2021 Progressive Data, Analytics, and
Technology Salary Survey
Amit Mistry, Cristina Sinclaire, Lena Tom, Mahelet
Fekade, and Olivia Robinson
8/31/2023
Executive Summary
About the Survey:
This survey was administered December 2021 - January 2022 to
progressive and Democratic data, analytics, and technology staff,
largely reflecting respondents’ 2021 employment and salaries. Thanks to
everyone who participated and/or shared the survey!
How to use the results
There were 522 respondents recruited using snowball
sampling. The survey was announced on a few major progressive and
Democratic political and/or data email listservs and Slack channels, and
readers were encouraged to share the survey around their offices and
networks. This should not be considered a representative sample
of all people working in the industry. The n-size and results
as compared to previous year
surveys’ offer some consistency, particularly at the aggregate
level, but some experiences may not be represented.
This survey may be useful in evaluating salaries and roles of
individuals or workplaces, but a survey of this kind should be used with
care – your experience may be different.
Early salary surveys had heavy response rates among certain
demographics, while more recent years have seen some notable shifts. We
should be cautious in making assumptions about these demographic shifts.
The survey is anonymous, and we are not able to make assessments about
non-respondents. Some data has been obscured in this report due to small
n-sizes to protect anonymization (such as among certain demographic
categories).
Finally, although useful to benchmark, employers should NOT
determine a role’s salary based on this survey alone.
We’ve highlighted some findings of interest, but strongly encourage
you to review the full analysis.
About half of respondents were women (44%). 47% were men. Eight
percent were non-binary.
Respondents were 70% white and 29% BIPOC.
The median age was 32 with 29% of respondents being between 25-29
and 27% were between ages 25 and 29.
Less than half of respondents’ (40%) families have been in the
United States for fewer than three generations.
61% of respondents identified as heterosexual/straight.
59% of respondents have a bachelor’s degree; 31% reported a
degree higher than a bachelor’s.
16% report having a disability (defined as “a physical or mental
impairment or medical condition that substantially limits a major life
activity”).
27% of respondents live in the DC area, followed by the New York
metro area at 10% and Chicago metro area at 7%.
Nearly all respondents (99%) were fully employed during the 2021
election cycle.
Salary: The median salary was
$98,000 and the average
salary was $106,449.
Compared to non-managers, managers with 1-4 staffers had a median
salary of ~$25K more and managers with 5+ staff had a median salary of
~$49K more.
BIPOC have a median salary of $102K versus white people’s median
salary of $86.5K.
Men and women had similar median salaries ($101K and $96K
respectively). Trans and nonbinary people had a lower median salary
($78K) than their cis colleagues ($100K).
Heterosexual people have a median salary of $101,833 and queer
people have a median of $90K.
People with disabilities have median salaries of $10K less than
non-disabled people, consistent with previous years.
Entry-level employees had a median salary of $66,000
(approximately $2K lower compared to 2020); mid-level employees $85,000
(~$3K higher); and senior / department-head employees $120,000 (~$10K
higher).
Within the last year, a majority of respondents have either
transformed data/generated reports with SQL (67%), manage and review
others’ analysis or work (67%), created voter contact universes (48%),
or presented the results of an analysis for non-technical leadership
(48%).
Almost 79% of respondents learned the skills and tools they use
weekly at their current and/or previous job.
A majority of respondents consider themselves to be either
“intermediate” or “advanced” with Excel/Google spreadsheets (92%), SQL
(69%), and voter file management (63%).
Among respondents, 57% said the primary focus of their
organization was data, analytics, or technology. This jumped to 90% for
their team and 93% for their role.
Respondents work at a variety of organizations, with vendors
(23%), issue or advocacy organizations (17%), analytics/polling firms
(16%), and other consulting firms (10%) making a majority of the
organizations represented.
A majority of respondents’ primary job function or primary
function of their team was general analytics or data science (22%),
general data management and reporting (16%), or Engineering / software
development (11%)
44% of respondents are managers. The likelihood of being a
manager did meaningfully vary by race and/or gender.
Other Findings:
If respondents were to leave the progressive/Democratic data
space, the top reasons were: for a better-paying job (39%); because they
feel stagnated or that there isn’t a clear next step in their career
(22%); for a better work/life balance (21%); due to burn out (20%); or
for better opportunities to learn and grow in other fields
(16%).
49% of respondents worked somewhere that required employees to be
vaccinated against COVID-19.
39% respondents work in a unionized workplace or have a
recognized bargaining unit. A 13 percentage point increase compared to
the 2020 survey. Among those respondents, a large majority (62%) work
someplace that has unionized within the past two years.
Notes: Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC)
include those who identified as Black, Latinx, Hispanic, Asian, Native,
and people who selected multiple race categories. We report differences
between BIPOC and White respondents here to preserve anonymity.
Respondent Charateristics
Demographic Information
Gender
What is your gender identity?
Proportion
N
Man
47%
247
Woman
44%
229
Non-Binary
8%
43
Prefer Not To Answer
1%
3
Transgender
Do you identify as transgender?
Proportion
N
Yes
5%
27
No
92%
482
Prefer not to answer
2%
11
Missing
0%
2
Race / Ethnicity
What is your race / ethnicity? Please select all that
apply.
Proportion
N
White
70%
366
Asian or Asian American (including South Asian)
11%
55
Multi-Racial
9%
47
Black
4%
23
Hispanic or Latinx
4%
21
Middle Eastern
1%
3
Prefer not to answer
1%
3
Native American
0%
1
Missing
1%
3
Immigration Status
How long have you or your family lived in the United
States?
Proportion
N
I’m the first generation in the United States
9%
46
One or more of my parents immigrated to the United States
18%
93
One or more of my grandparents immigrated to the United States
13%
69
My family has been in the United States for 3 generations or more
58%
304
I do not live / do not intent to stay in the United States
1%
3
Other
1%
3
Prefer not to answer
1%
4
Age
2021 - What is your year (YYYY) of birth?
Proportion
N
21-24
9%
45
25-29
27%
142
30-34
29%
149
35-39
18%
93
40-44
12%
64
45-49
4%
19
50-54
1%
6
55-59
0%
1
60+
0%
1
Missing
0%
2
Sexuality
Do you consider yourself to be …?
Proportion
N
Straight
61%
321
Bisexual
11%
57
Gay
9%
47
Queer
8%
42
Multiple Selected
7%
35
Prefer not to answer
3%
17
Other
1%
3
Sexuality Bin
Do you consider yourself to be …?
Proportion
N
Heterosexual
61%
318
LGBTQ
36%
188
Prefer not to answer
3%
16
Disability
Do you identify as disabled? You are considered to have a
disability if you have a physical or mental impairment or medical
condition that substantially limits a major life activity, or if you
have a history or record of such an impairment or medical
condition.
Proportion
N
Yes, I have or previously had a disability
16%
84
No, I don’t have a disability
79%
414
Other
1%
5
Prefer not to answer
4%
19
Military Status
Are you a member of the military or a veteran?
Proportion
N
Yes, Active Duty
0%
2
Yes, Veteran
1%
3
No
99%
517
Education
What is the highest level of education that you have
completed?
Proportion
N
Didn’t Complete High School
0%
2
High School Diploma or GED
2%
11
Associate’s Degree
1%
6
Bachelor’s Degree
59%
308
Post-bachelor’s Work, no Higher Degree
6%
32
Master’s or Professional Degree (MA, MPP, JD, etc.)
26%
137
Doctoral Degree (PhD)
5%
24
Other
0%
1
Prefer not to answer
0%
1
Geography
Country
What country do you live in?
Proportion
N
United States
98%
510
United Kingdom
1%
5
Canada
0%
2
Austria
0%
1
Chad
0%
1
Colombia
0%
1
Spain
0%
1
Switzerland
0%
1
Area
What’s your zip code? [only asked to US respondents,
responses coded to Census metropolitan areas]
Proportion
N
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
27%
140
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
10%
50
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
7%
34
Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX
2%
13
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
2%
13
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
2%
11
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
2%
10
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
2%
10
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA
2%
8
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO
2%
8
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
1%
7
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
1%
7
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
1%
6
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
1%
5
Madison, WI
1%
5
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL
1%
5
St. Louis, MO-IL
1%
5
Other (less than 5 people in metro area)
21%
108
Missing
15%
77
Work Experience
Total
How many total years of work experience do you have, in any
field?
Politics
Of those years, how many did you spend working in progressive
politics? (e.g. working as at a campaign or advocacy org, regardless of
whether you worked in a data role).
Data, Not Politics
How many years have you worked in data, analytics, and
technology, regardless of whether those years were in politics or a
private sector role?
Politics & Data
How many years have you specifically worked in data,
analytics, or technology specifically for a political organization?
Employment Status
Current Status
What is your current employment status (as of December 2021)?
Select all that apply.
Proportion
N
Full-time at one or more jobs
91%
476
Freelance / contracting / self-employed
8%
44
Part-time at one or more jobs
3%
16
In school
2%
9
Unemployed
1%
6
Involvement in Data/Analytics/Tech
Is the primary focus (>40% of resources) of your
organization data, analytics, or technology?
Is the primary focus (>40% of resources) of your
team data, analytics, or technology?
Is the primary focus (>40% of time) of your role
data, analytics or technology?
Job Characteristics
Organization Type
How would you describe the organization?
Proportion
N
Vendor (i.e. technology vendor)
23%
118
Issue or advocacy organization
17%
89
Analytics / Polling firm
16%
82
Other consulting firm (media, field, digital, etc.)
10%
54
Non-issue-specific Independent Expenditure group (i.e. Super PAC or c4
organization)
8%
41
Labor union
7%
36
Party committee
7%
36
Government agency, contractor, or related employer
5%
27
Political campaign
1%
5
Other
7%
34
Primary Job Function
What is your primary job function? If in management, please
indicate the primary job function of your team.
Proportion
N
General analytics or data science
22%
113
General data management and reporting
16%
85
Engineering / software development
11%
59
Data infrastructure and processing
10%
54
Field / grassroots-focused data (e.g. VAN admin)
8%
40
Product / Project management
7%
39
Consulting / client relations
7%
37
Polling and Research
6%
31
Digital data and analytics
5%
24
Development / fundraising-focused data
2%
9
Other
6%
31
Seniority
How would you describe your level of seniority within the
organization?
Proportion
N
Entry-Level
12%
64
Mid-Level
38%
198
Senior-Level, but not Department Head
24%
123
Department Head
17%
91
Organization Head, President or C-Level
7%
34
Other
0%
1
Freelance
2%
11
In the appendix, you can view seniority by gender and race.
Management
How many staffers do you manage? Please include everyone who
reports “up the chain” to you, both directly or through layer(s) of
management.
Proportion
N
0 staffers
56%
290
1-4 staffers
27%
142
5-9 staffers
9%
49
10-14 staffers
5%
25
More than 15 staffers
3%
16
In the appendix, you can view management by gender and race.
Time Writing Code
What percentage of your time do you spend directly conducting
analysis or writing code - as opposed to other work such as managing
staff or collaborating with external partners or other
departments?
Overall
By Seniority
By Job Type
Salary Overview
In US Dollars, what is your total expected annual pre-tax
income, including bonuses or commissions? This figure may be salaried or
unsalaried.
Category
N
Mean
Median
All
522
$106,449
$98,000
Salary Distribution
Proportion
N
Under $45,000
3%
15
$45,000 to $49,999
1%
7
$50,000 to $54,999
3%
18
$55,000 to $59,999
3%
16
$60,000 to $64,999
5%
25
$65,000 to $69,999
4%
22
$70,000 to $74,999
6%
30
$75,000 to $79,999
5%
26
$80,000 to $84,999
5%
27
$85,000 to $89,999
5%
28
$90,000 to $94,999
6%
30
$95,000 to $99,999
4%
21
$100,000 to $104,999
5%
26
$105,000 to $109,999
4%
21
$110,000 to $114,999
5%
26
$115,000 to $119,999
3%
15
$120,000 to $124,999
5%
25
$125,000 to $129,999
3%
17
$130,000 to $134,999
3%
14
$135,000 to $139,999
2%
10
$140,000 to $144,999
2%
13
$145,000 to $149,999
2%
9
$150,000 to $154,999
5%
25
$155,000 to $159,999
1%
3
$160,000 to $164,999
1%
7
$165,000 to $169,999
2%
11
$170,000 to $174,999
1%
4
$175,000 to $179,999
0%
2
$180,000 to $184,999
1%
3
$185,000 to $189,999
0%
2
$190,000 to $194,999
0%
2
$200,000+
4%
22
Benefits
Which of the following benefits are you personally eligible for?
Select all that apply.
Proportion
N
Paid vacation days
93%
483
Health insurance
90%
471
Paid sick days
88%
458
Retirement plan (401(k), 403(b), IRA, etc.)
81%
422
Paid parental leave
64%
333
Continuing education / professional development
55%
289
Cell phone and/or internet reimbursement
49%
254
Other
15%
78
Pension
13%
68
Stock / Equity in organization
11%
58
None of the above
4%
20
Day care
4%
19
Negotiation
Try Negotiate
During your last job offer or performance review, did you try
to negotiate your salary?
Proportion
N
Yes
41%
212
No
47%
245
Not applicable (union, freelancer, etc.)
12%
65
In the appendix, you can view negotiation outcomes by gender and
race.
Negotiation Successful
Was your negotiation successful? Please select all that
apply. [only asked to respondents who attempted a
negotiation]
Proportion
N
Yes, I increased my benefits
10%
22
Yes, I increased my compensation
72%
152
Yes, I improved my title
15%
31
No, I did not improve my compensation, benefits or title
21%
44
In the appendix, you can view negotiation outcomes by gender and
race.
Use Salary Survey
Have you ever used the results of this salary survey to
negotiate salary or benefits for yourself or others?
Proportion
N
Yes
31%
163
No
66%
343
Unsure
3%
16
Professional Development
Opportunity
Does your employer offer any career development
opportunities?
Proportion
N
Yes
56%
292
Yes, but I am not eligible
2%
11
No
21%
110
Not sure
21%
109
Available
What types of employer-funded professional development
opportunities are available to you? Please select all that
apply. [only asked to respondents who are offered career
development opportunities]
Proportion
N
Attending a training
86%
251
Attending a conference or similar event
72%
211
Buying books or other training materials
69%
202
Presenting on a work project at a conference or similar event
53%
156
Receiving a professional certification
49%
144
Tuition reimbursement
29%
86
Other professional development resources not mentioned above
23%
67
Used
Which of these professional development opportunities have
you used? Please select all that apply. [only asked to
respondents who are offered career development opportunities]
Proportion
N
Receiving a professional certification
45%
122
Buying books or other training materials
40%
109
Attending a conference or similar event
39%
107
Attending off-site trainings
26%
72
Presenting on a work project at a conference or similar event
22%
61
Have not used any resources
20%
54
One-on-one or small group training on work time
16%
44
Other professional development resources not mentioned above
11%
31
Tuition reimbursement
7%
18
Open-Ended
Thinking about your career path and focus, which one specific
skill or tool do you most want to learn?
Responses to this question included dbt, python, management, and
advanced statistics.
Salary Crosstabs
In all of the following crosstabs, salary information is excluded for
groups with fewer than 5 people.
Respondent Characteristics
Gender
Category
N
Mean
Median
Man
247
$111,348
$101,766
Woman
229
$104,952
$96,763
Non-Binary
43
$87,659
$78,000
Gender Binned
Category
N
Mean
Median
Cis Man
242
$111,898
$102,000
Other Gender
280
$101,738
$95,000
Trans or Cis
Category
N
Mean
Median
Cisgender
473
$108,466
$100,000
Non-Binary or Trans
49
$86,976
$78,000
Race
Category
N
Mean
Median
White
366
$109,230
$102,000
BIPOC
150
$99,134
$86,500
Race x Gender
Category
N
Mean
Median
White | Man
175
$116,228
$105,000
White | Woman
162
$105,741
$100,000
BIPOC | Man
69
$98,549
$93,500
BIPOC | Woman
66
$102,483
$85,000
White | Non-Binary
28
$87,964
$80,352
BIPOC | Non-Binary
15
$87,089
$76,834
Age
Category
N
Mean
Median
21-24
45
$74,285
$67,000
25-29
142
$92,031
$84,000
30-34
149
$116,312
$105,000
35-39
93
$119,185
$110,000
40-44
64
$116,271
$103,383
45-49
19
$117,553
$117,000
50-54
6
$115,667
$115,500
Sexuality
Category
N
Mean
Median
Heterosexual
318
$112,328
$101,883
LGBTQ
188
$97,228
$90,000
Prefer not to answer
16
$97,938
$92,500
Disability
Category
N
Mean
Median
Yes, I have or previously had a disability
84
$93,507
$90,000
No, I don’t have a disability
414
$109,626
$100,000
Prefer not to answer
19
$97,739
$88,000
Education
Category
N
Mean
Median
High School Diploma or GED
11
$112,136
$82,000
Associate’s Degree
6
$114,000
$95,000
Bachelor’s Degree
308
$104,730
$93,250
Post-bachelor’s Work, no Higher Degree
32
$96,406
$94,750
Master’s or Professional Degree (MA, MPP, JD, etc.)
137
$107,641
$103,000
Doctoral Degree (PhD)
24
$132,708
$120,500
Work Experience
Job Characteristics
Organization
Category
N
Mean
Median
Vendor (i.e. technology vendor)
118
$118,028
$111,000
Issue or advocacy organization
89
$88,066
$80,700
Analytics / Polling firm
82
$107,178
$105,000
Other consulting firm (media, field, digital, etc.)
54
$128,686
$106,750
Non-issue-specific Independent Expenditure group (i.e. Super PAC or c4
organization)
41
$95,012
$90,000
Labor union
36
$100,527
$96,000
Party committee
36
$83,274
$80,000
Other
34
$112,184
$85,000
Government agency, contractor, or related employer
27
$120,988
$101,766
Seniority
Category
N
Mean
Median
Entry-Level
64
$67,810
$66,000
Mid-Level
198
$92,909
$85,000
Senior-Level, but not Department Head
123
$116,511
$110,000
Department Head
91
$121,445
$120,000
Organization Head, President or C-Level
34
$179,558
$150,000
Freelance
11
$113,909
$120,000
Seniority - binned
Category
N
Mean
Median
Entry-Level
64
$67,810
$66,000
Mid-Level
198
$92,909
$85,000
Senior-Level
248
$126,965
$120,000
Freelance
11
$113,909
$120,000
In the appendix, you can view salary by more granular seniority
categories.
Management
Category
N
Mean
Median
0 staffers
290
$91,206
$85,000
1-4 staffers
142
$115,624
$110,000
5-9 staffers
49
$144,725
$120,000
10-14 staffers
25
$132,834
$140,000
More than 15 staffers
16
$142,844
$150,000
Management – binned
Category
N
Mean
Median
0 staffers
290
$91,206
$85,000
1-4 staffers
142
$115,624
$110,000
5+ staffers
90
$141,087
$134,500
In the appendix, you can view salary by more granular management
categories.
Primary Job Function
Category
N
Mean
Median
General analytics or data science
113
$107,361
$100,000
General data management and reporting
85
$89,147
$85,000
Engineering / software development
59
$125,738
$126,000
Data infrastructure and processing
54
$103,632
$100,250
Field / grassroots-focused data (e.g. VAN admin)
40
$68,401
$64,500
Product / Project management
39
$107,344
$104,000
Consulting / client relations
37
$132,204
$110,000
Other
31
$136,515
$120,000
Polling and Research
31
$108,295
$100,000
Digital data and analytics
24
$109,275
$99,000
Development / fundraising-focused data
9
$90,722
$81,000
Skills + Tools
Tools
How comfortable are you with the following skills and
tools?
Never used this before: Maybe you’ve heard of this
tool, but you’ve never used it directly in or outside of work
Introductory: You have maybe read about it or
completed a tutorial, but you haven’t used this in a major project
Novice: You’ve used this a few times or use it at
work, but you’re still learning how it works
Intermediate: You feel comfortable using this tool
on your own
Advanced: You are at home using this tool, are
comfortable teaching or QCing others, or could lead a training on this
topic
Skill Level
This graph displays the full distribution of responses to skill
level. Responses are ordered by the proportion of respondents who have
used the tool before.
Exposure
This graph displays the proportion of people who selected “Never used
this before” versus any of the other options. Responses are ordered by
the proportion of respondents who have used the tool before.
Comfort
This graph displays the proportion of people who selected
“Intermediate” or “Advanced” versus any of the other options. Responses
are ordered by the proportion of respondents who are comfortable with
using the tool.
Skills
Which of the following items have you personally done in the
last year? Please select all that apply.
Technical
Proportion
N
Transform data and generate reports with SQL
67%
350
Create voter contact universes
48%
250
Design, implement, and analyze an experiment
36%
190
Build data pipelines via API endpoints or other scripting
36%
189
Run regressions or other statistical analysis
34%
179
Write code for a large-scale software project, such as a web application
24%
127
Manage the development of a software product
23%
121
Write, field, and analyze a poll
23%
118
Set up a server, deploy code, or other DevOps work
22%
115
Build predictive models
21%
112
None of the above
8%
40
Management
Proportion
N
Manage and review others’ analysis or work
67%
350
Present the results of a poll, experiment, model, or another analysis
for non-technical leadership
48%
251
Pitch a project to a funder or member of senior leadership
43%
224
Coordinate a group of organizations to coordinate or collaborate on
program
40%
210
Hire or fire staff
37%
193
Create a professional development plan for others
29%
151
None of the above
14%
71
Learn
How did you learn the skills and tools you use weekly for
your job? Please pick your top two options
Proportion
N
Self-taught in a job
79%
412
Taught by others in a job
36%
190
Learned in a formal education setting
31%
162
Learned in a training or bootcamp
23%
122
Self-taught outside of a job
19%
99
Taught by others outside of a job
1%
4
Open-Ended
Please describe any other major components of your
work.
Responses to this question included strategic planning, developing
partnerships, and project management.
Career Plans
Next Steps
Which of the following most accurately describes the next step
you would like to take to advance your career? Please select all that
apply.
Proportion
N
Learn new technical skills or tools
46%
242
Move into management or a more senior management role
40%
209
Stay in a similar role but move to another organization
25%
128
Work on new projects as an individual contributor (not a manager)
22%
117
Leave the political space
18%
95
I’m happy where I am
18%
95
Start my own organization
9%
46
Stay in the political space but move out of technical work
7%
38
Other
4%
23
Plans to Leave
Are you planning to leave your organization within the next
year?
Proportion
N
I plan to actively look for new opportunities
21%
109
I might leave, but I’m not sure
28%
144
I’m not planning to leave
45%
235
My current job / contract ends within the next 12 months
6%
29
I am currently unemployed
1%
5
Why leaving
If you were to leave the progressive/Democratic data space in
the next year, what would lead to that decision? Please select your top
two reasons.
Proportion
N
Better paying job
39%
201
Stagnated or feel like there isn’t a clear next step in your career
22%
116
Better work/life balance
21%
112
Not planning to leave the political space
20%
105
Burned out
20%
104
Better opportunities to learn and grow in other fields
16%
81
More job and/or pay stability
9%
46
Better benefits
7%
38
Hostile workplace environment(s)
6%
33
Going back to school/other further education options
6%
32
Prefer not to answer
2%
13
Expect to be in one year
Where do you want or expect to be working a year from now?
Select all that apply. [only asked to respondents who are
either looking for new opportunities, might leave, on a job / contract
that ends within the next 12 months, or currently unemployed]
Proportion
N
Issue or advocacy organization
43%
123
Analytics / Polling firm
41%
119
Vendor (i.e. technology vendor)
37%
107
Other consulting firm (media, field, digital, etc)
29%
84
Other
25%
73
Non-issue-specific Independent Expenditure group (i.e. PAC or c4
organization)
25%
73
Government
22%
63
Labor union
22%
62
Political campaign
21%
61
Party committee
21%
59
In school
10%
29
Covid
Additional Benefits
Has your employer continued any additional benefits they offered
due to the COVID-19 pandemic?
Proportion
N
Yes, they were made permanent
20%
102
Yes, but they are temporary
27%
139
No
23%
122
Unsure
30%
159
Return to Office
What is your employer’s plan for returning to office?
Employees are or will:
Proportion
N
Work remotely full-time
31%
162
Unsure, or no decision has been made
24%
123
Choose individually whether to return to the office
20%
106
Be required to return to the office on a part-time “hybrid” basis
17%
88
Be required to return to the office on a full-time basis
8%
43
COVID-19 Vaccine
Is your employer requiring employees to be vaccinated against
COVID-19?
Proportion
N
Yes
49%
254
No
30%
157
Unsure
21%
111
Union
Is Unionized?
Is your organization unionized or does it have one or more
recognized bargaining units?
Proportion
N
Yes
39%
204
No
57%
300
Unsure
3%
18
Union Member?
Are you a member of the union/bargaining unit? [only
asked to respondents whose organization is unionized or has one or more
recognized bargaining units]
Proportion
N
Yes
64%
131
No, do not qualify for membership
33%
67
Unsure
3%
6
Date of Unionization
When did your organization unionize? [only asked to
respondents whose organization is unionized or has one or more
recognized bargaining units]
Proportion
N
Within the past two years
62%
126
In the past two to five years
11%
23
More than five years ago
22%
45
I’m not sure
5%
10
Notes
Eligibility
Respondents were only eligible to take this survey if (1) they worked
in progressive politics AND (2) if their organization, role, or team
focused on data, analytics, or technology.
Respondents satisfied the first criteria if they answered “Yes” or
“Did but employment ended post-election” to the following question:
Do you currently work at an organization that either works in
progressive politics or has some clients who work in progressive
politics or do you currently work for a government body? Or, if you
freelance, do you have some clients that work in progressive
politics?
The second criteria was satisfied if the respondents answered “Yes”
to one or more of the following questions:
Is the primary focus (>40% of resources) of your organization
data, analytics, or technology?
Is the primary focus (>40% of resources) of your team data,
analytics, or technology?
Is the primary focus (>40% of time) of your role data, analytics
or technology?
Authors and Thanks
This year’s salary survey was conducted and analyzed by Amit Mistry,
Cristina Sinclaire, Lena Tom, Mahelet Fekade, and Olivia Robinson.
Please reach out to us at with any
questions, comments, or concerns.
We want to thank the folks who have conducted the salary surveys in
the past (listed alphabetically): Anna Cooper, Annie J. Wang, Audra
Grassia, Chelsea Harris, Kass DeVorsey, Lizzie Ellis, Mike Jensen, and
Sandhya Anantharaman.
And the biggest thank you goes to everyone who took and shared the
survey!
Appendix
Additional Salary Crosstabs
Management
Category
N
Mean
Median
0 staffers
290
$91,206
$85,000
1-4 staffers
142
$115,624
$110,000
5-9 staffers
49
$144,725
$120,000
10-14 staffers
25
$132,834
$140,000
More than 15 staffers
16
$142,844
$150,000
Seniority
Category
N
Mean
Median
Entry-Level
64
$67,810
$66,000
Mid-Level
198
$92,909
$85,000
Senior-Level, but not Department Head
123
$116,511
$110,000
Department Head
91
$121,445
$120,000
Organization Head, President or C-Level
34
$179,558
$150,000
Freelance
11
$113,909
$120,000
Negotiation Outcomes by Demographics
By Gender
During your last job offer or performance review, did you try
to negotiate your salary?
All (n = 522)
Man (n = 247)
Non-Binary (n = 43)
Woman (n = 229)
Yes
41%
40%
47%
40%
No
47%
47%
40%
48%
Not applicable (union, freelancer, etc.)
12%
12%
14%
12%
Was your negotiation successful? Please select all that
apply. [only asked to respondents who attempted a
negotiation]
All (n = 212)
Man (n = 100)
Non-Binary (n = 20)
Woman (n = 91)
Yes, I increased my benefits
10%
12%
15%
8%
Yes, I increased my compensation
72%
73%
45%
76%
Yes, I improved my title
15%
18%
5%
12%
No, I did not improve my compensation, benefits or title
21%
19%
45%
18%
By Race
During your last job offer or performance review, did you try
to negotiate your salary?
All (n = 522)
BIPOC (n = 150)
White (n = 366)
Yes
41%
40%
41%
No
47%
47%
47%
Not applicable (union, freelancer, etc.)
12%
13%
12%
Was your negotiation successful? Please select all that
apply. [only asked to respondents who attempted a
negotiation]
All (n = 212)
BIPOC (n = 60)
White (n = 150)
Yes, I increased my benefits
10%
8%
11%
Yes, I increased my compensation
72%
68%
73%
Yes, I improved my title
15%
17%
13%
No, I did not improve my compensation, benefits or title
21%
27%
19%
By Race x Gender
During your last job offer or performance review, did you try
to negotiate your salary?
All (n = 522)
BIPOC | Man (n = 69)
BIPOC | Non-Binary (n = 15)
BIPOC | Woman (n = 66)
White | Man (n = 175)
White | Non-Binary (n = 28)
White | Woman (n = 162)
Yes
41%
36%
53%
41%
43%
43%
39%
No
47%
49%
33%
48%
47%
43%
48%
Not applicable (union, freelancer, etc.)
12%
14%
13%
11%
10%
14%
13%
Was your negotiation successful? Please select all that
apply. [Only asked to respondents who attempted a negotiation.
Trans or Nonbinary reported for all races because of small n-sizes.]
All (n = 212)
BIPOC | Man (n = 25)
BIPOC | Non-Binary (n = 8)
BIPOC | Woman (n = 27)
White | Man (n = 75)
White | Non-Binary (n = 12)
White | Woman (n = 63)
Yes, I increased my benefits
10%
12%
0%
7%
12%
25%
8%
Yes, I increased my compensation
72%
76%
25%
74%
72%
58%
76%
Yes, I improved my title
15%
24%
0%
15%
16%
8%
11%
No, I did not improve my compensation, benefits or title
21%
16%
75%
22%
20%
25%
16%
Management by Demographics
How many staffers do you manage? Please include everyone who
reports “up the chain” to you, both directly or through layer(s) of
management.
By Gender
All (n = 522)
Man (n = 247)
Non-Binary (n = 43)
Woman (n = 229)
0 staffers
56%
52%
67%
57%
1-4 staffers
27%
27%
21%
29%
5+ staffers
17%
21%
12%
14%
By Race
All (n = 522)
BIPOC (n = 150)
White (n = 366)
0 staffers
56%
69%
50%
1-4 staffers
27%
21%
30%
5+ staffers
17%
11%
20%
By Race x Gender
All (n = 522)
BIPOC | Man (n = 69)
BIPOC | Non-Binary (n = 15)
BIPOC | Woman (n = 66)
White | Man (n = 175)
White | Non-Binary (n = 28)
White | Woman (n = 162)
0 staffers
56%
67%
87%
67%
46%
57%
53%
1-4 staffers
27%
19%
7%
26%
30%
29%
30%
5+ staffers
17%
14%
7%
8%
24%
14%
17%
Seniority by Demographics
How would you describe your level of seniority within the
organization?
