NIRSA first conducted a census of salaries in the collegiate recreation profession in 1987. This initial assessment originated from NIRSA members’ desire to have a standardized, benchmarking tool for salaries of the various positions within the profession. Over the next 30 years, and thanks to the efforts of NIRSA members, the NIRSA Salary Census continues to be the leading benchmarking instrument for salaries in the field. On the 30th anniversary of its launch, the NIRSA Research & Assessment Committee is pleased to announce the release of the 2017 NIRSA Salary Census. In every iteration, the NIRSA Salary Census has been revised to more accurately capture relevant salary-related data and to improve the methods by which data is collected, analyzed, and reported. This year, these changes are extensive.
The NIRSA Salary Census will now be available to members and non-members in the collegiate recreation profession via a web-based platform hosted by Dynamic Benchmarking. Much like the Institutional Data Set (IDS), participants will be able to submit their data and will have the ability to filter results. In addition to providing an easier-to-use and more secure method of submitting data, the platform will be pre-populated with information from members’ NIRSA profiles. If this pre-populated data is incorrect or missing, please enter the accurate data. This data will then be updated in your NIRSA member profile. If you don’t have a member profile, please create one to participate in the NIRSA Salary Census.
Salary Census reports and the Salary Calculator have historically been made available to the Association as a NIRSA institutional membership benefit. With the transition to a web-based platform, these resources have now been re-envisioned. Professional members and non-members will be able to submit data within the platform but only individuals at NIRSA member institutions will have access to data filters within the platform. These filters will function much in the same way as the current NIRSA Salary Calculator. In addition, all participants will be able to see how their salaries compare to industry standards by position and will be able to search for typical salaries by position and other factors. Check the Salary Calculator webpage in the coming weeks for the release of the Salary Benchmarking platform. To become an institutional member, download the institutional membership application or contact NIRSA Membership.
While the NIRSA Salary Census platform opens for data collection this year, the IDS will not re-open for a new year of data collection. Data collection between these two instruments will alternate years. More updates to the IDS are expected by the end of this year. Keep an eye on the NIRSA News for more information.
- For more information, please contact NIRSA Research Coordinator Ruben Guzman.
Jessica Kiss is currently an instructor and laboratory coordinator in the Exercise Science Program at Bowling Green State University. She is also the current Research and Assessment Committee Chair. She can be reached at jekiss@bgsu.edu.
