Question – What should I expect to be paid working in media?

Wondering where your salary expectations should lie when entering a media role? Our career coach gives a little advice on why being specific could help.

Question: What are salaries like in the media industry? Everyone says creative jobs pay badly. – Sabikun, Dhaka

I get a lot of questions like this: What are salaries like in the media industry? What does it take to get a green job? Can I get a job in finance? I want a job in healthcare, etc…

My typical response is to ask students to be more specific. It’s very hard to answer questions about broad, abstract categories like the media industry or the finance sector.

The media industry could include print media, digital media, music, film, TV, radio, podcasts, and more. There are firms of all types working to produce, sell and distribute this media, from tech giants, to disruptive startups, to established organisations that have been around for decades.

There are multiple functions within the industry too. You could be involved in the creative process, you could be involved in the commercial side of the business, you could be involved in the operational side. There will be many sub-functions within these categories.