2020 Progressive Data, Analytics, and Technology Salary Survey
Amit Mistry, Cristina Sinclaire, Lena Tom, Mahelet Fekade, and Olivia Robinson
5/3/2021
Executive Summary
About the Survey:
This survey was administered in January and February 2021 to progressive and Democratic data, analytics, and technology staff, largely reflecting respondents’ 2020 employment and salaries. Thanks to everyone who participated and/or shared the survey! This was the largest sample yet.
How to use the results
There were 608 respondents recruited using snowball sampling. The survey was announced on a few major progressive and Democratic political and/or data email listservs and Slack channels, and readers were encouraged to share the survey around their offices and networks. This should not be considered a representative sample of all people working in the industry. The n-size and results as compared to previous year surveys’ offer some consistency, particularly at the aggregate level, but some experiences may not be represented.
This survey may be useful in evaluating salaries and roles of individuals or workplaces, but a survey of this kind should be used with care – your experience may be different.
Early salary surveys had heavy response rates among certain demographics, while more recent years have seen some notable shifts. We should be cautious in making assumptions about these demographic shifts. The survey is anonymous, and we are not able to make assessments about non-respondents. Some data has been obscured in this report due to small n-sizes to protect anonymization (such as among certain demographic categories).
Finally, although useful to benchmark, employers should NOT determine a role’s salary based on this survey alone.
We’ve highlighted some findings of interest, but strongly encourage you to review the full analysis.
Gender: About half of respondents were cis women (49%). 43% were cis men. Seven percent were trans or non-binary.
Respondents were 64% white. This is a notable change from the last survey (2018) where 76% of respondents were white.
The median age was 30, while 36% were between ages 25 and 29.
Slightly fewer than half of respondents’ (47%) families have been in the United States for fewer than three generations.
62% of respondents identified as heterosexual/straight.
57% of respondents have a bachelor’s degree; 39% reported a degree higher than a bachelor’s.
15% report having a disability (defined as “a physical or mental impairment or medical condition that substantially limits a major life activity”).
35% of respondents live in the DC area, followed by New York metro area at 8% and Chicago metro area at 6%.
Nearly all respondents (96%) were fully employed during the 2020 election cycle.
Salary: The median salary was $88,000 and the average salary was $94,571.
The 2020 salary survey reflects the first notable increase in both median and average salaries since the start of this survey in 2014. The five past salary surveys have had a median salary of ~$75,000, +/- $5,000. There are likely multiple factors at play, however this survey did not aim to identify the causes.
Compared to non-managers, managers with 1-4 staffers had a median salary of ~$20K more and managers with 5+ staff had a median salary of ~$40K more.
People of color have a median salary of $85K versus white people’s median salary of $90K. This racial salary gap is notably smaller than in previous surveys.
Cis men and cis women had similar median salaries ($90K and $88K respectively). Trans and nonbinary people had a lower median salary ($72,250) than their cis colleagues, but we do not have enough disaggregated data from past surveys to make any comparisons.
Heterosexual people have a median salary of $90K and queer people have a median of $85K, however average salaries across respondents is essentially the same.
People with disabilities have median salaries of $15K less than non-disabled people, consistent with previous years.
Entry-level employees had a median salary of $68,000 (approximately $9K higher compared to 2018); mid-level employees $82,000 (~$8K higher); and senior / department-head employees $110,000 (~$10K higher).
Within the last year, a majority of respondents have either transformed data/generated reports with SQL (74%), managed and reviewed others’ analysis or work (70%), created voter contact universes (59%), or presented the results of an analysis for non-technical leadership (59%).
Almost 80% of respondents learned the skills and tools they use weekly at their current and/or previous job.
A majority of respondents consider themselves to be either “intermediate” or “advanced” with Excel/Google spreadsheets (93%), SQL (73%), and voter file management (65%).
Among respondents, 48% said the primary focus of their organization was data, analytics, or technology. This jumped to 92% for their team and 95% for their role.
Respondents work at a variety of organizations, with analytics/polling firms (18%), issue or advocacy organizations (17%), vendors (13%), and political campaigns (9%) making a majority of the organizations represented.
A majority of respondents’ primary job function or primary function of their team was general analytics or data science (22%), general data management and reporting (19%), or field/grassroots-focused data (11%).
39% of respondents are managers. The likelihood of being a manager did not meaningfully vary by race and/or gender.
Other Findings:
If respondents were to leave the progressive/Democratic data space, the top reasons were: for a better-paying job (39%); for a better work/life balance (27%); because they feel stagnated or that there isn’t a clear next step in their career (26%); for better opportunities to learn and grow in other fields (24%); or due to burn out (22%).
59% of respondents worked somewhere that provided additional benefits due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
People of Color (POC) include those who identified as Black, Latinx, Hispanic, Asian, Native, and people who selected multiple race categories. We report differences between POC and White respondents here to preserve anonymity.
We use gender bins of Cis Man, Cis Woman, and Trans/Nonbinary in order to surface the areas where Trans respondents are underpaid relative to Cisgender respondents of the same gender.
Respondent Charateristics
Demographic Information
Gender
What is your gender identity?
Proportion
N
Cis woman
49%
297
Cis man
43%
259
Gender non-binary or non-conforming
5%
33
Trans man
1%
5
Different gender identity, prefer to specify
1%
4
Trans woman
0%
2
Prefer not to answer
1%
8
Race / Ethnicity
What is your race / ethnicity? Please select all that apply.
Proportion
N
White
64%
390
Asian or Asian American (including South Asian)
13%
77
Multi-Racial
10%
63
Hispanic or Latinx
5%
33
Black
5%
30
Prefer not to answer
1%
6
Middle Eastern
1%
5
Other
0%
3
Native American
0%
1
Immigration Status
How long have you or your family lived in the United States?
Proportion
N
I’m the first generation in the United States
11%
67
One or more of my parents immigrated to the United States
20%
120
One or more of my grandparents immigrated to the United States
16%
95
My family has been in the United States for 3 generations or more
52%
314
None of the above
1%
9
Prefer not to answer
0%
3
Age
2020 - What is your year (YYYY) of birth?
Proportion
N
20-24
10%
60
25-29
36%
221
30-34
28%
170
35-39
16%
96
40-44
6%
35
45-49
2%
12
50-54
2%
11
55-59
0%
2
60+
0%
1
Sexuality
Do you consider yourself to be …?
Proportion
N
Heterosexual/straight
62%
379
Bisexual
14%
86
Queer
10%
63
Gay or Lesbian
9%
53
Different identity, prefer to specify
1%
6
Prefer not to answer
3%
21
Disability
Do you identify as a disabled? You are considered to have a disability if you have a physical or mental impairment or medical condition that substantially limits a major life activity, or if you have a history or record of such an impairment or medical condition.
Proportion
N
Yes, I have or previously had a disability
15%
90
No, I don’t have a disability
80%
484
Other
2%
12
Prefer not to answer
4%
22
Military Status
Are you a member of the military or a veteran?
Proportion
N
Yes, Reserve/National Guard
0%
2
Yes, Veteran
1%
5
No
98%
598
Prefer not to answer
0%
3
Education
What is the highest level of education that you have completed?
Proportion
N
High School Diploma or GED
3%
17
Associate’s Degree
1%
4
Bachelor’s Degree
57%
344
Post-bachelor’s Work, no Higher Degree
7%
45
Master’s or Professional Degree (MA, MPP, JD, etc.)
28%
172
Doctoral Degree (PhD)
4%
23
Other
0%
2
Prefer not to answer
0%
1
Geography
Country
What country do you live in?
Proportion
N
United States
99%
603
Australia
0%
1
Canada
0%
1
France
0%
1
Spain
0%
1
Turkey
0%
1
Area
What’s your zip code? [only asked to US respondents, responses coded to Census metropolitan areas]
Proportion
N
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
35%
214
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
8%
51
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
6%
39
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
4%
26
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
3%
21
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
3%
20
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
2%
14
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
2%
13
Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX
2%
11
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA
2%
10
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO
1%
9
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
1%
8
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
1%
8
Raleigh-Cary, NC
1%
8
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
1%
6
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
1%
5
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
1%
5
Other (less than 5 people in metro area)
20%
122
Missing
3%
18
Work Experience
Politics & Data
How many years of work experience do you have in progressive politics and in data, analytics, and technology (i.e., how many years have you been a progressive data, analytics, or technology practitioner)?
Politics, Not Data
How many years of work experience do you have in progressive politics but not in data, analytics, and technology (i.e., exclude any years worked in data, analytics, and technology)?
Data, Not Politics
How many years of work experience do you have in data, analytics, and technology but not in progressive politics (i.e., exclude any years worked in progressive politics)?
Total
Employment Status
Current Status
What is your current employment status (as of January 2021)? Select all that apply.
Proportion
N
Full-time at one or more jobs
82%
500
Unemployed
11%
64
Freelance / contracting / self-employed
8%
49
In school
1%
8
Part-time at one or more jobs
1%
5
Other
0%
0
During 2020 election cycle
What was your employment status during the 2020 election cycle? Select all that apply.
Proportion
N
Full-time at one or more jobs
96%
585
Freelance / contracting / self-employed
7%
41
In school
2%
13
Part-time at one or more jobs
1%
8
Other
0%
1
Unemployed
0%
0
Involvement in Data/Analytics/Tech
Is the primary focus (>40% of resources) of your organization data, analytics, or technology?
Is the primary focus (>40% of resources) of your team data, analytics, or technology?
Is the primary focus (>40% of time) of your role data, analytics or technology?
Job Characteristics
Organization Type
How would you describe the organization?
Proportion
N
Analytics / Polling firm
18%
110
Issue or advocacy organization
17%
101
Vendor (i.e. technology vendor)
13%
82
Political campaign
9%
57
Non-issue-specific Independent Expenditure group (i.e. Super PAC or c4 organization)
9%
56
Party committee
8%
49
Labor union
7%
44
Other consulting firm (media, field, digital, etc.)
7%
42
Government agency, contractor, or related employer
4%
25
Other
7%
42
Primary Job Function
What is your primary job function? If in management, please indicate the primary job function of your team.
Proportion
N
General analytics or data science
22%
135
General data management and reporting
19%
114
Field / grassroots-focused data (e.g. VAN admin)
11%
68
Data infrastructure and processing
10%
59
Engineering / software development
9%
54
Polling and Research
7%
42
Consulting / client relations
7%
40
Product / Project management
6%
37
Digital data and analytics
3%
19
Development / fundraising-focused data
2%
11
Other
5%
29
Seniority
How would you describe your level of seniority within the organization?
Proportion
N
Entry-Level
15%
90
Mid-Level
41%
249
Senior-Level, but not Department Head
21%
129
Department Head
16%
98
Organization Head, President or C-Level
5%
29
Other
0%
2
Freelance
2%
11
In the appendix, you can view seniority by gender and race.
Management
How many staffers do you manage? Please include everyone who reports “up the chain” to you, both directly or through layer(s) of management.
Proportion
N
0 staffers
61%
370
1-4 staffers
26%
156
5-9 staffers
8%
46
10-14 staffers
2%
14
More than 15 staffers
4%
22
In the appendix, you can view management by gender and race.
Time Writing Code
What percentage of your time do you spend directly conducting analysis or writing code - as opposed to other work such as communicating with external partners or managing staff?
Overall
By Seniority
By Job Type
Salary Overview
In US Dollars, what is your total expected annual pre-tax income, including bonuses or commissions? This figure may be salaried or unsalaried.
Category
N
Mean
Median
All
608
$94,571
$88,000
Salary Distribution
Proportion
N
Under $45,000
3%
16
$45,000 to $49,999
1%
9
$50,000 to $54,999
4%
25
$55,000 to $59,999
3%
21
$60,000 to $64,999
6%
35
$65,000 to $69,999
6%
34
$70,000 to $74,999
7%
44
$75,000 to $79,999
6%
36
$80,000 to $84,999
6%
37
$85,000 to $89,999
9%
56
$90,000 to $94,999
6%
37
$95,000 to $99,999
5%
31
$100,000 to $104,999
6%
34
$105,000 to $109,999
4%
26
$110,000 to $114,999
4%
22
$115,000 to $119,999
3%
17
$120,000 to $124,999
3%
21
$125,000 to $129,999
2%
15
$130,000 to $134,999
2%
13
$135,000 to $139,999
1%
5
$140,000 to $144,999
2%
10
$145,000 to $149,999
2%
11
$150,000 to $154,999
2%
11
$155,000 to $159,999
1%
6
$160,000 to $164,999
1%
8
$165,000 to $169,999
1%
4
$170,000 to $174,999
1%
4
$175,000 to $179,999
1%
4
$180,000 to $184,999
0%
1
$185,000 to $189,999
0%
1
$190,000 to $194,999
0%
1
$200,000+
2%
13
Benefits
Which of the following benefits are you personally eligible for? Select all that apply.
Proportion
N
Health insurance
92%
557
Paid vacation days
90%
550
Paid sick days
87%
528
Retirement plan (401(k), 403(b), IRA, etc.)
75%
456
Paid parental leave
60%
362
Ability to work remotely (pre pandemic)
50%
304
Cell phone and/or internet reimbursement
49%
296
Continuing education / professional development
45%
274
Other
14%
83
Pension
10%
58
Stock / Equity in organization
6%
36
Day care
3%
21
None of the above
3%
17
Negotiation
Try Negotiate
During your last job offer or performance review, did you try to negotiate your salary?
Proportion
N
Yes
36%
219
No
51%
310
Not applicable (union, freelancer, etc.)
13%
79
In the appendix, you can view negotiation outcomes by gender and race.
Negotiation Successful
Was your negotiation successful? Please select all that apply. [only asked to respondents who attempted a negotiation]
Proportion
N
Yes, I increased my benefits
6%
14
Yes, I increased my compensation
74%
161
Yes, I improved my title
18%
39
No, I did not gain improved compensation, benefits or title
24%
52
In the appendix, you can view negotiation outcomes by gender and race.
Professional Development
Opportunity
Does your employer offer any career development opportunities?
Proportion
N
Yes
50%
302
Yes, but I am not eligible
3%
16
No
23%
140
Not sure
25%
150
Available
What types of employer-funded professional development opportunities are available to you? Please select all that apply. [only asked to respondents who are offered career development opportunities]
Proportion
N
Attending a conference or similar event
81%
244
Attending off-site trainings
67%
202
Buying books or other training materials
62%
187
Presenting on a work project at a conference or similar event
56%
170
One-on-one or small group training on work time
49%
148
Receiving a professional certification
44%
132
Other professional development resources not mentioned above
30%
92
Tuition reimbursement
27%
81
Used
Which of these professional development opportunities have you used? Please select all that apply. [only asked to respondents who are offered career development opportunities]
Proportion
N
Attending a conference or similar event
56%
166
Attending off-site trainings
34%
100
Buying books or other training materials
33%
99
Presenting on a work project at a conference or similar event
27%
79
One-on-one or small group training on work time
27%
79
Haven’t used any
16%
49
Other professional development resources not mentioned above
14%
41
Receiving a professional certification
11%
32
Tuition reimbursement
6%
18
Open-Ended
Thinking about your career path and focus, which one specific skill or tool do you most want to learn?
Responses to this question included data visualization, GIS/mapping, working with APIs, management, modeling, and python.
Salary Crosstabs
In all of the following crosstabs, salary information is excluded for groups with fewer than 5 people.
Respondent Characteristics
Gender
Category
N
Mean
Median
Cis Woman
297
$94,844
$88,000
Cis Man
259
$96,093
$90,000
Trans or Nonbinary
44
$79,712
$72,250
Prefer not to answer
8
$116,920
$112,500
Race
Category
N
Mean
Median
White
390
$96,928
$90,000
POC/Other
212
$89,658
$85,000
Prefer not to answer
6
$115,000
$105,000
Race x Gender
Category
N
Mean
Median
White | Cis Woman
191
$96,219
$88,000
White | Cis Man
173
$99,623
$92,000
POC/Other | Cis Woman
105
$92,339
$85,000
POC/Other | Cis Man
85
$88,922
$87,600
White | Trans or Nonbinary
23
$83,863
$77,000
POC/Other | Trans or Nonbinary
21
$75,166
$70,000
Age
Category
N
Mean
Median
20-24
60
$64,876
$65,000
25-29
221
$84,931
$84,000
30-34
170
$101,764
$100,000
35-39
96
$107,428
$98,000
40-44
35
$129,300
$122,000
45-49
12
$111,591
$91,047
50-54
11
$95,691
$92,000
Sexuality
Category
N
Mean
Median
Heterosexual
379
$95,603
$90,000
Queer
208
$93,077
$85,000
Prefer not to answer
21
$90,762
$87,000
Disability
Category
N
Mean
Median
Yes, I have or previously had a disability
90
$87,787
$76,938
No, I don’t have a disability
484
$95,945
$89,500
Other
12
$81,113
$80,000
Prefer not to answer
22
$99,450
$95,000
Education
Category
N
Mean
Median
High School Diploma or GED
17
$95,102
$90,000
Bachelor’s Degree
344
$90,533
$85,000
Post-bachelor’s Work, no Higher Degree
45
$96,406
$89,000
Master’s or Professional Degree (MA, MPP, JD, etc.)
172
$98,604
$91,500
Doctoral Degree (PhD)
23
$117,217
$105,000
Work Experience
Job Characteristics
Organization
Category
N
Mean
Median
Analytics / Polling firm
110
$96,428
$89,500
Issue or advocacy organization
101
$82,552
$80,000
Vendor (i.e. technology vendor)
82
$106,450
$98,500
Political campaign
57
$82,671
$85,000
Non-issue-specific Independent Expenditure group (i.e. Super PAC or c4 organization)
56
$87,804
$82,000
Party committee
49
$86,819
$80,000
Labor union
44
$99,886
$100,725
Other
42
$102,587
$90,354
Other consulting firm (media, field, digital, etc.)
42
$109,044
$100,000
Government agency, contractor, or related employer
25
$106,350
$100,000
Seniority
Category
N
Mean
Median
Entry-Level
90
$69,269
$68,250
Mid-Level
249
$83,822
$82,000
Senior-Level
256
$113,631
$110,000
Freelance
11
$95,348
$90,708
In the appendix, you can view salary by more granular seniority categories.
Management
Category
N
Mean
Median
0 staffers
370
$84,926
$80,000
1-4 staffers
156
$103,065
$98,000
5+ staffers
82
$121,934
$120,000
In the appendix, you can view salary by more granular management categories.
Primary Job Function
Category
N
Mean
Median
General analytics or data science
135
$99,666
$93,000
General data management and reporting
114
$82,187
$75,956
Field / grassroots-focused data (e.g. VAN admin)
68
$71,067
$71,000
Data infrastructure and processing
59
$91,433
$86,500
Engineering / software development
54
$114,526
$112,000
Polling and Research
42
$94,798
$90,000
Consulting / client relations
40
$112,291
$101,350
Product / Project management
37
$105,097
$105,000
Other
29
$114,205
$108,000
Digital data and analytics
19
$90,554
$85,000
Development / fundraising-focused data
11
$79,030
$80,000
Skills + Tools
Tools
How comfortable are you with the following skills and tools?
Never used this before: Maybe you’ve heard of this tool, but you’ve never used it directly in or outside of work
Introductory: You have maybe read about it or completed a tutorial, but you haven’t used this in a major project
Novice: You’ve used this a few times or use it at work, but you’re still learning how it works
Intermediate: You feel comfortable using this tool on your own
Advanced: You are at home using this tool, are comfortable teaching or QCing others, or could lead a training on this topic
Skill Level
This graph displays the full distribution of responses to skill level. Responses are ordered by the proportion of respondents who have used the tool before.
Exposure
This graph displays the proportion of people who selected “Never used this before” versus any of the other options. Responses are ordered by the proportion of respondents who have used the tool before.
Comfort
This graph displays the proportion of people who selected “Intermediate” or “Advanced” versus any of the other options. Responses are ordered by the proportion of respondents who are comfortable with using the tool.
Skills
Which of the following items have you personally done in the last year? Please select all that apply.
Build data pipelines via API endpoints or other scripting
41%
249
Design, implement, and analyze an experiment (field, survey, digital, etc.)
38%
234
Run regressions and other analysis using a statistical package
34%
209
Manage the development of a software product
27%
166
Write, field, and analyze a poll for your organization or clients
25%
152
Build a predictive model (turnout, support, issue, action, etc).
24%
145
Set up a server, deploy code to a production environment, or other DevOps work
21%
126
Write code for a large-scale software project, such as a web application
20%
123
None of the above
5%
31
Management
Proportion
N
Manage and review others’ analysis or work
70%
428
Present the results of a poll, experiment, model, or another analysis for non-technical leadership
59%
360
Pitch a project to a funder or member of senior leadership
39%
238
Hire or fire staff
36%
218
Coordinate a group of organizations to coordinate or collaborate on program
34%
207
Create a professional development plan for others
23%
142
None of the above
13%
79
Learn
How did you learn the skills and tools you use weekly for your job? Please pick your top two options
Proportion
N
Self-taught in a job
78%
475
Taught by others in a job
44%
265
Learned in a formal education setting
30%
181
Learned in a training or bootcamp
21%
129
Self-taught outside of a job
20%
123
Taught by others outside of a job
2%
12
Open-Ended
Please describe any other major components of your work.
Responses to this question included building dashboards, managing client relations, CRM management, project management, and trainings.
Career Plans
Next Steps
Which of the following most accurately describes the next step you would like to take to advance your career? Please select all that apply.
Proportion
N
Learn new skills or tools related to data, analytics, and technology
58%
353
Move into management or a more senior management role
41%
247
Work on more interesting/important projects as an individual contributor (i.e., not a manager)
32%
197
Stay in a similar role but move to another organization
29%
179
I’m happy where I am
16%
95
Leave the progressive/Democratic space
14%
87
Stay in the progressive/Democratic space but move out of data, analytics, and technology
10%
61
Start my own organization
7%
44
Other
5%
30
Plans to Leave
Are you planning to leave your organization within the next year?
Proportion
N
I plan to actively look for new opportunities
19%
118
I might leave, but I’m not sure
22%
133
I’m not planning to leave
38%
228
My current job / contract ends within the next 12 months
9%
52
I am currently unemployed
13%
77
Why leaving
If you were to leave the progressive/Democratic data space in the next year, what would lead to that decision? Please select your top two reasons.
Proportion
N
Better paying job
39%
239
Better work/life balance
27%
162
Stagnated or feel like there isn’t a clear next step in your career
26%
158
Better opportunities to learn and grow in other fields
24%
146
Burned out
22%
135
More job and/or pay stability
15%
89
Going back to school/other further education options
12%
74
Hostile workplace environment(s)
7%
43
Prefer not to answer
6%
36
Better benefits
5%
30
Expect to be in one year
Where do you want or expect to be working a year from now? Select all that apply. [only asked to respondents who are either looking for new opportunities, might leave, on a job / contract that ends within the next 12 months, or currently unemployed]
Proportion
N
Issue or advocacy organization
51%
194
Analytics / Polling firm
37%
139
Government
32%
120
Vendor (i.e. technology vendor)
29%
110
Political campaign
28%
108
Other consulting firm (media, field, digital, etc)
26%
100
Non-issue-specific Independent Expenditure group (i.e. PAC or c4 organization)
26%
100
Labor union
24%
90
Other
23%
89
Party committee
17%
64
In school
11%
43
Covid
Additional Benefits
Regardless of whether you were eligible, did your employer offer any additional benefits due to the COVID-19 pandemic?
Proportion
N
Yes
59%
359
No
26%
159
Unsure
15%
90
Benefits Offered
What sort of benefits were offered/provided? Please select all that apply. [only asked to respondents whose organizations offered any additional benefits due to the COVID-19 pandemic]
Proportion
N
Ability to work remotely
87%
314
Flexible work hours/schedules
63%
226
Additional paid leave and/or all staff office closures (mental health days)
55%
196
Additional mindfulness and/or mental health benefits
45%
161
Monthly stipends (or increased value of existing stipends) for cell phone, internet services, or home office needs
39%
141
Other
13%
45
New or additional child care benefits
12%
42
Open-Ended
Please briefly describe how your organization handled the COVID-19 pandemic to make things easier for staff.
Beyond the responses covered in the question above, organizations implemented four-day work weeks, had no meeting work days to combat zoom fatigue, and established relief funds for employees financially impacted by the pandemic.
Union
Is Unionized?
Is your organization unionized or does it have one or more recognized bargaining units?
Proportion
N
Yes
26%
159
No
69%
418
Unsure
5%
31
Union Member?
Are you a member of the union/bargaining unit? [only asked to respondents whose organization is unionized or has one or more recognized bargaining units]
Proportion
N
Yes
46%
73
No, do not qualify for membership
53%
84
Unsure
1%
2
Date of Unionization
When did your organization unionize? [only asked to respondents whose organization is unionized or has one or more recognized bargaining units]
Proportion
N
Within the past two years
47%
74
In the past two to five years
6%
10
More than five years ago
34%
54
I’m not sure
13%
21
Notes
Eligibility
Respondents were only eligible to take this survey if (1) they worked in progressive politics AND (2) if their organization, role, or team focused on data, analytics, or technology.
Respondents satisfied the first criteria if they answered “Yes” or “Did but employment ended post-election” to the following question:
Do you currently work at an organization that either works in progressive politics or has some clients who work in progressive politics or do you currently work for a government body? Or, if you freelance, do you have some clients that work in progressive politics?
The second criteria was satisfied if the respondents answered “Yes” to one or more of the following questions:
Is the primary focus (>40% of resources) of your organization data, analytics, or technology?
Is the primary focus (>40% of resources) of your team data, analytics, or technology?
Is the primary focus (>40% of time) of your role data, analytics or technology?
Authors and Thanks
This year’s salary survey was conducted and analyzed by Amit Mistry, Cristina Sinclaire, Lena Tom, Mahelet Fekade, and Olivia Robinson. Please reach out to us at with any questions, comments, or concerns.
We want to thank the folks who have conducted the salary surveys in the past (listed alphabetically): Anna Cooper, Annie J. Wang, Audra Grassia, Chelsea Harris, Kass DeVorsey, Lizzie Ellis, Mike Jensen, and Sandhya Anathamaran.
And the biggest thank you goes to everyone who took and shared the survey!
Appendix
Additional Salary Crosstabs
Management
Category
N
Mean
Median
0 staffers
370
$84,926
$80,000
1-4 staffers
156
$103,065
$98,000
5-9 staffers
46
$111,946
$102,648
10-14 staffers
14
$136,384
$134,185
More than 15 staffers
22
$133,625
$134,125
Seniority
Category
N
Mean
Median
Entry-Level
90
$69,269
$68,250
Mid-Level
249
$83,822
$82,000
Senior-Level, but not Department Head
129
$106,929
$105,000
Department Head
98
$115,594
$113,250
Organization Head, President or C-Level
29
$136,810
$140,000
Freelance
11
$95,348
$90,708
Negotiation Outcomes by Demographics
By Gender
During your last job offer or performance review, did you try to negotiate your salary?
All (n = 608)
Cis Man (n = 259)
Cis Woman (n = 297)
Trans or Nonbinary (n = 44)
Yes
36%
36%
37%
34%
No
51%
51%
52%
48%
Not applicable (union, freelancer, etc.)
13%
14%
12%
18%
Was your negotiation successful? Please select all that apply. [only asked to respondents who attempted a negotiation]
All (n = 219)
Cis Man (n = 92)
Cis Woman (n = 109)
Trans or Nonbinary (n = 15)
Yes, I increased my benefits
6%
7%
6%
0%
Yes, I increased my compensation
74%
77%
71%
67%
Yes, I improved my title
18%
24%
14%
7%
No, I did not gain improved compensation, benefits or title
24%
20%
27%
33%
By Race
During your last job offer or performance review, did you try to negotiate your salary?
All (n = 608)
POC/Other (n = 212)
White (n = 390)
Yes
36%
40%
34%
No
51%
47%
53%
Not applicable (union, freelancer, etc.)
13%
13%
13%
Was your negotiation successful? Please select all that apply. [only asked to respondents who attempted a negotiation]
All (n = 219)
POC/Other (n = 85)
White (n = 133)
Yes, I increased my benefits
6%
6%
6%
Yes, I increased my compensation
74%
72%
74%
Yes, I improved my title
18%
18%
17%
No, I did not gain improved compensation, benefits or title
24%
27%
22%
By Race x Gender
During your last job offer or performance review, did you try to negotiate your salary?
All (n = 608)
POC/Other | Cis Man (n = 85)
POC/Other | Cis Woman (n = 105)
POC/Other | Trans or Nonbinary (n = 21)
White | Cis Man (n = 173)
White | Cis Woman (n = 191)
White | Trans or Nonbinary (n = 23)
Yes
36%
44%
39%
33%
32%
36%
35%
No
51%
44%
51%
38%
54%
51%
57%
Not applicable (union, freelancer, etc.)
13%
13%
10%
29%
14%
13%
9%
Was your negotiation successful? Please select all that apply. [Only asked to respondents who attempted a negotiation. Trans or Nonbinary reported for all races because of small n-sizes.]
All (n = 219)
Any Race | Trans or Nonbinary (n = 15)
POC/Other | Cis Man (n = 37)
POC/Other | Cis Woman (n = 41)
White | Cis Man (n = 55)
White | Cis Woman (n = 68)
Yes, I increased my benefits
6%
0%
3%
10%
9%
4%
Yes, I increased my compensation
74%
67%
76%
71%
78%
71%
Yes, I improved my title
18%
7%
22%
17%
25%
12%
No, I did not gain improved compensation, benefits or title
24%
33%
22%
29%
18%
25%
Management by Demographics
How many staffers do you manage? Please include everyone who reports “up the chain” to you, both directly or through layer(s) of management.
By Gender
All (n = 608)
Cis Man (n = 259)
Cis Woman (n = 297)
Trans or Nonbinary (n = 44)
0 staffers
61%
62%
59%
68%
1-4 staffers
26%
25%
27%
18%
5+ staffers
13%
13%
13%
14%
By Race
All (n = 608)
POC/Other (n = 212)
White (n = 390)
0 staffers
61%
66%
58%
1-4 staffers
26%
23%
27%
5+ staffers
13%
11%
15%
By Race x Gender
All (n = 608)
POC/Other | Cis Man (n = 85)
POC/Other | Cis Woman (n = 105)
POC/Other | Trans or Nonbinary (n = 21)
White | Cis Man (n = 173)
White | Cis Woman (n = 191)
White | Trans or Nonbinary (n = 23)
0 staffers
61%
67%
63%
81%
59%
58%
57%
1-4 staffers
26%
20%
28%
14%
28%
27%
22%
5+ staffers
13%
13%
10%
5%
13%
16%
22%
Seniority by Demographics
How would you describe your level of seniority within the organization?
