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Manager of special events salary
Average manager of special events salary
$56,716
Understanding Manager of Special Events Salaries
As a Manager of Special Events, professionals oversee the planning and execution of various events, from corporate functions to weddings. The average annual salary for this position is $56,716, translating to about $27 per hour. Compensation varies significantly by state and can be influenced by factors such as experience and industry.
Salary Variations by State
Some states offer higher salaries due to cost of living and demand for skilled event managers. For instance, states like California and New York typically present more lucrative opportunities. Understanding local market conditions is vital for job seekers aiming for the best compensation.
Top Cities for Event Managers
Major cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago often feature the highest-paying jobs for Managers of Special Events. Networking within these metropolitan areas can open doors to lucrative positions.
Industry Insights
Industries like hospitality, corporate services, and non-profits frequently require skilled event planners. Further, specialized sectors such as tech and entertainment may provide even higher salary prospects. By targeting the right industries, you can enhance your career trajectory.
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Where can a Manager Of Special Events earn more?
Average manager of special events salary by state
The average manager of special events salary in Hawaii, California, and Nevada are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average manager of special events salary states are Michigan, Oklahoma, and Wyoming.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for managers of special events
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $71,054 | $34.16 |
| 2 | Nevada | $74,083 | $35.62 |
| 3 | California | $79,549 | $38.24 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $69,221 | $33.28 |
| 5 | New York | $67,013 | $32.22 |
| 6 | Arkansas | $58,611 | $28.18 |
| 7 | Vermont | $63,295 | $30.43 |
| 8 | New Mexico | $66,599 | $32.02 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $72,778 | $34.99 |
| 10 | Delaware | $67,149 | $32.28 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $64,728 | $31.12 |
| 12 | Nebraska | $54,732 | $26.31 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $62,009 | $29.81 |
| 14 | Maryland | $64,728 | $31.12 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $59,445 | $28.58 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $79,782 | $38.36 |
| 17 | Missouri | $54,121 | $26.02 |
| 18 | Texas | $57,431 | $27.61 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $52,067 | $25.03 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $56,092 | $26.97 |
| 21 | Kansas | $57,252 | $27.52 |
| 22 | Iowa | $55,737 | $26.80 |
| 23 | Ohio | $49,594 | $23.84 |
| 24 | Oregon | $53,926 | $25.93 |
| 25 | Kentucky | $47,630 | $22.90 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $54,771 | $26.33 |
| 27 | Idaho | $57,318 | $27.56 |
| 28 | Illinois | $50,562 | $24.31 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $51,107 | $24.57 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $52,880 | $25.42 |
| 31 | Virginia | $53,700 | $25.82 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $49,464 | $23.78 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $47,903 | $23.03 |
| 34 | Washington | $49,223 | $23.66 |
| 35 | Georgia | $51,459 | $24.74 |
| 36 | Florida | $50,902 | $24.47 |
| 37 | Michigan | $43,551 | $20.94 |
| 38 | Indiana | $45,875 | $22.06 |
| 39 | Maine | $49,107 | $23.61 |
| 40 | Utah | $44,455 | $21.37 |
| 41 | Alabama | $47,956 | $23.06 |
| 42 | Minnesota | $47,149 | $22.67 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $43,519 | $20.92 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $47,734 | $22.95 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $42,061 | $20.22 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $45,232 | $21.75 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $43,898 | $21.10 |
| 48 | Alaska | $25,208 | $12.12 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $45,373 | $21.81 |
| 50 | Montana | $40,526 | $19.48 |
| 51 | Colorado | $41,353 | $19.88 |
Highest paying cities for managers of special events
The highest-paying cities for managers of special events are San Francisco, CA, Kailua, HI, and Las Vegas, NV.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $83,192 | $40.00 |
| 2 | Kailua, HI | $79,837 | $38.38 |
| 3 | Las Vegas, NV | $74,029 | $35.59 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $72,687 | $34.95 |
| 5 | Chandler, AZ | $71,010 | $34.14 |
| 6 | Poughkeepsie, NY | $67,930 | $32.66 |
| 7 | Newark, DE | $67,028 | $32.23 |
| 8 | Washington, DC | $56,173 | $27.01 |
| 9 | Eugene, OR | $55,538 | $26.70 |
| 10 | Fort Worth, TX | $54,980 | $26.43 |
| 11 | McLean, VA | $54,556 | $26.23 |
| 12 | Charlotte, NC | $54,336 | $26.12 |
| 13 | Miami, FL | $53,016 | $25.49 |
| 14 | Atlanta, GA | $51,231 | $24.63 |
| 15 | Chicago, IL | $50,559 | $24.31 |
| 16 | Cincinnati, OH | $48,990 | $23.55 |
| 17 | Milwaukee, WI | $48,144 | $23.15 |
| 18 | Pittsburgh, PA | $47,729 | $22.95 |
| 19 | Minneapolis, MN | $47,128 | $22.66 |
| 20 | Indianapolis, IN | $45,994 | $22.11 |
Manager of special events salary details
A manager of special events's salary ranges from $31,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $101,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a manager of special events's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $101,000 | $8,417 | $49 |
| 75th Percentile | $77,000 | $6,417 | $37 |
| Average | $56,716 | $4,726 | $27 |
| 25th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
| 10th Percentile | $31,000 | $2,583 | $15 |
Highest paying manager of special events jobs
The highest paying types of managers of special events are vice president of communication, director of public affairs, and media director.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Development Director | $107,044 | $8,920 | $51.46 | 63,008 |
| Community Relations Director | $96,788 | $8,066 | $46.53 | 33,569 |
| Public Relations Director | $94,692 | $7,891 | $45.52 | 31,693 |
| Communications Director | $107,700 | $8,975 | $51.78 | 27,939 |
| Communications Officer | $40,161 | $3,347 | $19.31 | 73,260 |
| Events Marketing Manager | $80,575 | $6,715 | $38.74 | 113,348 |
Top companies hiring managers of special events now:
Which companies pay managers of special events the most?
Manager of special events salaries at ESPN and Aetna are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average manager of special events salary at companies like The Jewish Museum and AmeriHealth Caritas are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ESPN | $111,038 | $53.38 |
| 2 | Aetna | $110,674 | $53.21 |
| 3 | The Jewish Museum | $79,527 | $38.23 |
| 4 | AmeriHealth Caritas | $77,345 | $37.19 |
| 5 | Health Alliance | $76,748 | $36.90 |
| 6 | Columbia University in the City of New York | $76,336 | $36.70 |
| 7 | CVS Health | $72,487 | $34.85 |
| 8 | Asia Society | $69,939 | $33.62 |
| 9 | Alliance College-Ready Public Schools | $69,445 | $33.39 |
| 10 | Sotheby's | $68,122 | $32.75 |
| 11 | Children's National Medical Center | $67,957 | $32.67 |
| 12 | American Cancer Society | $67,010 | $32.22 |
| 13 | Asian Pacific Development Center | $66,085 | $31.77 |
| 14 | Nova Southeastern University | $63,515 | $30.54 |
| 15 | Goodwin Recruiting | $62,667 | $30.13 |
| 16 | National Medical Association | $60,792 | $29.23 |
| 17 | United Site Services | $57,349 | $27.57 |
| 18 | EMCOR Group | $57,172 | $27.49 |
| 19 | National Geographic | $56,826 | $27.32 |
| 20 | IAP Worldwide Services | $56,686 | $27.25 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Manager Of Special Events salary by industry
The average manager of special events salary varies across industries:
- The average manager of special events salary in the non profits industry is $60,955, the highest of any industry.
- The average manager of special events salary in the finance industry is $56,663.
- Managers of special events in the hospitality industry earn an average salary of $40,622, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for managers of special events
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Non Profits | $60,955 | $29.31 |
| 2 | Education | $56,663 | $27.24 |
| 3 | Media | $55,069 | $26.48 |
| 4 | Retail | $41,710 | $20.05 |
| 5 | Hospitality | $40,622 | $19.53 |
High paying manager of special events jobs
Manager of special events salary trends
The average manager of special events salary has risen by $13,322 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average manager of special events earned $43,394 annually, but today, they earn $56,716 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for managers of special events over the last decade.
Compare manager of special events salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average manager of special events salary over time
Compare manager of special events salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Manager of special events salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $56,700 | $27.27 | +3.9% |
| 2025 | $54,500 | $26.20 | +2.0% |
| 2024 | $53,400 | $25.67 | +3.1% |
| 2023 | $51,800 | $24.88 | +3.6% |
| 2022 | $49,900 | $24.00 | +3.0% |
Recently added manager of special events salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown University | Office Manager and Special Event Coordinator-Office of Mission & Ministry | Washington, DC | 06/30/2025 | $44,161 |
| Propark America | Special Events Valet Manager | San Francisco, CA | 06/29/2025 | $68,871 |
| Roblox | Manager, Special Investigations | San Mateo, CA | 06/29/2025 | $198,830 |
| Fort Worth Botanic Garden | Events & Janitorial Support | Fort Worth, TX | 06/28/2025 | $33,392 |
| La Casa Norte | Manager, Special Events and Donor Relations | Chicago, IL | 06/27/2025 | $60,000 |
| Troon Golf, L.L.C | Special Events Manager | Harrison, NY | 06/20/2025 | $80,000 |
| ASG | Special Event Security-Temporary (4233) | Plantation, FL | 06/14/2025 | $36,523 |
| The Dalton School | Special Events Manager | New York, NY | 06/11/2025 | $70,000 |
| Job Opportunities In Nevada | Senior Manager-Special Events | New York, NY | 06/10/2025 | $112,925 |
| Rejoindre | Senior Manager-Special Events | New York, NY | 06/10/2025 | $112,925 |
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