The CR Salary & Market Survey today announced the launch of the 2020 results and report. The largest of its kind, the survey was completed this year by over 1,500 professionals globally, making for compelling and thorough results.

The survey was launched in 2008 by Acre, Carnstone and Flag with the purpose of helping CR & sustainability professionals gain a better understanding of the growing areas of corporate responsibility and sustainability, and how sustainability fits into the modern business landscape.

Now in its 12th year, it’s more important than ever to raise awareness about the importance of sustainability within corporate organisations along with the impact the sector has on society and the environment.

The survey provides a snapshot on the following topics:

• Diversity in the workplace and the gender pay gap
• Key competencies required in the profession
• An understanding of the varied backgrounds of CR & sustainability professionals
• Career progression within CR & sustainability
• Benchmark salaries and benefits by sector, location, gender and seniority

Here are the key highlights:

• Salaries globally have risen substantially: the mean salary has increased by 21% (2018: £63k to 2020: £76k); the mode has moved from £30k–£50k (where it’s been since 2012) to £50k–£75k; and the global median rose by £10,000 to £62,500.
• North America continues to offer the highest average salaries – at around £112,000 (US$ 140,000) for in-house roles and £100,000 (US$ 125,000) for consultants.
• As with all our previous surveys, average salaries continue to be higher for those working in-house than for consultants with the gap widening to £16,000 this year;
• Overall, just below two thirds of respondents received a bonus, which was similar to last time.
• 90% of respondents have either an undergraduate and/or postgraduate degree. The number of people undertaking postgraduate courses has also increased over 10%, from 61% in 2018 to 68% this year.
• MBAs have also increased in popularity year-on-year among respondents, with 14% of respondents this year having one, versus 11% in 2018 and 9% in 2016.
• On average, the duration of careers within CR&S has lengthened since 2018: there are fewer people having worked for less than two years and for 2–5 years, but more people having worked for more than five years in the sector.
• The level of commitment to corporate responsibility among senior executives has risen by 7% since 2018.
• Over a quarter of respondents were very satisfied with their jobs, with a further 52% declaring themselves to be satisfied.
• The survey continues to highlight disparities in the levels of remuneration and seniority (especially for consultants) between men and women.

The 2020 CR Salary & Market Survey Report is now available to download for free - please get your copy here.