NPOA Study Reveals Printing Industry Wages in Key Positions Surveyed Have Stagnated or Decreased
MELBOURNE, FL—July 29, 2014—Early results of the National Print Owners Association (NPOA) "2014-2015 Wage & Benefits Study" show that of the 19 key positions covered in this study, wages have either dropped or remained stagnant for 13 of these positions when compared to the wages reported in early 2012. As an example, average wages for “General Managers” dropped from $28.60 in 2012 to $26.19 in 2014—an 8.4 percent decline. Wages for “Customer Services Supervisors” fell 5.9 percent from $19.54 to $18.40 and wages for “Senior Graphics & Digital” operators remained virtually stagnant at $19.23.
“The drop or stagnation in wages are not flukes or reflections of differences in data bases,” according to study author and NPOA Executive Director John Stewart. “Rather they are clear indications that, for whatever reason, owners have chosen to freeze wages during the past 26 months.”
The only exceptions appear in wage classifications dealing with either “mailing” or “signs and large-format” where wages have increased 5.7 percent on average. In addition to wages and salaries, owners also reported bonuses with the highest average bonus of almost $5,200 going to "General Managers."
The final study will not be available until early August, but other preliminary findings show that approximately 54 percent of employers continue to offer healthcare coverage to their employees, with employers picking up approximately 70 percent of the premium costs. Participants reported spending approximately 2.96 percent of their annual sales on healthcare benefits. Only 5 percent of all respondents indicated they were participating in or taking advantage of the U.S. Government’s Health Insurance Exchange programs.
As for vacation, personal leave, and sick days being offered, approximately 50 percent of all respondents now group these three categories into one and offer, on average, 8.4 days during the 1st year of employment, with that number rising to 15.2 days after five years, and 17.4 days after 10 years. Approximately 40 percent of survey participants reported employing at least one outside sales representative and average annual sales for companies utilizing sales representatives was $1,865,000.
The final study will also feature a variety of sorts and graphs, including sorts based upon annual sales and profitability. The NPOA 2014-2015 Wages & Benefits Study will be free to all study participants and available for sale with a member price of $117 and a non-member price of $195. For more information visit, www.printowners.org.
About NPOA
NPOA is dedicated to delivering products and services that enhance the growth and profitability of its small commercial print members including advocacy, educational programs, publications, research, and the sharing of technical information. Since its founding in mid-December 2012, it has reached the 400-member mark with a goal of 450 by the end of 2014. The Second Annual NPOA Spring Owners Conference was held February 27 to March 2, 2014 in Fort Lauderdale, FL, and attracted 150 members, vendors, and guests—an increase of 15 percent over 2013. The 2015 National Owners Conference will be held in Orlando, FL from Thursday April 16 through Saturday April 18 at the Buena Vista Palace Hotel overlooking Downtown Disney.
Source: NPOA.
