting the impact of a challenging economic backdrop, according to new data from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR).

The institute's latest 'State of the Profession' report – the first since 2022 – is based on a survey of more than 2,000 PR agency, in-house and independent PR professionals on topics including working hours and industry challenges, as well as new questions exploring training opportunities and artificial intelligence.

Average annual full-time PR salary in the UK have fallen from £56,340 in 2022 to £53,052 in 2024, putting salaries at the same level as five years ago, the report reveals.

The survey also shows a“significant and worrying” gap between white professionals and other ethnic groups when it comes to training opportunities. White practitioners are more likely to have received training in the previous 12 months (81% vs 74% for Black, Asian and minority ethnic practitioners), are more likely to have agreed training needs with managers (42% vs 21%), and are less likely to have had requests for training turned down (36% vs 47%).

More than a third of PR practitioners (37%) say they have been working longer hours over the past year, while 4% report working fewer hours.

In addition, 74% of in-house professionals and 60% of agency professionals say their teams are experiencing skills shortages, with 36% saying AI was the primary area of skills shortage.

There was some positive news about the gender pay gap, however, which according to survey respondents has dropped from an average of £7,074 per annum in 2022, to £3,894.

Over half of PR professionals working in-house are using AI daily or often, but agencies are less likely to have an AI policy, compared to other organisation types, and practitioners working in agencies are also less likely to have received AI training; overall, 32% of respondents said they had received AI training over the past year.

And while 70% of in-house professionals say their organisations are positive about the value and strategic contribution of the role of public relations, far fewer say their organisations have clear measures of success for PR when it comes to organisational outcomes.

In terms of working patterns, 66% of respondents said they were hybrid working – a mix of remote and office-based – while 15% said they were fully remote and 18% are full-time in the office. Those working fully in the office rose to 32% for junior staffers aged under 24, and dropped to 10% for the most senior practitioners aged over 55.

CIPR president Rachael Clamp said:“State of the Profession presents a definitive look at how public relations has evolved, adapted, and now operates. This year's survey clearly highlights that, depending on the type of organisation you work for, working in PR looks very different from professional to professional.

“The data highlights the increasingly respected and valued role of PR. However, the challenging working environment cannot be ignored as shown in the drop in average salary and a still-too-high gender pay gap. It also presents some worrying data on who gets access to training. With the majority of practitioners identifying a skills gap within their organisations, as the economy shows signs of recovery organisations should be investing in training opportunities and making sure those are accessible for all, as well as individual practitioners committing to their own development.”

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