2023 salary guide for HK PR and comms professionals across different organisations

The demand for talent has surged significantly in Hong Kong as 42% of respondents in Hong Kong have worked for not more than two years in their current roles, while 76% of respondents across every age group, industry, market and seniority level, plan to look for new career prospects, according to the Talent Trends 2022 survey findings by Page Insights. 

Meanwhile, 85% of employers find it difficult in finding talent they need in 2023, according to a recent study by ManpowerGroup. In terms of communication services, demand for talent has eclipsed supply where 80% of organisations report difficulty finding the talent they need. A check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE saw on LinkedIn a total of 1,465 public relations-related positions and over 17k communications-related job openings in Hong Kong.

Don't miss: Study: Majority of HK employers have difficulties in finding talent in 2023

Yet, a PR and communication role is still crucial within an organisation as the person manages external and internal communications of the company, which ultimately impacts the brand image and public impression on the company.

In case you’re one of those who are looking for a new job within the PR industry or just being curious about the current pay for different roles, an Instagram page with over 22.3k followers, hkpr_memes, has surveyed over 700 PR workers in Hong Kong and unveiled how much a PR professional in different type of organisations in Hong Kong should be earning in 2023.  

1. Pay for PR and communications roles at local and multinational consultancy firms

According to the survey results, the average annual salary for a PR and communications assistant director or director working at a local consultancy is HK$535k annually, while the average annual salary for the person working for a multinational consultancy firm is as high as HK$711k. Interestingly, the average annual salary for a senior PR manager at a local consultancy is HK$451k, whereas the average annual pay for the person at a multinational consultancy is slightly higher, at HK$497k.

In terms of years of experience, the average salary of a PR person who has worked for a local consultancy for one year receives an average annual salary of HK$249k, whereas a PR person working at a multinational consultancy for one year gets HK$214k annually. For a PR professional who has four to five years of experience, one will get an average salary of HK$323k annually at a local consultancy, while one will get HK$389k annually at a multinational consultancy.

2. Pay for internal PR roles within public and private organisations 

The results also showed that a PR person who has worked for one year at the government or public organisations has the highest average annual salary of HK$273k, when compared to NGOs (HK$241k) and private enterprises (HK$218k).

Meanwhile, a PR professional with four to five years of experience gets the highest average annual pay at the government or public organisations as well (HK$454k), when compared to HK$320k at NGOs and HK$340k at private enterprises.

On the other hand, the survey revealed that a PR veteran who has been in the industry for 16 to 20 years is most well-paid if he or she works at a private enterprise, with the average annual salary at HK$789k, when compared to HK$546k at public organisations.

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