Empowerment through insight: INN data can help make setting salaries less of a puzzle

Take two similar reporting jobs, one at a traditional newsroom and one at a nonprofit news outlet. Which one likely has a higher salary? Is one more likely to offer a remote work option and an employee-sponsored medical plan?

The answers may be surprising.

It’s a common misconception that nonprofit news organizations pay less than traditional ones. Data from nonprofit newsrooms that participated in the Institute for Nonprofit News’ most recent Member Compensation Study tell a different story:

Average reporter salaries at those news outlets grew significantly, jumping to $82,943 in 2022 from $58,858 in 2020. That’s much higher than the national average salary for news analysts, reporters and other journalists: $57,500 in 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

As INN gears up to launch our third biennial Compensation Study this summer, let’s take a moment to reflect on the promising stats members reported in 2022.

• 86% offer a paid time off program (up from just over half in 2020), with an average of 19 paid days off plus 12 paid holidays.
• 72% offer an employer-sponsored medical plan.
• 70% offer a dental plan, paying on average 84% of the premiums.

Remote work options at nonprofit news organizations might be another surprise: 99% of the survey respondents say they can work remotely, with 71% citing work and family balance as a rationale.

These figures matter for a number of reasons. With any business, employees are essential to success. For nonprofit news organizations, it’s important to attract and retain talented journalists to produce news reports that audiences want to consume and that funders want to support. It helps to offer competitive salaries and benefits.

The compensation study “is the single most useful point of comparison for compensation for nonprofit newsrooms in both editorial and leadership positions, and as nonprofits, that’s vital data to use internally, to take to our boards, to take to funders, and to make the case for fair and sustainable wages,” said Chris Baxter, CEO and president of Spotlight PA.

It’s not always easy to determine a competitive compensation package without industry insights and other relevant data. How difficult would it be for someone at a small news outlet who is handling several jobs, from HR to daily editing, to find that information? What research might a newsroom leader share to validate a funding request for a new hire?

That’s where INN’s compensation study comes in.

Every two years, INN calls on its membership to respond to a survey about employee compensation and benefits for 16 jobs running from the executive director and CEO to an intern. INN invests time and resources into conducting this study because of the value it brings to nonprofit news outlets.

• Informed salary decisions: Access to accurate and up-to-date compensation data empowers nonprofit newsroom leaders to make informed decisions regarding salary structures and benefits packages. This, in turn, helps attract and retain top talent, ensuring the sustainability and growth of the organizations INN serves.
• Benchmarking and comparison: By participating in the study, organizations gain access to bench-marking data, allowing them to compare their compensation practices with industry standards. With this insight, news outlet leaders can ensure the compensation packages they offer are aligned with market trends.
• Supporting the community: The study isn’t just about individual organizations; it’s about supporting the entire ecosystem of nonprofit news. By contributing to the study, INN members help strengthen the collective understanding of compensation trends, fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing within the nonprofit news community.

INN will launch its third study this summer and release the data later this year. Survey participants get free access to the data, and the study will be publicly available for a fee.