bookcareers.com research portfolio
Research into careers, pay and working life in book publishing
For more than 25 years, bookcareers.com has published award-winning research into the realities of careers in book publishing — from salaries and working patterns to recruitment, progression and the issues shaping people's working lives.
Previous salary survey research
Explore our most recent research and statistical data. Older research is available on request
2023 Update to the 2021 Salary Survey
How publishing salaries compared with inflation following the 2021 Salary Survey
2021 Salary Survey
Our award-winning research into salaries, recruitment and working life in book publishing
2017 Salary Survey
Our research into salaries and working life in book publishing, shortlisted for a CDI Research Award
Research grounded in publishing reality
Looking beyond the headline salary figure
01
Pay and progression
Salaries, entry-level pay, pay reviews, progression, career prospects and whether people feel fairly rewarded
02
People and workplaces
Who works in publishing, their backgrounds, where and how they work, belonging, training, morale, working hours and workplace culture
03
Careers and working lives
Recruitment, career movement, reasons people stay or leave, redundancy, stress, job satisfaction and how people feel about publishing as a career
About our research
Our research starts with the questions we see and hear across publishing careers
For more than 25 years, bookcareers.com has combined formal research with a close understanding of what is happening across the industry. Our work with people at different career stages, in different roles and organisations helps us identify the issues worth investigating.
We look beyond individual experiences to find patterns — in pay, progression, recruitment, working practices, belonging and the factors that influence whether people build long-term careers in publishing.
Our research is independent and impartial. We have no interest in making the findings fit a particular agenda or producing the answer somebody wants to hear. As qualified career development practitioners, we use the evidence from our research as a foundation for the careers advice and guidance we give.
The aim is not research for research's sake. It is to produce evidence that helps people and organisations understand publishing careers better.