Event Planner Jobs

Event Planner Salary:
How Much Does An Event Planner Earn....?

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Event Planner Salary expectations vary depending on the specific type of event planner job. Because there are so many different categories of event planner jobs, so many sub-segments with in those categories, and so many different types of employers and positions, nailing down a figure to represent the "average" earnings for event planners is virtually impossible to do. This is especially so because while some segments of the industry are very precise about collecting data on incomes in the field, others have little data at all.

Probably because the meeting planning sector of the event planning industry is so incredibly large, it has become very well organized and is extremely proficient at gathering data about the event planners it employs, so we have some very in-depth and reliable information to look at in this area. We'll look at some of that data momentarily.

Salary for Social Event Planners

In the social event sector, actual income data for salaried event planners is much more scarce than it is in the corporate event sector. Generally speaking, income levels for full-time salaried employees in the social sectors of the event planning industry do tend to be lower than those in the corporate event sectors because there are far fewer salaried positions available in that segment of the market (many social event planners are not employees, rather they are self-employed), and because it is a smaller segment of the vast event planning market as a whole.

This is not to say that there is not good money to be made in social event planning or in planning private events - because there is. It may just take a little more patience and persistence before the right opportunity comes along.

As a full-time salaried social event planner, expect to make $20,000 - $40,000 per year. These earnings can vary greatly from one city to another. You'll generally be able to earn more at an event planner job in very large, thriving, metropolitan areas, especially those which have healthy economies and a significant population of affluence. As a self employeed event planner you could earn considerably more, assuming your business is successful, of course.

Salary for Corporate Event Planners

The term corporate event planner is a broad term which takes in all of the various types of events which are not hosted by private individuals. So, a corporate event planner could be a trade show manager or producer; a meeting planner for organizations, associations, or corporations; someone who helps to arrange fashion shows for malls or department stores, or PR events for radio stations or night clubs; or an individual who plans gala evenings for corporations, fundraising purposes, and so on.

The average salary for a corporate event planner is about $39,000. Keep in mind that in order to arrive at an average figure, salaries for all levels of experience are factored into the equation, from entry level to ten or more years of corporate event planning experience. It also takes into account salaries paid by employers of many different types and sizes. Therefore, some event planners may earn significantly higher than this amount, and others might earn significantly lower - at least in the early days of one's career.

Depending on the employer, corporate event planners may be paid either on an annual salary basis, by the hourly rate, or on a salary plus commission or bonus structure. The majority of planners - approximately 70% - are paid a straight salary, while the remaining 30% are split roughly equally between hourly rates of compensation and salary plus commission or bonus structures.

Salaries for Meeting Planners

Because the area of meetings planning is such a huge and important part of the event planning industry as a whole, it has its own professional associations which devote a great deal of effort to carefully studying and analyzing the meeting planning market. As a result, we have some pretty detailed information available with regards to salaries for these types of event planners.

According to 2007 figures for the Professional Meeting and Convention Management Survey, the average meeting and convention planner earns $70,000 per year. Income levels for meeting and convention planners rose by 5.7% in 2007. In fact, income levels have consistently been rising in this sector year after year. In 2000 the average income for meeting and convention planners was $43,993 per year. These numbers illustrate that this is clearly a very lucrative sector of the event planner field. Back in 2000, entry level positions generally earned between $30,000 to $36,000 per year in most parts of the US, with little experience according to meeting industry sources. In 2007, the average entry level meeting planner earned $38,000 with little or no experience.

According to Meeting Professionals International, the break-down of salary levels according to type of employer is as follows (starting with the highest earners).

Average Salaries According To Type of Employer

Corporate Meeting

Convention Planners

Association Meeting

Independent Meeting

University Meeting

Government Meeting Religious Meeting


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© COPYRIGHT 2008 by Leader Lifestyle Media. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE: All information contained on this website is protected by International Copyright Law. It is intended only for the PERSONAL use of individuals who are seeking to find event planner jobs. It is not to be used as a source of information for the creation of any derivitive work. It is not to be republished, reproduced, or recomplied in any form or by any mean;. Any misuse of the information published on this website will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and the names of violators will be published. By using this website you acknowledge that you understand these Terms and Conditions and you agree to abide by these Terms and Conditions of Use. If you do not agree to these Terms and Conditions, of if you do not understand what they mean, do not use this web site.