By Chandra Turner
The first one — brace yourself, you’re not going to like it — is getting out of ad-supported media. If you haven’t already been laid off in your traditional media role, chances are you’re doing more work for the same pay. But take a peek at The Other Side: 70% of editors who leave traditional media report making more money, and 49% of those say they are making “a lot,” more according to my 2024 Hiring Report survey results.
The second secret? Know your worth. For that, there has to be salary transparency. Many states and cities have passed laws in the last couple of years (notably Colorado, California and New York City) requiring companies to include a salary range in their job postings. The curtain has been pulled back, and we can see what our peers are making. As part of my hiring survey (but just now released), I asked editors about the effect of these laws:
- 96% believe salary transparency laws are good for our industry overall.
- 37% say that the laws made them realize they were underpaid.
- 32% say seeing their peers’ salaries drove them to seek a higher-paying role.
- 42% say it drove them to ask for a raise. Amazingly, of those who asked, 24% got one — woo hoo!
Of course, money isn’t everything. Editors consistently tell me that they are willing to take a lower salary if a role offers the trifecta: a good work-life balance, supportive management, and job security. Which brings me back to secret #1 and those editors who pivoted out of traditional media. In addition to making more money, 68% have a more flexible work schedule, 49% are working more remote hours, and 22% work less hours altogether.
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