Highlights from the C2HR Compensation Survey Results
C2HR’s Annual Compensation Surveys revealed that pay at connectivity companies increased steadily, with sales capturing the largest raises. Among content developers, compensation growth was more subdued than last year. Base salary increases were strong, but bonuses lagged.
The 2023 C2HR Compensation Surveys also showed that content developers remunerated critical jobs in production management, library management, market research and media relations with substantial pay raises – two to four times the national average. Customer care reps once again claimed “hot job” status at connectivity companies, as did software engineers, with both job families reaping large salary increases.
“Despite ongoing economic uncertainty, industry employers continued to steadily increase employee pay in 2023,” commented Parthavi Das, C2HR’s Executive Director. “C2HR’s Compensation Surveys ensure that participants have the data they need to build competitive compensation strategies even in tight labor markets.”
Steady Raises for Connectivity Providers
C2HR’s Annual Compensation Surveys revealed that average 2023 merit increases, which are part of company salary adjustment budgets, were 3.8% for connectivity companies and 3.3% for content developers, below the national average of 4.4%.
Salaried employees achieved 3.1% TDC gains, nearly on par with 2022’s 3.3% TDC. Of note, base pay for salaried workers rose on average 3.9% in 2023, which was higher than last year’s 3.4% increase in base. Hourly workers also accrued gains – TDC rose 5.6%, up from 4.1%; and sales climbed 11.1%, up from 5.3% in 2022. Once again, much of this increase – 8.4% – came in base pay raises for sales. (See Figure 1)
“Employees entering a career in sales, especially in years one through five, don’t want to take the financial risk of low base salary plus bonus for early career roles,” explained Hali Croner, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Croner Company, the research and compensation consulting firm that conducted the surveys for C2HR.
Thirteen connectivity companies participated in the survey, including multiple system operators, satellite providers and home security companies. Together, they represent 126,380 employees. (See list)
Modest Pay Growth for Content Developers
2023 compensation growth for content developers was markedly slower than the banner increases of last year. Executives achieved 2023 TDC increases averaging 2.6%, compared to 11.6% in 2022. Most of that reduction came from smaller bonus and equity distributions. (See Figure 2)
In addition, middle management achieved 3.8% TDC raises down from 7.3% in 2022. At a 5.2% increase, TDC for professional individual contributors (ICs) (non-managers) nearly met last year’s 5.3%; and operating IC/support personnel garnered 3.7% TDC bumps in 2023, versus 6% in 2022.
Thirty-eight content developers, employing 29,938 workers and representing a mix of cable programmers; television, satellite and radio broadcasters; and digital content creators, participated in C2HR’s 2023 Compensation Surveys. (See list)
Most Bonuses Below Target
In contrast to 2022’s exuberant bonuses, shifting consumer priorities, high inflation and changing viewership negatively impacted bonus awards at both connectivity and content companies. Nearly all job levels reported bonuses under their target, some by as much as 11%.
Ad sales personnel at content creators also missed targets. Total cash compensation for ad sales personnel fell 5.8% this year.
“In terms of compensation, companies are coming off of a down year. Pay did not increase as high, and bonuses were much more mixed,” noted Croner.
Value of Survey Data
In this era of greater pay transparency, spotlight on equity and ongoing competition for talent, C2HR’s Compensation Survey data helps participants target shrinking resources to where they will have the biggest impact.
“If we identify an area where we are struggling to recruit or retain, the survey helps us look at facts, rather than emotions,” explained Alicia Hayden Soto, V.P., Human Resources & Office Services, MLB Network. “It gives us a baseline, and we can determine from there what is important to us.”
“You don’t have to rely on opinions, assumptions and the like. You can consider just the facts. In a world that should be fair, equitable and neutral — like compensation — that really matters,” Hayden Soto added.
Ann McGlennen, Chief Human Resources Officer at Midco, noted that survey data “ensures that our salary structures are competitive and aligned with industry standards and enables us to attract and retain the best talent.”
The surveys also help companies spot trends. “The paired comparison data is especially helpful,” said Jenny Striebich, Lead Compensation Analyst at E.W. Scripps Co.
If compensation for a particular job spikes, survey data enables participants to examine trends for a position across multiple years. “The survey allows us to see that growth is steady year over year before we make a change,” Striebich added.
Benchmarks, such as such as those provided by C2HR’s Annual Compensation Surveys, are critical in to setting competitive and appropriate salaries. Research by the Harvard Business Review reported that without access to benchmarks, companies had an 11.6% chance that they would select the “right” salary (i.e., within a 5% band of the average for a particular position), but with access, the probability increased two-fold – to 22.1%. In addition, benchmarks help companies from paying too much – and avoiding waste – or too little – and risking attrition. Additional uses for benchmark data include setting the pay of new hires, salary negotiations, setting ranges for specific jobs, and setting the salary for a job advertisement.
Methodology
C2HR’s 2023 Compensation Surveys included 51 participants. Companies included 13 connectivity providers and 38 content developers (see the attached 2023 participant list). The survey results are industry-specific, providing an in-depth analysis of pay practices for roughly 126,380 connectivity employees and 29,938 content workers, including both exempt and nonexempt positions ranging from technicians to top executives. Participants submitted data reflecting 2023 budgets, base compensation figures, bonuses and incentives. For additional information on the survey’s methodology or to participate in C2HR’s 2024 Compensation Surveys, please contact Laurie Krashanoff, or call 415.485.5521.
2023 C2HR Content Developers
Compensation Survey Participants
Altice USA Inc.
Amazon.com Inc.
Reporting for: Amazon Prime Video
AMC Networks Inc.
AT&T
BBC Studios Americas Inc.
Charter Communications Inc.
DIRECTV LLC
Disney General Entertainment Content
Reporting for: ABC
Disney General Entertainment Content
Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution
ESPN Inc.
FanDuel Group
Reporting for: FanDuel TV
Fox Corporation
Reporting for: FOX
Fox Corporation
Group Black Inc.
Hallmark Media
INSP LLC
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA
Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.
Reporting for: Starz
MLB Network LLC
National Basketball Association
National Football League
NBCUniversal Media LLC
Reporting for: NBC
NBCUniversal Media LLC |
New England Sports Network (NESN)
New York Public Radio (NYPR)
Paramount Global
Reporting for: CBS
Paramount Global
PGA Tour Inc.
Playfly Sports LLC
Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)
Riot Games Inc.
Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.
TelevisaUnivision Inc.
The E.W. Scripps Company
Reporting for: Scripps Networks
Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.
WETA
Reporting for: WETA and NewsHour Productions
WGBH Educational Foundation (GBH)
2023 C2HR Connectivity Providers
Compensation Survey Participants
Altice USA Inc.
Astound Broadband
Cable One Inc.
Charter Communications Inc.
Comcast Cable Communications Inc.
Connect Holding LLC (dba Brightspeed)
Cox Communications Inc.
DIRECTV LLC
Google Fiber Inc.
Mediacom Communications Corporation
Midco
TDS Telecom
WOW! Internet, Cable & Phone |
