• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, April 7, 2017

A new email salary study shows that men still rule when it comes to wages.

The top male salary in email marketing is $300,000, although few men seem to reach it. Their median compensation is $90,000, according to the study by Only Influencers as reported by MarketingProfs.

In contrast, women top out at $200,000, judging by our reading of these charts. And their median pay is $75,000. Why should that divide exist, given that professionals of both sexes have numbers to make?

We’ll spare you any cheap shots about the political age we live in — this situation long predated the current regime. And we suspect that some men like it just fine. But it doesn’t speak well of the marketing business.

Only Influencers polled 145 email marketers, divided equally between men and women. As reported by MarketingProfs, the study doesn’t specify in terms of bonuses, severance packages and other forms of compensation; nor does it consider skill sets and geography.

The study does, however, cover another key variable: age. A few younger Millennials  —  those in the 20-29 age range -- hit six figures — barely. But they are more likely to achieve that pay rate in their 30s, if at all.

Peak earning power occurs in the 40s,when the median is $107,000, then declines after a person hits 50. It’s hardly a fortune, as such things go, and it brings to mind what a veteran direct marketer told us about the field: “You’ll have a nice life, but you’ll never make much money.”

But how nice a life is it? Women, as they get older, face the same age differential that men do, maybe even worse, in addition to the ongoing gender gap. Who makes these decisions?

Now let’s move up the ladder a few notches — to the CMO’s job. The average CMO’s tenure has dropped to 42 months, after reaching a high of 48 months in 2014, according to a survey by Spencer Stuart, an executive search consultancy. But median tenure rose slightly.

This study doesn’t break out longevity on the job by sex, nor does it rank salaries. It does note, however, that "the 16 CMOs comprising the 'freshman class' for 2016 are somewhat less likely to be a first-time CMO or diverse than last year, but more likely to be female or promoted from within than the overall group of 98 sitting CMOs."

It’s not clear whether any of these CMOs rose up out of the email marketing side. Either way, women still face issues even as they head toward the C Suite.  

"Gender and diversity are areas where considerable work needs to be done when it comes to recruiting top marketers," said Greg Welch, a consultant in the Spencer Stuart Marketing Officer Practice. "The good news is that the best companies recognize this, with many of them putting appropriate structures in place to further develop the next generation of marketers who truly reflect today’s diverse marketplace."

Hopefully, that includes pay. But here’s the real solution for males and females alike: Go out and start your own company.