In 2015, the average cost of a wedding was $32,641, according to the XO Group, which owns the popular wedding website, The Knot. Of that amount, nearly $2,000 was spent on a wedding planner to coordinate the big day. Weddings are a huge, money-making business, and yet they're just one type of event you might choose to plan when you enter the event planning field. You could also organize political fundraisers, charity balls, reunions, anniversaries, bachelor or bachelorette parties and more.
Why Get an Event Planning Certificate?
There's more to planning a successful event than just picking a location and ordering food. Both on-campus and online education certificate programs in event planning offer courses such as:
- Accounting and budgets
- Advertising
- Catering and venues
- Contracts and insurance
- Creating a concept or theme
- Entertainment, flowers, and decorations
- Event branding, marketing, and PR
- Folklore, traditions, and wedding etiquette
- Psychology of a bride
- Scheduling
Most event planners run their own business, which takes training and discipline. Earning your certificate can help you acquire the necessary skills to succeed.
Salary and Job Growth Projections for Event and Meeting Planners
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2015 event, convention and meeting planners earned a median wage of $46,840, with the top 10 percent of earners earning over $82,050.
The BLS also reports that while states that had the highest levels of employment for this field include California (10,390), New York (9,300), Texas (6,460) and Florida (5,950), the top-paying states are District of Columbia ($68,150), Connecticut ($63,020) and Massachusetts ($60,860).
People who are interested in starting a career in this field can look forward to a BLS-projected 9 percent growth rate during the 2014-2014 time period -- translating to more than 2,100 new job openings each year.
Sources:
- Wedding Spend Reaches All-Time High As Couples Look To Make The Ultimate Personal Statement, According To The Knot 2015 Real Weddings Study, April 5, 2016, http://ir.xogroupinc.com/investor-relations/press-releases/press-release-details/2016/Wedding-Spend-Reaches-All-Time-High-As-Couples-Look-To-Make-The-Ultimate-Personal-Statement-According-To-The-Knot-2015-Real-Weddings-Study/default.aspx
- Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2015, Occupational Employment Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes131121.htm
- Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners, Long-Term Projections, Projections Central, http://www.projectionscentral.com/Projections/LongTerm