Compensation Study 2020

The Institute for Nonprofit News Member Compensation Survey provides targeted compensation and benefits data for specific job roles at newsrooms across the INN network.  This data is our benchmark for the nonprofit news industry; the 2020 survey collected input from 91 INN members of all sizes, coast to coast. Some highlights:

Highlights
  • Average outlet budget of $1.87 million, 50th percentile $770,000
  • Average 13 full-time employees, 50th percentile 6 full-time
  • Average outlet age of 13 years, 50th percentile 9 years
  • Average reporter salary: $58,858, 50th percentile salary: $57,650
  • About half of participants have a paid time off (PTO) or vacation policy, providing an average of 19 PTO or 13 vacation + 11 sick days in employees’ first year
  • Outlets provide an average of 10 paid holidays.
  • 36 percent of responding organizations offer paid parental leave; among that 36 percent, they pay an average 92% of regular wages for an average of 9 weeks

Additional details in the full report:

  • Insurance benefits
  • Retirement contributions
  • Full compensation data for these positions: Executive Director/CEO, Editor-in-Chief/Executive Editor, Development Director, Managing Editor, Engagement Editor, Editor, Beat Reporter, Reporter, Data Journalist, Visual Journalist, Membership Manager

This survey was conducted by Pearl Meyer, a nationally-recognized advisor to Boards and senior management teams in the areas of compensation strategy and design.

Cost
  • Members that participated in INN Index and the compensation study: Free
  • Startups that become members or are provisional members of INN (defined as organizations launched in the past 18 months): $100
  • New members (joined after the compensation study was completed): $200
  • Members who completed the most recent INN Index but skipped the compensation study: $400
  • Members who skipped both the most recent INN Index and the compensation study: $600
  • Non-members: $800

If you'd like to purchase this study, please contact Chief Network Officer Jonathan Kealing at jonathan@inn.org.