GWSAE Reports Compensation for Association Professionals Rose 4.4 Percent This Year

5/17/2002

From: Al Rickard, 703-402-9713, for the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives

WASHINGTON, May 17 -- Despite last year's economic downturn, median compensation levels for association professionals in the Washington, D.C. region rose 4.4 percent during the past year, according to the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives (GWSAE).

Highlights of the 2002 GWSAE Association Compensation & Benefits Survey, based on responses from 178 associations, show that the median compensation reported for the chief staff executive (CSE) in 2002 was $150,629, up 5 percent from the 2001 level.

The survey was conducted and sponsored by eBrain Market Research.

Chief executive compensations ranged from $107,000 in the 25th percentile to $200,930 in the 75th percentile. Median compensation for CSEs ranged from $90,000 in associations with one to five employees to $308,483 with staff sizes between 101-200. The 2002 median for "number two" executives was $100,700, up 4 percent from last year. Compensations ranged from $90,000 in the 25th percentile to $137,800 in the 75th percentile.

Median compensation for lead managers in functional areas of associations include:

-- Legal Counsel ($189,300) -- Economist ($106,800) -- Development/Fundraising ($102,650) -- Government Relations ($89,850) -- Research ($87,962) -- Standards/Technical ($86,622) -- Finance ($86,500) -- Human Resources ($84,682) -- Chapter Relations/Field Services ($75,338) -- Communications ($71,726) -- Education/Training ($71,600) -- Convention/Meeting Planning ($63,333) -- Membership/Member Services ($60,000)

Median compensation for administrative staff ranged from a high of $37,337 for senior administrative assistants to a low of $27,390 for data entry operator positions. The median compensation for receptionists was $28,000. The overall increase of 4.4 percent in median compensation was slightly less from the 4.9 percent increase posted in early 2001.

"Associations continue to be great places to work," says GWSAE President & CEO Susan Sarfati, CAE. "More than 75,000 people in this region are employed by associations -- a significant sector of our local work force. The consistent compensation increases we see each year reflect the stability of associations and the increasing value these people bring to their organizations."

Associations typically offer excellent benefit packages as well -- spending an average of an additional 24 percent of employee compensation on health, dental, disability and life insurance, retirement plans, and other benefits.

All associations with six or more employees reported offering health insurance to their employees. One quarter (25 percent) make domestic partner coverage available.

The percentage of employees contributing to their own health insurance coverage is 35 percent. The percentage of employees contributing to dependent coverage is 57 percent. The average annual health insurance premium increase over the past two years was 13 percent. The most predominate health plan is the PPO, offered at 72 percent of responding associations.

More than half of the associations responding (52 percent) have implemented changes to control health care costs. The most often used strategies are changing carriers (60 percent) and increasing deductibles/co-payments (48 percent). Ninety-five percent of associations offer retirement plans, the most popular of which is a Section 401(k) plan (58 percent). The median employer contribution to retirement plans as a percentage of base salary (without employee contributions) was 7 percent.

The cost of the GWSAE 2002 Association Compensation and Benefits Survey Report is $145 for GWSAE members and $195 for nonmembers. To order, call 202-326-9500 or visit www.gwsae.org.