Graduate salaries in the events industry

Promotional prospects are good and with fifteen years’ experience you could be earning over £54,000.

There are plenty of opportunities for graduates looking to build a career in events or conference management. These range from volunteer roles running events such as Oxjam music festivals, which are held to support Oxfam, to entry-level assistant roles – you could even go straight into an event management role if you gained relevant experience during your studies.

Variation of salaries in events

Salaries vary considerably according to employer, location and the industry for which your events are created and run. Some employers will also reward their events staff with commission-based payments and bonuses in addition to their base salary.

The starting salaries of events assistants are typically around £20,000 to £21,000, but may be more or less depending on the size of the company, level of responsibility and experience of the candidate.

Employers that run large specialist events offer higher salaries and conference producers working in this area can earn from around £25,000 to £30,000, depending on experience.

Where to look

A good place to start looking for roles is with charities: Cancer Research UK, for example, hires graduates into events assistant roles. The scheme typically runs from May to September each year and events assistants are paid around £7.50 per hour.

Charities and specialist events companies are not the only place to look – there is demand for events professionals across all industries, including museums. You will find opportunities for careers in events almost anywhere.

You may even find that your own university has events-based vacancies, including events and conference assistant roles, even if only as part-time or seasonal work. It may be worth checking your own campus to see if any such opportunities are available.

How much are events managers paid?

A number of positions advertised as ‘events manager’ actually pay around the same as many events assistant roles. The scope and reach of the events company or other organisation is a key factor in the pay on offer.

It is important not to get too caught up in the wording of job titles: salaries across the industry vary upon employer, industry and the particular requirements of your role. It will be up to you to manage your career and to ensure that you are remunerated at an appropriate level for your experience and knowledge.