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Conference manager salary
Average conference manager salary
$59,570
Understanding Conference Manager Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Conference Manager stands at $59,570 per year. This figure can fluctuate based on various factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific sector within which one works. For example, experienced managers typically earn more, with salaries increasing significantly with senior roles.
In terms of geography, states with a higher demand for event management professionals often provide better compensation. For instance, states like California and New York are known for offering higher salaries due to their robust event industries. Additionally, those who hold relevant certifications or advanced degrees can command greater pay.
Understanding the salary structure within this field can aid individuals in making informed career choices. By comparing average salaries by state and experience levels, prospective Conference Managers can set realistic salary expectations and identify potential for career advancement. Overall, this role is not just about planning events; it's a pathway to build valuable skills that can lead to higher pay and greater job satisfaction.
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Where can a Conference Manager earn more?
Conference manager salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level conference manager | $50,400 | $24.24 |
| Mid-level conference manager | $61,500 | $29.54 |
| Senior-level conference manager | $72,500 | $34.85 |
Conference manager salary estimates from across the web
Average conference manager salary by state
The average conference manager salary in New York, California, and Virginia are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average conference manager salary states are Maine, Idaho, and New Mexico.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for conference managers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $72,210 | $34.72 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $71,739 | $34.49 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $66,078 | $31.77 |
| 4 | New York | $78,904 | $37.93 |
| 5 | California | $75,898 | $36.49 |
| 6 | Maryland | $66,706 | $32.07 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $69,944 | $33.63 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $71,329 | $34.29 |
| 9 | West Virginia | $62,982 | $30.28 |
| 10 | Washington | $68,648 | $33.00 |
| 11 | Illinois | $63,434 | $30.50 |
| 12 | Tennessee | $59,892 | $28.79 |
| 13 | Indiana | $57,067 | $27.44 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $63,197 | $30.38 |
| 15 | Vermont | $57,875 | $27.82 |
| 16 | Ohio | $54,135 | $26.03 |
| 17 | Texas | $57,714 | $27.75 |
| 18 | Florida | $56,058 | $26.95 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $53,029 | $25.49 |
| 20 | Michigan | $53,355 | $25.65 |
| 21 | Alabama | $57,459 | $27.62 |
| 22 | Oregon | $55,800 | $26.83 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $54,671 | $26.28 |
| 24 | Arizona | $54,103 | $26.01 |
| 25 | Delaware | $51,475 | $24.75 |
| 26 | Nevada | $53,932 | $25.93 |
| 27 | Colorado | $55,235 | $26.56 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $53,482 | $25.71 |
| 29 | Missouri | $53,175 | $25.56 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $50,010 | $24.04 |
| 31 | Utah | $47,779 | $22.97 |
| 32 | Rhode Island | $48,328 | $23.23 |
| 33 | Iowa | $46,795 | $22.50 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $49,440 | $23.77 |
| 35 | Montana | $43,995 | $21.15 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $48,468 | $23.30 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $46,059 | $22.14 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $49,824 | $23.95 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $50,667 | $24.36 |
| 40 | Alaska | $49,662 | $23.88 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $46,337 | $22.28 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $46,030 | $22.13 |
| 43 | Georgia | $47,274 | $22.73 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $43,487 | $20.91 |
| 45 | Idaho | $42,672 | $20.52 |
| 46 | Kansas | $45,154 | $21.71 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $42,320 | $20.35 |
| 48 | New Mexico | $42,588 | $20.48 |
| 49 | Maine | $43,041 | $20.69 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $40,811 | $19.62 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $42,274 | $20.32 |
Highest paying cities for conference managers
The highest-paying cities for conference managers are New York, NY, Pasadena, CA, and Alexandria, VA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $79,315 | $38.13 |
| 2 | Pasadena, CA | $75,302 | $36.20 |
| 3 | Alexandria, VA | $72,354 | $34.79 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $71,357 | $34.31 |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | $68,907 | $33.13 |
| 6 | Chicago, IL | $63,787 | $30.67 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $62,922 | $30.25 |
| 8 | Houston, TX | $58,165 | $27.96 |
| 9 | Coral Gables, FL | $56,614 | $27.22 |
| 10 | Boulder, CO | $54,986 | $26.44 |
| 11 | Las Vegas, NV | $53,905 | $25.92 |
| 12 | Alpharetta, GA | $47,219 | $22.70 |
Conference manager salary details
A conference manager's salary ranges from $43,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $81,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a conference manager's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $81,000 | $6,750 | $39 |
| 75th Percentile | $70,000 | $5,833 | $34 |
| Average | $59,570 | $4,964 | $29 |
| 25th Percentile | $50,000 | $4,167 | $24 |
| 10th Percentile | $43,000 | $3,583 | $21 |
Highest paying conference manager jobs
The highest paying types of conference managers are planning committee member, director of events, and meeting planner.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing And Event Planning Internship | $28,412 | $2,368 | $13.66 | 131,730 |
| Director Of Events | $65,971 | $5,498 | $31.72 | 8,520 |
| Meeting Planner | $56,257 | $4,688 | $27.05 | 17,112 |
| Event Planner | $51,542 | $4,295 | $24.78 | 19,793 |
| Event Internship | $29,693 | $2,474 | $14.28 | 52,914 |
| Special Events Coordinator | $40,063 | $3,339 | $19.26 | 34,538 |
Top companies hiring conference managers now:
Which companies pay conference managers the most?
Conference manager salaries at Pegasystems and JPMorgan Chase & Co. are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average conference manager salary at companies like Brookfield Properties and J.P. Morgan are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pegasystems | $84,485 | $40.62 |
| 2 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $80,381 | $38.64 |
| 3 | Brookfield Properties | $71,283 | $34.27 |
| 4 | J.P. Morgan | $70,125 | $33.71 |
| 5 | Grainger | $69,331 | $33.33 |
| 6 | Canon | $64,272 | $30.90 |
| 7 | Cushman & Wakefield | $64,263 | $30.90 |
| 8 | UMiami Health System | $63,544 | $30.55 |
| 9 | Amazon | $63,256 | $30.41 |
| 10 | American Gas Association | $58,266 | $28.01 |
| 11 | BAE Systems | $58,176 | $27.97 |
| 12 | Atla | $58,074 | $27.92 |
| 13 | NMC | $57,971 | $27.87 |
| 14 | Direct Marketing Assoc | $55,957 | $26.90 |
| 15 | Informa Plc | $54,261 | $26.09 |
| 16 | Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs | $53,925 | $25.93 |
| 17 | University of Colorado Boulder | $52,620 | $25.30 |
| 18 | GreenBiz Group | $50,767 | $24.41 |
| 19 | University of Florida | $50,377 | $24.22 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Conference Manager salary by industry
The average conference manager salary varies across industries:
- The average conference manager salary in the hospitality industry is $64,559, the highest of any industry.
- The average conference manager salary in the finance industry is $61,167.
- Conference managers in the education industry earn an average salary of $53,515, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for conference managers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hospitality | $64,559 | $31.04 |
| 2 | Finance | $61,167 | $29.41 |
| 3 | Professional | $60,081 | $28.89 |
| 4 | Non Profits | $58,124 | $27.94 |
| 5 | Manufacturing | $53,806 | $25.87 |
| 6 | Media | $53,581 | $25.76 |
| 7 | Education | $53,515 | $25.73 |
High paying conference manager jobs
Conference manager salary trends
The average conference manager salary has risen by $6,401 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average conference manager earned $53,169 annually, but today, they earn $59,570 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for conference managers over the last decade.
Compare conference manager salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average conference manager salary over time
Compare conference manager salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Conference manager salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $59,600 | $28.64 | +1.9% |
| 2025 | $58,500 | $28.11 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $57,000 | $27.42 | +2.2% |
| 2023 | $55,800 | $26.82 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $54,700 | $26.30 | +1.1% |
Recently added conference manager salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Staffing Resources | Conference Staff | Ione, OR | 06/28/2025 | $41,740 |
| Cetera Financial Group | Events and Conferences Manager | San Diego, CA | 06/27/2025 | $75,000 |
| Arthritis Foundation, Inc. | Manager, Meetings and Conferences | Atlanta, GA | 05/12/2025 | $69,000 |
| Compass Group, North America | Senior Conference Manager | New York, NY | 04/22/2025 | $80,000 |
| Northwest Staffing Resources | Conference Staff | Portland, OR | 04/05/2025 | $41,740 |
| Apple Inc. | Avconference Telephony Manager | San Diego, CA | 03/19/2025 | $181,000 |
| SDSU Research Foundation | Kpbs Conference Manager | San Diego, CA | 03/08/2025 | $71,000 |
| Edjassociates | Senior Conference Manager (WIP 46) | Enon, VA | 02/17/2025 | $90,000 |
| Portland Timbers | Senior Catering and Conference Manager 1399628 | Maryland | 02/17/2025 | $80,000 |
| Compass Group USA Inc. | Senior Catering and Conference Manager | New York, NY | 02/15/2025 | $80,000 |
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