What communicators are earning in 2026
Insights from the 2026 Ragan Communications Salary & Workplace Satisfaction Survey.
Communicators are being asked to do more than ever. But most feel their pay isn’t keeping up.
That’s one finding from Ragan’s 2026 Communications Salary & Workplace Satisfaction Survey, along with how communicators feel about their workloads, their job security and the way their teams are changing. The free executive summary shares the eight biggest takeaways, including the average annual salary for communicators.
A few highlights:
- Most communicators feel underpaid. Just over half say their total compensation falls below market for similar roles.
- AI is a mixed bag. For every communicator who says AI has lightened their workload, there’s another who says it has added to it.
- Managers are worried about keeping their best people. More than 40% of managers say they don’t have the budget to retain high-performing employees.
The summary also reveals how this year’s raises stack up against last year’s, how much teams now rely on contractors and feelings on hybrid vs. in-office vs. fully remote work.
Whether you’re benchmarking your own pay, making the case for a bigger budget or trying to hold on to your best people, these findings will help you see where you stand.
Download the free executive summary or purchase the full report.
