We are excited to announce the release of individual results for the inaugural Insights Benchmarking Compensation & Benefits Study. This new annual global survey gathers data on wages, compensation, benefits, policies, and skills from professionals working in scholarly communications and the organizations that employ them. The study is designed to provide a deeper understanding of industry trends, competitive positioning, and emerging workforce needs within this specialized sector.
The study covers several key areas, including education, experience, job satisfaction, compensation, healthcare and retirement plans, paid time off, and the emerging skills required for positions in scholarly communications. With over 300 individual responses already received, the study offers dynamic, data-driven insights. As more individuals complete the survey, additional comparison data will become available, providing participants with an increasingly detailed view of compensation trends within the industry.
Hosted on SSP’s Insights Platform, the study is an invaluable tool for individuals and organizations within the scholarly publishing industry. Participants who meet the minimum participation threshold will receive access to a downloadable report, which compares their responses to aggregate data from other participants. The reports also allow for filtering based on position level, area, and focus, providing tailored insights into compensation trends.
For those who wish to explore the results in more detail, SSP offers a premium access subscription, which includes additional dynamic comparison reports. These reports feature enhanced filters such as position level, organization size and type, region (including country and state), years of experience, and other critical data points, enabling more granular comparisons.
The Insights Benchmarking Compensation & Benefits Study was developed collaboratively by SSP’s Benchmarking Advisory Group, staff, and our partner, Dynamic Benchmarking. Advisory Group members include Janine Chiappa McKenna, Association for Psychological Science; Minty Colquhoun, Maverick Publishing Specialists; Emily Ekle, American Psychological Association; Jack Farrell, Jack Farrell & Associates; Aimee Greene, American Society for Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics; Toni Gunnison, University of Wisconsin Press; Lucy Ofiesh; Crossref; Nicola Poser, American Mathematical Society; and Rashika Venkatarama, American Psychological Association.
Based on feedback from this year’s data collection, future surveys will include a refined job titles section, improved global applicability, and updated benefits options to better meet the needs of non-US participants. This study and its future iterations will help shape fair and competitive compensation practices in scholarly communications, providing accurate, research-based data that individuals and organizations can use to make informed decisions. Data collection for the 2025 study will open in the last quarter of the year.
Reporting for the organizational study will be released at the end of March to allow more organizations to participate. By participating, organizations contribute to shaping fair and competitive compensation practices in scholarly communications and gain access to the complete survey results. These results enable organizations to benchmark their current practices against industry peers, identify compensation or policy framework gaps, and strategically align with broader industry standards. We encourage the community to share this survey with relevant stakeholders in their organizations and to encourage their participation in the organizational survey before the March 31st deadline.
Look out for some highlights from the study, including comparisons of global compensation, the most sought-after benefits, and emerging skills in scholarly communications, in an upcoming Scholarly Kitchen post by SSP Executive Director Melanie Dolechek. For more information on the study, to access the results, or to participate, please visit the SSP Insights Platform.
