Female charity communication professionals are paid on average around £7,000 a year less than their male counterparts, salary figures have revealed.

The figures for 2020 show that the average salary for men in charity communication roles was £44,371, while the average for women was £37,431.

This is despite women dominating the charity communication sector, making up 82% of those who responded to the salary survey, published by Charity Comms and Charity People.

Men are more likely to be in senior roles, their survey also found. While 65% of women are in senior roles this rises to 74% among men.

According to Charity Comms and Charity People “issues of inequality, lack of diversity and pay gaps within the charity sector have become more visible over the past year” referencing campaigns by Show the Salary, Charity So White and Non Graduates Welcome.

They recommend charities anoymise CVs at the shortlisting stage, seeking out advertisers that reach a diverse audience and also show the salary in a job description.

“From a diversity point of view, creating a working culture that is as accessible as possible is fundamental to ensuring that access to roles is open and inclusive to all,” Charity Comms and Charity People add.

The survey also reveals a marked increase in salaries, by 6% to £38,602, among charity communicators in 2020 compared to the previous year.

The increasing importance of digital communication is a factor in this rise, according to their report on their findings.

This pivoting of communication online has led to an “increased appreciation generally of mar/comms function alongside an increase in digital-first approach to comms”.

The average salary of a communications director is now £63,176, compared to £56,517 in 2013. But the average entry level salary of communication assistants has dropped over the same period, from £22,850 to £22,161.

Last November it emerged that Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) charity workers are paid 20% less than their non-BAME colleagues.

Share Story: