The Association of Canadian Publishers (ACP), in partnership with the Canadian Publishers’ Council (CPC) and Work in Culture (WIC), has launched an updated salary survey of the Canadian publishing industry. The survey will provide a comprehensive picture of salary averages across different departments and positions, and will also set wages against demographic metrics such as gender, race, sexual orientation, disability, and company size.
The last Canadian publishing salary survey, conducted by industry magazine Quill & Quire, was released in 2018. The 2024 survey will measure changes in Canadian publishing salaries over this time, and provide data to empower both employers and employees to make informed decisions when it comes to pay.
The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Anyone working in publishing in Canada—either in a full-time, part-time, contract, intern, or freelance capacity—is encouraged to fill it out. The survey will be open until 11:59 pm EDT on November 15, 2024. Fill out the survey here.
ACP’s salary survey comes at a time when Canadian consumers and businesses are facing a cost-of-living crisis, particularly in major cities like Toronto and Vancouver where most publishers are based. Meanwhile, many Canadian publishers are struggling to keep pace with salary expectations, wrestling with historically depressed wages that have not kept up with inflation. With employee turnover on the rise and a generation of publishers aging out of the business, presses are under pressure to offer fair pay to retain talent.
However, compensation is not just a financial issue; it’s a cornerstone of equity and inclusion. In 2022, ACP’s Diversity Baseline Survey unveiled a stark reality: low salaries and a lack of transparency in compensation are significant barriers to diversity within the publishing sector. For many, traditional entry paths like unpaid or low-paid internships are simply not viable. In fact, 19% of write-in responses pointed to salary transparency and increases as key steps toward a more inclusive sector.
ACP’s salary survey seeks to provide a much-needed resource for Canadian publishers. Addressing compensation disparities in publishing will set the groundwork for building a more inclusive, sustainable, and vibrant industry.
The survey is anonymous and self-reported. Participation is voluntary and all demographic questions are optional. Individual responses will be kept in strict confidence, and information will only be shared in aggregate form.
ACP would like to thank the Access Copyright Foundation for providing funding to support this research project.
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ACP is the national voice of English-language Canadian-owned book publishers. ACP contributes to the development and maintenance of vibrant, competitive book publishing companies in order to support and strengthen the contribution that Canadian books make to Canada’s cultural, economic, and educational landscape.
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For more information, contact:
Dani MacDonald
Research & Communications Manager
Association of Canadian Publishers
dani_macdonald@canbook.org