PR Council’s Industry Benchmark Studies
Reports are available to participating firms at no charge. Apply for membership to participate in future studies.
Analysis of Agency Costs
This survey shows operating cost and income figures for member agencies. Each participating agency is assigned a number to protect confidentiality and can compare their data with similarly sized agencies.
The report includes:
- Margins
- Payroll expenses across departments
- Overview of the cost categories across the agency
- Accounts receivable trends
Benefits Study
Benefits have become more important as a recruitment and retention tool. This report highlights key benefits offered across member agencies.
The report includes:
- All employee benefit categories from time off to employee recognition
- Data sorted by agency size and indication of current offering or planned offering for next year
Workforce Economics Dashboard
The Workforce Economics Dashboard brings together compensation, labor billing rates, utilization, and business benchmarks into a single interactive resource, helping agency leaders understand the relationships between talent investments, pricing, staffing, and financial performance.
The dashboard includes:
- Compensation benchmarks by role and market tier
- Labor billing rate benchmarks
- Target and actual utilization metrics
- Key business benchmark indicators
Tech Stack Study
The Tech Stack Study reports on the technology platforms used by agencies for client service and internal operations.
The report includes:
- Highest ranked and most frequently used products across Content, Data and Insights, Earned, Generative AI, HR, Influencer, Operation, Project Management and Web/App and Development, among other categories
Frequently Asked Questions
What benchmark studies does the PRC conduct?
The PRC conducts research on compensation, staffing, agency costs, profitability, pricing, AI adoption, talent, and other issues affecting agency performance.
Why are benchmark studies valuable for agencies?
Benchmark studies help agencies compare performance against best-in-class peers, identify trends, support planning decisions, and uncover opportunities for improvement.
How is the benchmark data collected?
Data is submitted confidentially by participating member agencies and aggregated to protect individual firm information.
How often are benchmark studies updated?
Most benchmark studies are conducted annually or bi-annually, though timing varies by study.
Can non-members access PRC research?
Selected findings are available publicly to support the agency business broadly. The full data, dashboards, and detailed reports are member-only in the Benchmarking Dashboard of our member portal.
Still have questions?