Dive Brief:

• A new worldwide survey finds that the job of privacy officer is becoming a lot more common, the Wall Street Journal reports.

• The position is also becoming more lucrative. The survey found the mean base CPO salary globally equaled the equivalent of $152,136.

• The mean salary for the highest echelon of privacy officers, such as those serving in a company's c-suite, came in at $177,382.

Dive Insight:

The survey of 1,305 executives was conducted by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).

There's been a growing focus on data privacy, so it makes sense that demand for data privacy leaders is growing. Last week, EU officials passed a new data privacy law that includes a requirement that companies who collect data or handle sensitive personal data hire a data protection officer.

In a recent report, Forrester Research said data privacy has become much more than a compliance issue. "It's a competitive differentiator … it's actually a way to build better customer relationships built of trust," the report states.

Evidence of growth can be seen in membership in the IAPP itself. According to Sam Pfeifle, the organization's publications director, the organization's membership has doubled since 2012 to 24,000 members today.