Burnout among charity communications professionals is increasing, a survey by membership network CharityComms is warning.

It found that one in three felt burned out at work during 2025, up from one in four when the charity communicators organisation carried out its survey the previous year.

One in seven say they are often looking for resources to prevent burnout, up from fewer than one in ten last year, according to CharityComms’ Salary and Organisational Culture Survey Report 2025.

Just under half say they “often feel stressed out” at work, up from just over two in five the previous year.

Also, only just over two in five say their workload is manageable this year, compared to half saying the same last year.

One in three say they want to move careers.

There is an indication that charities are being more supportive of their communicators’ wellbeing, but the majority are still not making support available, the survey also found.

Almost one in four say they have effective tools in place to manage their workload, up from one in five the previous year.

Similarly, just under one in three in 2025 said their employer helps them manage their wellbeing, compared to fewer than one four in 2024.

Managers are the most stressed, the survey found.

Almost half with management responsibilities surveyed said they are often stressed, compared to less than two in five among those in non-management roles.

CharityComms also found that managers are 13% more likely to work more than three hours overtime a week than their non-management colleagues.

Charities are being urged to track overtime among charity communication professionals more effectively.

“This is where hidden work can build up to become overwhelming, especially if it’s not recognised,” said CharityComms.

“Since overtime appears to be common, clearer boundaries should be set to prevent weekly overtime creeping up. Analyse what this time is really being spent on, to see how to more effectively delegate or reduce workloads.”

Wellbeing checks also need to be integrated into standard one to one meetings and managers need to receive training on how to effectively manage workloads alongside managerial responsibilities.

Despite concerns just under two in three charity communicators say they are happy in their role and more than two in three say their organisation values communications.

The average salary for charity communicators across all levels, locations and roles was £43,168 in 2025, the suvey found a “slight increase on the previous year’s average of £42,174.

The highest rates of average pay are among those specialising in brand management, communications and marketing. The lowest average pay is experienced by those in PR, social media and fundraising roles.

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