iGaming Business - Issue 113 iGB-113_NovDec-print-p55-63-Salary-Survey-cover | Page 3
Salary Survey
Average salary by job category and level (GBP)
2016-17
2017-18
Source: Pentasia
Mind the gap
Pentasia MD Alastair Cleland on the growing gulf between the top- and mid-range earners
Our industry rewards those
at the top, but a salary gap
between the top and mid-range
earners is opening up, writes
Pentasia MD Alastair Cleland
iGaming is renowned as an
industry where the big winners
win big, with a number of
directors and founders having
amassed billion-dollar fortunes
from their work in the sector.
The packages on offer to
those lower down the ladder
may not match this, but the
iGaming industry tends to pay
handsomely at all levels. This
year’s salary survey shows
pay across the sector has
increased 2.75% year-on-year,
but it’s the senior leaders who
have enjoyed the biggest pay
hike in the period.
Salaries in excess of
£100,000 are increasingly
commonplace, not just for the
C-Suite but also for specialists
and heads-of-department in
areas including compliance,
tech development and product
management.
However as senior salaries
have increased, the gap
between mid- and senior-level
pay has widened.
Bosses earning double
the salary of those directly
below them are increasingly
common. This has created
a top-heavy remuneration
culture.
There are three factors
contributing to the widening
gap. First, an ongoing
scarcity of experienced
iGaming leadership talent
drives up wages. Secondly,
mid-level salaries are limited
by precedent or comparable
hires. Finally, senior roles often
require candidates to relocate,
which necessitates higher
salaries to make the roles
more attractive. Making the
jump from a mid- to senior-
level position is often seen by
employers as challenging. This
means many can be unwilling
to recruit from lower tiers of
their business for the most
senior roles.
Often it takes a new
employer to recognise a
candidate’s potential and offer
them the chance to step up.
Experience remains key,
both for driving up salaries
and securing the top jobs.
Those with a decade or more’s
industry experience have a
signifi cant advantage over
candidates from other sectors
when it comes to landing
senior roles. Ours is a unique
and nuanced industry where
knowledge and experience
are valued.
Certain fast-tracks are
now emerging. Experience in
key operational departments
such as tech, compliance
or marketing boosts career
prospects as employers look
to build these skillsets into
their leadership team.
In the increasingly
complex, regulated and
competitive online gaming
market, it’s above all strong
leadership that employers look
for. Career paths which include
a wide range of departmental
interaction and exposure
to different markets are
most likely to result in a seat at
the top table.
Ultimately, employers who
invest their trust, responsibility
and top-tier salaries in
ambitious candidates who are
willing to prove themselves –
even if they haven’t yet
done so – may discover
that their investment
pays dividends.
iGamingBusiness | Issue 113 | November/December 2018
57