The Australian Influencer Marketing Council (AiMCO) has released its first salary benchmarking guidelines for the Australia and New Zealand influencer industry.
AiMCO’s Creator Economy Salary report, created in partnership with recruitment and business agency The Expand Group, provides salary guidelines for Australia and New Zealand’s emerging influencer industry, including commercial, technology and product roles.
The guidelines outline salary expectations for those in account, brand, influencer marketing and agency roles, along with people working in the product, data and technology fields, including solutions and back-end/front-end engineers, and those in Csuite roles.
The report - the first ever to clearly define salary prospects for national influencer marketing roles - also includes benchmarks for staff retention and training.
The guidelines follow huge growth for the ANZ influencer marketing industry with around six million Australians consider themselves to be creators and 19% call themselves influencers.
Influencer use and ad spend has also rapidly increased - a 2021 survey conducted by Socialbakers found that 70% of Australian marketers had reported using influencer marketing in their overall strategies.
Estimates suggest the global influencer marketing sector is expected to grow to US$24.1 billion by 2025, up from US$6 billion in 2020, according to a report on social media services by competition watchdog ACCC.
More agencies and specialists have also joined AiMCO, with membership growing to more than 100 members from a range of industries, including marketers, media/creative agencies, talent agencies, PR agencies, creators, legal/tax companies, and technology platforms.
Patrick Whitnall, AiMCO managing director, said the past year has seen unprecedented expansion in the sector across Australia and New Zealand.
"This evolution has elevated our industry, necessitating a new breed of adept professionals within innovative clients, agencies, brands, and platforms," Whitnall said.
"This set of standards aims to enlighten our community and professionals about their intrinsic market value, offering a clear perspective on their contributions to the influencer landscape in ANZ and beyond, across various professional capacities.
"AiMCO is dedicated to leading by example, ensuring our members and the extensive pool of industry talent are well-prepared for the future. This report serves as a foundation for developing additional standards – and regional variations and standards that recognise the diverse fabric of our industry are scheduled for the coming months.”
Dan Openshaw, The Expand Group head of social media & influencer marketing, said salary benchmarking is not just a number; it's a tool for building a thriving influencer marketing ecosystem in Australia and New Zealand.
"By fostering transparency, empowering individuals, and making data-driven decisions, benchmarking benefits both the industry and its passionate professionals, paving the way for a sustainable and successful future," Openshaw said.
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