The Bookseller Salary and Benefits Survey was carried out
online between 14th November 2007 and 21st January 2008. The
responses are intended to give a snapshot of how people in the
industry view their pay and benefits package.
Respondents were asked a range of questions about their
pay and benefits, some of which depended on the sector of the
industry they worked in, whether it was publishing, bookselling
Section 1: all
respondents
Of the 411 respondents, 24%
were male and 76% were
female. The average age of
the respondents was 33 and
the majority described their
ethnicity as white (29%) or
white British (62%). Of those
who took part, the majority
(201 respondents) said that
they worked in London. The
figures do little to quell the
impression that many of those
working within the industry are
white and female.
Career status
Taking the responses of all
participants, the vast majority
are employed on a full-time
basis (88%). The average
length of employment in
respondents’ current roles is
three-and-a-half years, with
only 7% clocking up more than
Q5) What is your
employment status?
Freelance 2%
Full-time 88%
Part-time 5%
Self-employed 2%
Temporary contract 3%
(Sample: all respondents)
Q6) How long have you been
in your current job?
Up to a year 26%
One to five years 54%
Five to 10 years 13%
More than 10 years 7%
(Sample: all respondents)
Q7) What best describes the
reason that you took your
role?
I fell into it 38%
THE BOOKSELLER SALARY AND BENEFITS SURVEY 2008: THE RESULTS
(Sample: all respondents)
Q4 WHICH SECTOR DO YOU WORK IN?
(Sample: all respondents)
10 years in the same role.
When asked why they
took their current role, 156
respondents (38%) say they
“fell into it”, while 187 (45.5%)
say it is the career they always
wanted. Just 6% say their
career is a “stop-gap measure”.
The average level of pay
across all respondents—those
It fits in well with my family
obligations 4%
It’s a stop-gap measure until
I find something I really
want to do 6%
It is the career I always
wanted 46%
Other, please specify 6%
(Sample: all respondents)
Q8) How much do you get
paid?
Up to £20,000 34%
£20,000 to £40,000 58%
£40,000 to £60,000 6%
More than £60,000 2%
Average salary £25,328
Q9) How would you rate
your level of pay?
I am thinking of leaving the
industry for a better salary 14%
Q1 YOUR GENDER
Female 76%
Library services
Bookselling
Other
Male 24%
or the library sector. There were 411 responses in total: 298 in the
publishing industry, 48 in bookselling and 44 in library services.
The remaining 21 respondents who worked in “other” parts of
the industry gave their employment as being in areas including
newspapers, printing and distribution. Where the percentages do
not add up to 100%, this is because not everyone who participated
in the survey answered that particular question.
Publishing
who work in bookselling,
publishing or librarianship—is
£25,328. The majority of
respondents rate their level
of pay as “not great, but I love
working with books” (128
respondents). When asked
how important pay is, 33%
of the overall respondents
say that factors such as
I am reasonably well paid 17%
It’s low, but I am the ownermanager
and I am trying to
build the business 3%
It’s low and I struggle to
pay my bills 20%
The overall package is
adequate 14%
The pay is not great, but I
love working with books 31%
(Sample: all respondents)
Q10) How important is pay
when considering changing
jobs?
Factors such as ethos
and location are just as
important 33%
I’d move for more pay,
even if there were other
drawbacks 11%
Pay is a medium or low priority
Q2) Which best describes your ethnicity?
Asian or Asian British 2%
Black or black British 0.5%
Chinese 0.7%
Mixed heritage 2%
White British 62%
White 29%
Other 2%
I prefer not to say 1%
(Sample: all respondents)
Q3) Which best describes where you
work?
East 2%
Ireland 2%
London 49%
North-east 1%
North-west 3%
Oxford 16%
South-east 9%
South-west 5%
Midlands 5%
Scotland 3%
Wales 2%
Yorkshire and the Humber 1%
International 2%
(Sample: all respondents)
location and work ethos
are just as important (33%),
while a further 38% (157
respondents) say promotion
and new challenges are just
as motivating as pay. The
majority of respondents across
all sectors of the industry
report that they have had a
pay rise in the past year.
compared with other factors 10%
Pay is by far the most
significant consideration 6%
Promotion and new challenges
motivate me as much as pay 38%
(Sample: all respondents)
Q11) Have you had a pay
rise in the past year?
No 32%
Yes 64%
(Sample: answered by 399
respondents)
Average pay according to
industry sector
Average across all £25,328
Average publishing £26,577
Average bookselling £17,500
Average librarianship £24,090
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