Corporate event planner salary Feature Image

Corporate Event Planning, General Tips, Your Event Career

Corporate Event Planner Salary: What to Expect

23 August 2022 By Sarah Cavanagh Leave a Comment

If you’re considering a career as a corporate event planner, it’s important to know what to expect in terms of salary. How much do corporate event planners make on average? What is the corporate event planner salary range by country? How can you increase your earning potential as a corporate event planner?

In this article, we’ll answer all those questions and more. So, let’s dive right into it!

PRO TIP: Not sure how to get your career started? Discover how YOU can become a certified corporate event planner in as little as 12 short weeks!

Table of Contents

How Much Does a Corporate Event Planner Make?

On average, corporate event planners make approximately $65,500 USD per year in the United States. However, salaries can range from $37,500 USD to $92,500 USD per year—depending on experience, location, and other factors.

For example, corporate event planners in New York City tend to earn higher salaries than those in smaller towns. Moreover, experienced corporate event planners who have been in the industry for many years tend to earn more than those who are just starting out.

The Corporate Event Planner Salary Range

Next, let’s take a look at what the average salaries for corporate event planners are in other countries around the world…

Canada

According to Glassdoor (as of August 12th, 2022), the average salary for Canadian corporate event planners is approximately $52,620 CAD per year. That said, corporate planners living in Canada can expect to make anywhere from approximately $34,000 CAD to $82,000 CAD annually.

If you reside in Canada, operating your business out of a larger city—such as Toronto or Vancouver—will likely result in higher earnings.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, Check-a-Salary reports that event planners (in general) make an average of approximately £26,763 GBP per year. Additionally, Payscale corroborates this data. They add that the average salary range for event planners in the UK tends to be from approximately £19,000 GBP to £32,000 GBP annually.

Here, it’s important to keep two vital things in mind. Firstly, corporate event planners typically make more than general event planners. So, the numbers listed here are not necessarily indicative of the money you’ll be able to make in the corporate field.

And secondly, salaries in London will likely be higher than in other parts of the UK. So, if you’re hoping to earn more money as a corporate event planner, it may be beneficial to consider relocating to the city.

New Zealand

According to Salary Expert, corporate event planners working in New Zealand can expect a yearly income of approximately $47,330 NZD (on average). Moreover, the salary range in New Zealand typically falls between $44,000 NZD and $56,900 NZD per year.

Again, working out of a larger city—such as Auckland—will likely boost your earnings potential.

Australia

Down Under, Payscale reports that the average salary for general event planners is approximately $60,151 AUD per year. General event planners in this country can expect to earn anywhere from $51,000 AUD to $85,000 AUD annually, on average.

But much like when we discussed the average salary in the UK, it’s important to keep in mind that these figures are for general event planners—not corporate event planners. As such, you can expect to make more money as a corporate event planner in Australia.

Not to mention, you’ll be even more likely to earn a higher income if you live in major cities like Sydney or Melbourne.

What Is The Beginning Salary Of a Corporate Event Planner?

Alright, so at this point, you might be wondering, “What am I going to earn at the start of my career?”

Well, that really depends on a number of different factors, such as:

Your level of experience
Where you live and work
Whether or not you have any specialized skills or certifications
Whether or not you own your own business or work for someone else

For example, let’s say that you’re just starting out as a corporate event planner with no prior experience. In this case, you can expect to make somewhere in the range of $30,000 to $40,000 USD per year.

But if you have a few years of experience under your belt, however, you can expect to make closer to $50,000 USD annually. As we’re sure you can imagine, it only goes up from there. If you’re a seasoned pro with many years of experience and an impressive portfolio of events, you could be looking at a salary upwards of $100,000 USD per year!

7 Tips For Earning More Money As A Corporate Event Planner

Now let’s take a look at 7 awesome tips that can help you earn more money as a corporate event planner…

Tip #1: Get Certified

One way to immediately boost your earnings potential is to get certified through a reputable organization like QC Event School. Not only will this add an extra credential to your resume and an official designation to your resume; it’ll also show potential clients that you’re serious about your career as a corporate event planner.

Learn all about QC Event School’s self-paced, online Corporate Event Planning certification course!

Tip #2: Specialize In A Niche Market

Another tip for earning more money as a corporate event planner is to specialize in a niche market. This could be anything from internal events to music festivals to product launches. By catering your services to a specific type of event, you’ll become known as an expert in that particular field—and command a higher salary as a result.

Tip #3: Start Your Own Business

One of the best ways to earn more money as a corporate event planner is to start your own business. This way, you’ll be able to set your own rates and keep 100% of the profits (instead of only a small percentage). Plus, you’ll have the freedom to choose which clients you work with and which events you take on.

Interested in starting your very own corporate event planning business? Here’s everything you need to know to get the ball rolling!

Tip #4: Know Your Target Market

Another way to ensure that you make good money is to know your target market inside and out. What types of events do they typically host? What’s their budget? What are their pain points?

The more you know about your target market, the better equipped you’ll be to sell them on your services—and command a higher salary in the process. Not to mention, the better you understand your clients, the better quality experience you can give them.

In turn, this will increase your chances of getting good business reviews and referrals!

Tip #5: Become an In-House Corporate Event Planner

If you’re looking to earn a steady salary with fewer fluctuations, then you might want to consider becoming an in-house corporate event planner. In this role, you’ll work directly for a single company (as opposed to working as a freelancer or owning your own business).

While the salary for this position will vary depending on the company you work for, you can expect to make a pretty good living as an in-house corporate event planner.

Plus, you’ll have the added benefit of job security and a set schedule!

Tip #6: Get Creative With Your Services

Another way to earn more money as a corporate event planner is to get creative with your services. What value can you add that other planners can’t? This could be anything from offering on-site event coordination to providing transportation to and from the event.

Additionally, you can also expand your services to other areas of the industry. For example, alongside corporate event planning, you could also offer clients any of these types of services as well:

Private event planning
Party planning
Wedding planning
Luxury event and/or wedding planning
Destination event and/or wedding planning
Event decor
Floral design
Promotional event planning
Live events and festival planning

The more services your business offers, the bigger your client range is. As a result, you’ll be able to command a higher salary for your services—and get more bookings as a whole.

Basically, the sky’s the limit when it comes to adding value. So, get creative and see what you can come up with!

Fun Fact: QC Event School also offers self-paced, online certification courses for all of the specialty fields mentioned above!

Tip #7: Offer Virtual Corporate Event Planning Services

In today’s day and age, more and more businesses are going digital, which means there’s a growing demand for virtual corporate event planners.

As a virtual planner, you’ll be responsible for planning and executing events entirely online. This could include anything from webinars to virtual conferences to live-streamed product launches.

Not only is this a great way to earn more money, but it’s also a great way to get started in the industry without having to invest in a physical office space or expensive event equipment. Plus, you’ll have the added benefit of being able to work with clients from all over the world.

Virtual corporate event planning is definitely the wave of the future—so it’s a good idea to get on board now!

Helpful Resources To Bookmark

If you’re interested in a career in the corporate events world, we strongly recommend checking out (and bookmarking) these useful articles for more information:

Conclusion

So, there you have it! These are just a few of the many ways you can increase your corporate event planner salary.

Remember, the sky’s the limit when it comes to earning potential—so don’t be afraid to think outside the box and get creative with your services. The most important thing is that you enjoy what you’re doing and continue to learn and grow in your career. With hard work and dedication, you’ll be able to achieve anything you set your mind to!

Do you have any other tips for increasing your corporate event planner salary? Share them with us in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Enroll in QC Event School’s Corporate Event Planning Course today and become an International Corporate Event Planning Professional™ (ICPP®) in as little as 12 short weeks!