TTO Turnover, Hybrid Opportunities Lead Salary Survey Findings

John Miner
Chair, AUTM Metrics and Surveys Portfolio

I am extremely excited to be able to share the news that the AUTM Salary Survey is BACK!  AUTM has upgraded the utility of the data generated by the 2022 Salary Survey with an amazing online reporting system that allows users—that means you—to run customized comparisons and benchmarks for attracting and retaining staff. Our last Salary Survey was released in 2017, in the before times, and since the great resignation/reshuffle/retirement, it is needed more today than ever.

Some amazing information was gleaned from the data this year—things that highlight just how much our industry has changed and where it appears to be going in the future. For starters, participating institutions submitted data for about the same number of incumbents (employees) as in 2017, though the number of institutions was down for this survey. Of more than 1000 tech transfer professionals this survey included, 46% had been in their position for three years or less! More than 70% of Marketing Managers and Licensing Assistants had that level of experience, while just under 30% of Directors and In-House Counsels were similarly new to their positions.

Technology transfer has had to adjust and adapt, as many fields have, and our data suggests tech transfer offices have embraced the hybrid workplace. Of the 121 institutions surveyed, 99 reported offering a hybrid work option, with 50 institutions offering primarily remote options. At institutions where hybrid work is an option, 80% of incumbents are taking advantage of that option; at institutions where primarily remote work is offered, about 25% of incumbents are doing so.   

These statistics on job turnover and remote work speak volumes about how TTOs are evolving. But the real gold nuggets to be mined from the Salary Survey data involve the new reporting system, where you can dial in specific parameters to create the best possible salary comps for an employee or prospective employee. You can download the reports, save specific comparisons and benchmarks and export all that data to an employee or the human resources team. As we continue to utilize this new system, data from future surveys will also be incorporated for longitudinal analyses.

Through all this updating and upheaval, one thing has remained the same: The Salary Survey's mission is to help your office find and keep the talent it needs, and individual employees to get the compensation they deserve. The tech transfer profession by definition aims to benefit all of humankind, but let's not forget to help the individuals who keep that wheel turning. 

Want even more insights from the 2022 Survey? Check out the key findings. If you have questions about the 2022 Salary Survey, check out our FAQs or email us!

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