You want to earn a living in the convention and event planning industry, but are wondering what is the average salary for a convention planner? While salaries vary widely between positions, one thing remains constant: there’s a big difference between averages and actual salaries.
The average salary for a convention planner is $65,000 per year. This is based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
What is the average salary for a convention planner
Introduction
Convention, meeting or event planners organize meetings and events for their employers and clients. Convention planners research locations, create a budget, arrange travel, coordinate accommodations and set up food services. Some plan events in-house for the company hosting the convention or event. Others work for convention planning companies that are hired by external clients to plan special events such as trade shows and conferences.
Convention, meeting or event planners organize meetings and events for their employers and clients.
This is a job that requires a lot of research, coordination and organization.
- Plan the event or meeting. Event planners are responsible for researching locations and arranging travel arrangements. They also coordinate accommodations and set up food services at events as needed.
- Budget for an event or meeting. Some event planners work on commission, so it’s important to know how much your boss expects you to charge before booking their services at an upscale hotel or restaurant in your city or elsewhere around the world (or both).
Convention planners research locations, create a budget, arrange travel, coordinate accommodations and set up food services.
Convention planners research locations, create a budget, arrange travel, coordinate accommodations and set up food services. They may also be responsible for constructing a guest speaker program or speaker honorariums.
In order to become a convention planner, you must have at least an associate’s degree in hospitality or tourism management. Some employers prefer that their planners have bachelor’s degrees as well. You can find programs at local community colleges or large four-year universities that specialize in these fields of study. In addition to your degree, many companies will require you to complete an internship before hiring you full time as a planner.
Bureau of Labor Statistics data indicates that convention planners earned an average salary of $46,840 per year in 2016.
Convention planners earn an average salary of $46,840 per year, which is just over $23 per hour or $11 below the national average for all occupations. This means that convention planners are paid more than 30 percent less than the median wage for all workers in the United States.
In 2016, Bureau of Labor Statistics data indicates that convention planners had a median salary of $52,180 per year. That’s about $25 per hour or about 10 percent less than the national median income for all occupations at this time period.
Conclusion
Convention, meeting and event planners help ensure that conferences, meetings, trade shows and other events run smoothly. They may work for an organization or as freelancers. Convention planners are responsible for researching locations, making travel arrangements, setting up food services and much more. Bureau of Labor Statistics data indicates that convention planners earned an average salary of $46,840 per year in 2016.
