PCMA Salary Survey Reveals Wage Growth Amid Persistent Gender Pay Gap
December 2, 2024
As a meeting professional, knowing the average pay for colleagues in the industry is invaluable when you find yourself in the market for a new job or when it comes time to ask for a raise.
The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) is on the job, providing the industry with its annual Convene Salary Survey. The 2024 report analyzed data from 462 event professionals, providing information on their average salaries, role, experience, job satisfaction, and more.
PCMA reports meeting-industry salary averages in several ways, the most relevant being by job title and by organization type.
Here are the results for the survey conducted in mid-2024:
Average Salary by Job Title
- Coordinator/Specialist: $64,268
- Manager: $84,622
- Director: $104,558
- Executive Level/VP: $116,144
Average Salary by Organization Type
- Independent Meeting Planner: $75,000
- Professional Conference Organizer: $81,600
- Association Management Company: $89,240
- Corporation: $89,457
- Association: $101,864
- Nonprofit: $105,183
Overall, the average 2024 salary of PCMA’s respondents is $103,150, which is increase of six percent over last year’s average of $97,130.
The report does not correlate demographic data with each of the job titles and organization types. However, the majority of respondents are either managers (36 percent) or directors (25 percent), with lower concentrations of executive level/VPs (13 percent), coordinators (9 percent), and have other titles (10 percent).
Looking at respondents’ organizations, they are largely associations (45 percent) and corporations (25 percent). PCO respondents (9 percent) are the next most common group, while other types of organizations each comprise five percent or less of the respondent pool.
In addition to valuable salary data, the PCMA survey provides a snapshot of today’s meeting professionals, who are, on the whole, highly experienced, female, and hard-working.
Seven facts about PCMA’s 2024 respondents:
• 87 percent of respondents are female.
• The average salary for men is higher than that of women: $108,871 versus $102,839, respectively.
• On average, respondents have 18 years of meeting-management experience, while 49 percent have more than 20 years of experience.
• About a third of respondents are in the 40 to 49 age range, with 46 being the average. A quarter are 39 years old or younger, and 40 percent are 50 or older.
• Almost three quarters of respondents are Caucasian (73 percent), with 10 percent Hispanic or Latino/a, 7 percent Black, and 6 percent Asian or Pacific Islander.
• More than have 55 percent of the group has earned the Certified Meeting Professional designation. Respondents with a CMP earn, on average, $5,682 more than those who don’t.
• A majority of respondents (71 percent) work for companies that pay for them to attend educational events (three per year, on average).
• Three quarters of respondents work more than 40 hours a week, with the average being 46:
Hours Worked Per Week
- 30-40: 25%
- 41-50: 49%
- 51-60: 19%
- 61-70: 5%
- 71-80: 2%
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Partner Voices
MGM Resorts is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse culture, not just among employees and guests but also within its supply chain. The company prioritizes procuring goods and services from businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals and those facing economic disadvantages. This commitment is integral to MGM Resorts' global procurement strategy.
Through its voluntary supplier diversity program, MGM Resorts actively identifies and connects certified diverse-owned suppliers to opportunities within its supply chain. The company is on track to spend at least 15% of its biddable procurement with diverse-owned businesses by 2025, demonstrating that supplier diversity is not only a social responsibility but also a strategic business imperative.
Supplier diversity isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s good for business. A diverse supply chain allows access to a broader range of perspectives and experience, helping to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and resilience, while strengthening communities. At MGM Resorts, engaging diverse suppliers ensures best-in-class experiences for guests and clients. Supplier diversity ensures a more resilient supply chain while supporting economic development in the communities in which it operates.
The impact of MGM Resorts' supplier diversity initiatives is significant. In 2023, these efforts supported over 3,500 jobs across more than 30 states, contributed over $214 million in income for diverse-owned businesses and generated more than $62 million in tax revenue. The story extends beyond the numbers – it reflects the tangible benefits brought to small and diverse-owned businesses, fostering economic empowerment in their communities.
MGM Resorts also supports the development and business skills of diverse-owned businesses through investment, mentorship and education. Through the MGM Resorts Supplier Diversity Mentorship Program, the company identifies, mentors and develops diverse-owned businesses to fill its future pipeline, while providing businesses with tools and resources to empower and uplift. Since 2017, the program has successfully graduated 105 diverse-owned businesses and is on track to achieve its goal of 150 graduates by 2025.
MGM Resorts’ commitment to supplier diversity not only enhances its business operations but also plays a crucial role in uplifting communities and fostering economic development. This approach reinforces the idea that diversity is a powerful driver of innovation and resilience, benefiting both the company and the wider community.
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