Marketing Salary Guide 2025

Latest salary trends and data analysis

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25% of Marketing teams are set to expand in 2025, with budget increases across digital, content and event based spending.

Explore salaries for marketing roles in your region.

Role Category Title Region Lower Quartile Median Upper Quartile
CMO CMO National Average £100,757 £122,660 £153,325
CMO CMO London £115,000 £140,000 £175,000
CMO CMO SouthEast £106,481 £129,630 £162,037
CMO CMO SouthWest £99,138 £120,690 £150,862
CMO CMO EastEast £102,679 £125,000 £156,250
CMO CMO WestMidlands £100,000 £121,739 £152,174
CMO CMO EastMidlands £100,000 £121,739 £152,174
CMO CMO Yorkshire £96,639 £117,647 £147,059
CMO CMO NorthEast £95,833 £116,667 £145,833
CMO CMO NorthWest £96,639 £117,647 £147,059
CMO CMO Scotland £100,877 £122,807 £153,509
CMO CMO Wales £95,041 £115,702 £144,628
MarketingDirector Marketing Director National Average £91,995 £109,518 £140,183
MarketingDirector Marketing Director London £105,000 £125,000 £160,000
MarketingDirector Marketing Director SouthEast £97,222 £115,741 £148,148
MarketingDirector Marketing Director SouthWest £90,517 £107,759 £137,931
MarketingDirector Marketing Director EastEast £93,750 £111,607 £142,857
MarketingDirector Marketing Director WestMidlands £91,304 £108,696 £139,130
MarketingDirector Marketing Director EastMidlands £91,304 £108,696 £139,130
MarketingDirector Marketing Director Yorkshire £88,235 £105,042 £134,454
MarketingDirector Marketing Director NorthEast £87,500 £104,167 £133,333
MarketingDirector Marketing Director NorthWest £88,235 £105,042 £134,454
MarketingDirector Marketing Director Scotland £92,105 £109,649 £140,351
MarketingDirector Marketing Director Wales £86,777 £103,306 £132,231
HeadofMarketing Head of Marketing National Average £74,472 £87,614 £105,137
HeadofMarketing Head of Marketing London £85,000 £100,000 £120,000
HeadofMarketing Head of Marketing SouthEast £78,704 £92,593 £111,111
HeadofMarketing Head of Marketing SouthWest £73,276 £86,207 £103,448
HeadofMarketing Head of Marketing EastEast £75,893 £89,286 £107,143
HeadofMarketing Head of Marketing WestMidlands £73,913 £86,957 £104,348
HeadofMarketing Head of Marketing EastMidlands £73,913 £86,957 £104,348
HeadofMarketing Head of Marketing Yorkshire £71,429 £84,034 £100,840
HeadofMarketing Head of Marketing NorthEast £70,833 £83,333 £100,000
HeadofMarketing Head of Marketing NorthWest £71,429 £84,034 £100,840
HeadofMarketing Head of Marketing Scotland £74,561 £87,719 £105,263
HeadofMarketing Head of Marketing Wales £70,248 £82,645 £99,174
HeadofDigitalMarketing Head of Digital Marketing National Average £74,472 £87,614 £105,137
HeadofDigitalMarketing Head of Digital Marketing London £85,000 £100,000 £120,000
HeadofDigitalMarketing Head of Digital Marketing SouthEast £78,704 £92,593 £111,111
HeadofDigitalMarketing Head of Digital Marketing SouthWest £73,276 £86,207 £103,448
HeadofDigitalMarketing Head of Digital Marketing EastEast £75,893 £89,286 £107,143
HeadofDigitalMarketing Head of Digital Marketing WestMidlands £73,913 £86,957 £104,348
HeadofDigitalMarketing Head of Digital Marketing EastMidlands £73,913 £86,957 £104,348
HeadofDigitalMarketing Head of Digital Marketing Yorkshire £71,429 £84,034 £100,840
HeadofDigitalMarketing Head of Digital Marketing NorthEast £70,833 £83,333 £100,000
HeadofDigitalMarketing Head of Digital Marketing NorthWest £71,429 £84,034 £100,840
HeadofDigitalMarketing Head of Digital Marketing Scotland £74,561 £87,719 £105,263
HeadofDigitalMarketing Head of Digital Marketing Wales £70,248 £82,645 £99,174
SeniorMarketingManager Senior Marketing Manager National Average £52,568 £61,330 £74,472
SeniorMarketingManager Senior Marketing Manager London £60,000 £70,000 £85,000
SeniorMarketingManager Senior Marketing Manager SouthEast £55,556 £64,815 £78,704
SeniorMarketingManager Senior Marketing Manager SouthWest £51,724 £60,345 £73,276
SeniorMarketingManager Senior Marketing Manager EastEast £53,571 £62,500 £75,893
SeniorMarketingManager Senior Marketing Manager WestMidlands £52,174 £60,870 £73,913
SeniorMarketingManager Senior Marketing Manager EastMidlands £52,174 £60,870 £73,913
SeniorMarketingManager Senior Marketing Manager Yorkshire £50,420 £58,824 £71,429
SeniorMarketingManager Senior Marketing Manager NorthEast £50,000 £58,333 £70,833
SeniorMarketingManager Senior Marketing Manager NorthWest £50,420 £58,824 £71,429
SeniorMarketingManager Senior Marketing Manager Scotland £52,632 £61,404 £74,561
SeniorMarketingManager Senior Marketing Manager Wales £49,587 £57,851 £70,248
MarketingManagerashdown Marketing Manager National Average £48,188 £56,949 £65,711
MarketingManagerashdown Marketing Manager London £55,000 £65,000 £75,000
MarketingManagerashdown Marketing Manager SouthEast £50,926 £60,185 £69,444
MarketingManagerashdown Marketing Manager SouthWest £47,414 £56,034 £64,655
MarketingManagerashdown Marketing Manager EastEast £49,107 £58,036 £66,964
MarketingManagerashdown Marketing Manager WestMidlands £47,826 £56,522 £65,217
MarketingManagerashdown Marketing Manager EastMidlands £47,826 £56,522 £65,217
MarketingManagerashdown Marketing Manager Yorkshire £46,218 £54,622 £63,025
MarketingManagerashdown Marketing Manager NorthEast £45,833 £54,167 £62,500
MarketingManagerashdown Marketing Manager NorthWest £46,218 £54,622 £63,025
MarketingManagerashdown Marketing Manager Scotland £48,246 £57,018 £65,789
MarketingManagerashdown Marketing Manager Wales £45,455 £53,719 £61,983
DigitalMarketingManager Digital Marketing Manager National Average £48,188 £56,949 £65,711
DigitalMarketingManager Digital Marketing Manager London £55,000 £65,000 £75,000
DigitalMarketingManager Digital Marketing Manager SouthEast £50,926 £60,185 £69,444
DigitalMarketingManager Digital Marketing Manager SouthWest £47,414 £56,034 £64,655
DigitalMarketingManager Digital Marketing Manager EastEast £49,107 £58,036 £66,964
DigitalMarketingManager Digital Marketing Manager WestMidlands £47,826 £56,522 £65,217
DigitalMarketingManager Digital Marketing Manager EastMidlands £47,826 £56,522 £65,217
DigitalMarketingManager Digital Marketing Manager Yorkshire £46,218 £54,622 £63,025
DigitalMarketingManager Digital Marketing Manager NorthEast £45,833 £54,167 £62,500
DigitalMarketingManager Digital Marketing Manager NorthWest £46,218 £54,622 £63,025
DigitalMarketingManager Digital Marketing Manager Scotland £48,246 £57,018 £65,789
DigitalMarketingManager Digital Marketing Manager Wales £45,455 £53,719 £61,983
SeniorMarketingExecutive Senior Marketing Executive National Average £35,045 £39,426 £43,807
SeniorMarketingExecutive Senior Marketing Executive London £40,000 £45,000 £50,000
SeniorMarketingExecutive Senior Marketing Executive SouthEast £37,037 £41,667 £46,296
SeniorMarketingExecutive Senior Marketing Executive SouthWest £34,483 £38,793 £43,103
SeniorMarketingExecutive Senior Marketing Executive EastEast £35,714 £40,179 £44,643
SeniorMarketingExecutive Senior Marketing Executive WestMidlands £34,783 £39,130 £43,478
SeniorMarketingExecutive Senior Marketing Executive EastMidlands £34,783 £39,130 £43,478
SeniorMarketingExecutive Senior Marketing Executive Yorkshire £33,613 £37,815 £42,017
SeniorMarketingExecutive Senior Marketing Executive NorthEast £33,333 £37,500 £41,667
SeniorMarketingExecutive Senior Marketing Executive NorthWest £33,613 £37,815 £42,017
SeniorMarketingExecutive Senior Marketing Executive Scotland £35,088 £39,474 £43,860
SeniorMarketingExecutive Senior Marketing Executive Wales £33,058 £37,190 £41,322
MarketingExecutiveAshdown Marketing Executive National Average £30,665 £35,045 £42,055
MarketingExecutiveAshdown Marketing Executive London £35,000 £40,000 £48,000
MarketingExecutiveAshdown Marketing Executive SouthEast £32,407 £37,037 £44,444
MarketingExecutiveAshdown Marketing Executive SouthWest £30,172 £34,483 £41,379
MarketingExecutiveAshdown Marketing Executive EastEast £31,250 £35,714 £42,857
MarketingExecutiveAshdown Marketing Executive WestMidlands £30,435 £34,783 £41,739
MarketingExecutiveAshdown Marketing Executive EastMidlands £30,435 £34,783 £41,739
MarketingExecutiveAshdown Marketing Executive Yorkshire £29,412 £33,613 £40,336
MarketingExecutiveAshdown Marketing Executive NorthEast £29,167 £33,333 £40,000
MarketingExecutiveAshdown Marketing Executive NorthWest £29,412 £33,613 £40,336
MarketingExecutiveAshdown Marketing Executive Scotland £30,702 £35,088 £42,105
MarketingExecutiveAshdown Marketing Executive Wales £28,926 £33,058 £39,669
DigitalMarketingExecutive Digital Marketing Executive National Average £30,665 £35,045 £42,055
DigitalMarketingExecutive Digital Marketing Executive London £35,000 £40,000 £48,000
DigitalMarketingExecutive Digital Marketing Executive SouthEast £32,407 £37,037 £44,444
DigitalMarketingExecutive Digital Marketing Executive SouthWest £30,172 £34,483 £41,379
DigitalMarketingExecutive Digital Marketing Executive EastEast £31,250 £35,714 £42,857
DigitalMarketingExecutive Digital Marketing Executive WestMidlands £30,435 £34,783 £41,739
DigitalMarketingExecutive Digital Marketing Executive EastMidlands £30,435 £34,783 £41,739
DigitalMarketingExecutive Digital Marketing Executive Yorkshire £29,412 £33,613 £40,336
DigitalMarketingExecutive Digital Marketing Executive NorthEast £29,167 £33,333 £40,000
DigitalMarketingExecutive Digital Marketing Executive NorthWest £29,412 £33,613 £40,336
DigitalMarketingExecutive Digital Marketing Executive Scotland £30,702 £35,088 £42,105
DigitalMarketingExecutive Digital Marketing Executive Wales £28,926 £33,058 £39,669
MarketingAssistant Marketing Assistant National Average £26,284 £28,912 £31,541
MarketingAssistant Marketing Assistant London £30,000 £33,000 £36,000
MarketingAssistant Marketing Assistant SouthEast £27,778 £30,556 £33,333
MarketingAssistant Marketing Assistant SouthWest £25,862 £28,448 £31,034
MarketingAssistant Marketing Assistant EastEast £26,786 £29,464 £32,143
MarketingAssistant Marketing Assistant WestMidlands £26,087 £28,696 £31,304
MarketingAssistant Marketing Assistant EastMidlands £26,087 £28,696 £31,304
MarketingAssistant Marketing Assistant Yorkshire £25,210 £27,731 £30,252
MarketingAssistant Marketing Assistant NorthEast £25,000 £27,500 £30,000
MarketingAssistant Marketing Assistant NorthWest £25,210 £27,731 £30,252
MarketingAssistant Marketing Assistant Scotland £26,316 £28,947 £31,579
MarketingAssistant Marketing Assistant Wales £24,793 £27,273 £29,752
BrandManager Brand Manager National Average £44,683 £50,816 £65,711
BrandManager Brand Manager London £51,000 £58,000 £75,000
BrandManager Brand Manager SouthEast £47,222 £53,704 £69,444
BrandManager Brand Manager SouthWest £43,966 £50,000 £64,655
BrandManager Brand Manager EastEast £45,536 £51,786 £66,964
BrandManager Brand Manager WestMidlands £44,348 £50,435 £65,217
BrandManager Brand Manager EastMidlands £44,348 £50,435 £65,217
BrandManager Brand Manager Yorkshire £42,857 £48,739 £63,025
BrandManager Brand Manager NorthEast £42,500 £48,333 £62,500
BrandManager Brand Manager NorthWest £42,857 £48,739 £63,025
BrandManager Brand Manager Scotland £44,737 £50,877 £65,789
BrandManager Brand Manager Wales £42,149 £47,934 £61,983
CampaignsManager Campaign Manager National Average £39,426 £45,559 £56,949
CampaignManager Campaign Manager London £45,000 £52,000 £65,000
CampaignManager Campaign Manager SouthEast £41,667 £48,148 £60,185
CampaignManager Campaign Manager SouthWest £38,793 £44,828 £56,034
CampaignManager Campaign Manager EastEast £40,179 £46,429 £58,036
CampaignManager Campaign Manager WestMidlands £39,130 £45,217 £56,522
CampaignManager Campaign Manager EastMidlands £39,130 £45,217 £56,522
CampaignManager Campaign Manager Yorkshire £37,815 £43,697 £54,622
CampaignManager Campaign Manager NorthEast £37,500 £43,333 £54,167
CampaignManager Campaign Manager NorthWest £37,815 £43,697 £54,622
CampaignManager Campaign Manager Scotland £39,474 £45,614 £57,018
CampaignManager Campaign Manager Wales £37,190 £42,975 £53,719
CommunicationsManager Communications Manager National Average £43,807 £52,568 £65,711
CommunicationsManager Communications Manager London £50,000 £60,000 £75,000
CommunicationsManager Communications Manager SouthEast £46,296 £55,556 £69,444
CommunicationsManager Communications Manager SouthWest £43,103 £51,724 £64,655
CommunicationsManager Communications Manager EastEast £44,643 £53,571 £66,964
CommunicationsManager Communications Manager WestMidlands £43,478 £52,174 £65,217
CommunicationsManager Communications Manager EastMidlands £43,478 £52,174 £65,217
CommunicationsManager Communications Manager Yorkshire £42,017 £50,420 £63,025
CommunicationsManager Communications Manager NorthEast £41,667 £50,000 £62,500
CommunicationsManager Communications Manager NorthWest £42,017 £50,420 £63,025
CommunicationsManager Communications Manager Scotland £43,860 £52,632 £65,789
CommunicationsManager Communications Manager Wales £41,322 £49,587 £61,983
ContentManager Content Manager National Average £35,045 £42,055 £52,568
ContentManager Content Manager London £40,000 £48,000 £60,000
ContentManager Content Manager SouthEast £37,037 £44,444 £55,556
ContentManager Content Manager SouthWest £34,483 £41,379 £51,724
ContentManager Content Manager EastEast £35,714 £42,857 £53,571
ContentManager Content Manager WestMidlands £34,783 £41,739 £52,174
ContentManager Content Manager EastMidlands £34,783 £41,739 £52,174
ContentManager Content Manager Yorkshire £33,613 £40,336 £50,420
ContentManager Content Manager NorthEast £33,333 £40,000 £50,000
ContentManager Content Manager NorthWest £33,613 £40,336 £50,420
ContentManager Content Manager Scotland £35,088 £42,105 £52,632
ContentManager Content Manager Wales £33,058 £39,669 £49,587
UXManager UX Manager National Average £56,949 £65,711 £74,472
UXManager UX Manager London £65,000 £75,000 £85,000
UXManager UX Manager SouthEast £60,185 £69,444 £78,704
UXManager UX Manager SouthWest £56,034 £64,655 £73,276
UXManager UX Manager EastEast £58,036 £66,964 £75,893
UXManager UX Manager WestMidlands £56,522 £65,217 £73,913
UXManager UX Manager EastMidlands £56,522 £65,217 £73,913
UXManager UX Manager Yorkshire £54,622 £63,025 £71,429
UXManager UX Manager NorthEast £54,167 £62,500 £70,833
UXManager UX Manager NorthWest £54,622 £63,025 £71,429
UXManager UX Manager Scotland £57,018 £65,789 £74,561
UXManager UX Manager Wales £53,719 £61,983 £70,248
CRMManager CRM Manager National Average £43,807 £52,568 £65,711
CRMManager CRM Manager London £50,000 £60,000 £75,000
CRMManager CRM Manager SouthEast £46,296 £55,556 £69,444
CRMManager CRM Manager SouthWest £43,103 £51,724 £64,655
CRMManager CRM Manager EastEast £44,643 £53,571 £66,964
CRMManager CRM Manager WestMidlands £43,478 £52,174 £65,217
CRMManager CRM Manager EastMidlands £43,478 £52,174 £65,217
CRMManager CRM Manager Yorkshire £42,017 £50,420 £63,025
CRMManager CRM Manager NorthEast £41,667 £50,000 £62,500
CRMManager CRM Manager NorthWest £42,017 £50,420 £63,025
CRMManager CRM Manager Scotland £43,860 £52,632 £65,789
CRMManager CRM Manager Wales £41,322 £49,587 £61,983
CRMAnalyst CRM Analyst National Average £30,665 £42,055 £48,188
CRMAnalyst CRM Analyst London £35,000 £48,000 £55,000
CRMAnalyst CRM Analyst SouthEast £32,407 £44,444 £50,926
CRMAnalyst CRM Analyst SouthWest £30,172 £41,379 £47,414
CRMAnalyst CRM Analyst EastEast £31,250 £42,857 £49,107
CRMAnalyst CRM Analyst WestMidlands £30,435 £41,739 £47,826
CRMAnalyst CRM Analyst EastMidlands £30,435 £41,739 £47,826
CRMAnalyst CRM Analyst Yorkshire £29,412 £40,336 £46,218
CRMAnalyst CRM Analyst NorthEast £29,167 £40,000 £45,833
CRMAnalyst CRM Analyst NorthWest £29,412 £40,336 £46,218
CRMAnalyst CRM Analyst Scotland £30,702 £42,105 £48,246
CRMAnalyst CRM Analyst Wales £28,926 £39,669 £45,455
PPCManager PPC Manager National Average £48,188 £56,949 £70,091
PPCManager PPC Manager London £55,000 £65,000 £80,000
PPCManager PPC Manager SouthEast £50,926 £60,185 £74,074
PPCManager PPC Manager SouthWest £47,414 £56,034 £68,966
PPCManager PPC Manager EastEast £49,107 £58,036 £71,429
PPCManager PPC Manager WestMidlands £47,826 £56,522 £69,565
PPCManager PPC Manager EastMidlands £47,826 £56,522 £69,565
PPCManager PPC Manager Yorkshire £46,218 £54,622 £67,227
PPCManager PPC Manager NorthEast £45,833 £54,167 £66,667
PPCManager PPC Manager NorthWest £46,218 £54,622 £67,227
PPCManager PPC Manager Scotland £48,246 £57,018 £70,175
PPCManager PPC Manager Wales £45,455 £53,719 £66,116
PPCExecutive PPC Executive National Average £30,665 £35,045 £39,426
PPCExecutive PPC Executive London £35,000 £40,000 £45,000
PPCExecutive PPC Executive SouthEast £32,407 £37,037 £41,667
PPCExecutive PPC Executive SouthWest £30,172 £34,483 £38,793
PPCExecutive PPC Executive EastEast £31,250 £35,714 £40,179
PPCExecutive PPC Executive WestMidlands £30,435 £34,783 £39,130
PPCExecutive PPC Executive EastMidlands £30,435 £34,783 £39,130
PPCExecutive PPC Executive Yorkshire £29,412 £33,613 £37,815
PPCExecutive PPC Executive NorthEast £29,167 £33,333 £37,500
PPCExecutive PPC Executive NorthWest £29,412 £33,613 £37,815
PPCExecutive PPC Executive Scotland £30,702 £35,088 £39,474
PPCExecutive PPC Executive Wales £28,926 £33,058 £37,190
SEOManager SEO Manager National Average £52,568 £61,330 £70,091
SEOManager SEO Manager London £60,000 £70,000 £80,000
SEOManager SEO Manager SouthEast £55,556 £64,815 £74,074
SEOManager SEO Manager SouthWest £51,724 £60,345 £68,966
SEOManager SEO Manager EastEast £53,571 £62,500 £71,429
SEOManager SEO Manager WestMidlands £52,174 £60,870 £69,565
SEOManager SEO Manager EastMidlands £52,174 £60,870 £69,565
SEOManager SEO Manager Yorkshire £50,420 £58,824 £67,227
SEOManager SEO Manager NorthEast £50,000 £58,333 £66,667
SEOManager SEO Manager NorthWest £50,420 £58,824 £67,227
SEOManager SEO Manager Scotland £52,632 £61,404 £70,175
SEOManager SEO Manager Wales £49,587 £57,851 £66,116
SEOExecutive SEO Executive National Average £30,665 £42,055 £52,568
SEOExecutive SEO Executive London £35,000 £48,000 £60,000
SEOExecutive SEO Executive SouthEast £32,407 £44,444 £55,556
SEOExecutive SEO Executive SouthWest £30,172 £41,379 £51,724
SEOExecutive SEO Executive EastEast £31,250 £42,857 £53,571
SEOExecutive SEO Executive WestMidlands £30,435 £41,739 £52,174
SEOExecutive SEO Executive EastMidlands £30,435 £41,739 £52,174
SEOExecutive SEO Executive Yorkshire £29,412 £40,336 £50,420
SEOExecutive SEO Executive NorthEast £29,167 £40,000 £50,000
SEOExecutive SEO Executive NorthWest £29,412 £40,336 £50,420
SEOExecutive SEO Executive Scotland £30,702 £42,105 £52,632
SEOExecutive SEO Executive Wales £28,926 £39,669 £49,587
EventManager Event Manager National Average £35,045 £40,302 £48,188
EventManager Event Manager London £40,000 £46,000 £55,000
EventManager Event Manager SouthEast £37,037 £42,593 £50,926
EventManager Event Manager SouthWest £34,483 £39,655 £47,414
EventManager Event Manager EastEast £35,714 £41,071 £49,107
EventManager Event Manager WestMidlands £34,783 £40,000 £47,826
EventManager Event Manager EastMidlands £34,783 £40,000 £47,826
EventManager Event Manager Yorkshire £33,613 £38,655 £46,218
EventManager Event Manager NorthEast £33,333 £38,333 £45,833
EventManager Event Manager NorthWest £33,613 £38,655 £46,218
EventManager Event Manager Scotland £35,088 £40,351 £48,246
EventManager Event Manager Wales £33,058 £38,017 £45,455
EventExecutive Event Executive National Average £28,912 £33,293 £36,798
EventExecutive Event Executive London £33,000 £38,000 £42,000
EventExecutive Event Executive SouthEast £30,556 £35,185 £38,889
EventExecutive Event Executive SouthWest £28,448 £32,759 £36,207
EventExecutive Event Executive EastEast £29,464 £33,929 £37,500
EventExecutive Event Executive WestMidlands £28,696 £33,043 £36,522
EventExecutive Event Executive EastMidlands £28,696 £33,043 £36,522
EventExecutive Event Executive Yorkshire £27,731 £31,933 £35,294
EventExecutive Event Executive NorthEast £27,500 £31,667 £35,000
EventExecutive Event Executive NorthWest £27,731 £31,933 £35,294
EventExecutive Event Executive Scotland £28,947 £33,333 £36,842
EventExecutive Event Executive Wales £27,273 £31,405 £34,711

Salary guidance

Salaries typically fall between the lower and upper quartiles depending on candidate availability, demand for those skills, level of experience, industry sector and the size of the business or organisation.

Lower quartile
The band under which 25% of salaries are paid. The entry point for the job role
Median
The midpoint salary for the job role
Upper quartile
The band above which 25% of salaries are paid. For experienced professionals operating at expert level.

Key observations

Marketing Salary Guide and Job Market

As the UK emerges from a period of economic uncertainty, the job market for marketing professionals is undergoing significant shifts. With GDP growth expected to rise from 0.8% in 2024 to a projected 1.2% to 1.5% in 2025 (Office for National Statistics, 2024), optimism around economic recovery is tempered by challenges in the marketing sector. After a Q3 marketing budget cut, Q4 has only seen moderate growth, according to the IPA Bellwether Report. Despite lower consumer confidence, optimism for 2025 remains within the marketing sector with a slow increase in hiring expected during the year.

Marketing Employment Trends

Marketing roles have traditionally been resilient during economic downturns, given their importance in driving revenue and customer engagement. However, the current climate reflects a marked shift. The Bellwether Report (2024 Q4) notes an increase in events and direct marketing spend, however there is still a cautious approach to hiring, with many companies opting to freeze new roles or focus on critical hires only.

Consumer confidence, as tracked by the GfK Consumer Confidence Index, remains at historic lows. This has impacted marketing strategies, as companies shift away from high-budget main media campaigns to performance-driven, measurable initiatives. As a result, roles in digital marketing, analytics, face to face events marketing and digital content are seeing increased demand.

Marketing Salary Expectations

The demand for skilled marketing professionals in niche areas remains strong, despite the challenges, and according to research by the Ashdown Group, salaries are expected to increase in line with the national average of 3%. Roles requiring in-demand skills such as marketing analytics and digital expertise are likely to see slightly larger increases due to heightened demand.

Marketing salaries in 2025 are expected to vary based on specialisation:

  • Digital Marketing Specialists: £45,000 to £75,000, reflecting the demand for expertise in SEO, PPC, and social media advertising.
  • Content Marketers and Strategists: £40,000 to £65,000, as companies prioritise high-quality, engaging content and for specialists to take advantage of AI technologies.
  • Events Marketing: £45,000 to £75,000, with face to face lead generation remaining popular.

Entry-level roles have seen modest growth. Competition remains high, with graduates needing to demonstrate proficiency in digital tools and platforms to stand out.

Opportunities Amidst Challenges

Opportunities exist for marketing professionals willing to adapt to industry shifts, despite some sectors reporting budget cuts. Demand is growing for flexible, contract and freelance roles as firms look to scale efforts without committing to permanent hires.

Moreover, sectors such as green energy, e-commerce, and health tech are bucking the trend, maintaining or even increasing their marketing spend. Professionals targeting these industries may find more opportunities and competitive salaries.

Ashdown Group predicted last year that there would be an increasing emphasis on expertise in data analytics, AI, and machine learning, and this is proving to be accurate based on current marketing role trends.

Data Analytics and Decision-Making: The growing importance of data-driven decision-making in marketing is widely recognised. Marketers are leveraging analytics to interpret customer behaviour and preferences to shape targeted strategies. Tools powered by AI, such as predictive analytics, are being used extensively to optimise campaigns and improve ROI.

AI and Machine Learning Integration: AI is increasingly used for tasks like customer segmentation, real-time analytics, and content personalisation. Machine learning models help marketers adapt quickly to changes in consumer trends by processing vast amounts of data to identify actionable insights.

Demand for Data Specialists: Roles like data analysts and data scientists are becoming integral to marketing teams. These professionals enable organisations to harness the power of big data and AI, ensuring strategies are not only efficient but also highly tailored to customer needs.

This shift reflects broader technological advancements and the competitive need for marketing departments to harness innovation. The prediction aligns well with the current industry focus on using advanced tools and methodologies to achieve deeper customer insights and more personalised marketing outcomes.

The Outlook for 2025

The marketing job market is navigating a period of transformation. While GDP growth signals a positive economic trajectory, the immediate outlook for marketing professionals will likely involve tighter budgets and shifting consumer priorities. Those equipped with digital skills, a strong grasp on available technologies, adaptability, and a results-driven mindset are likely to receive the best compensation.

July 2024

 

With marketing budgets climbing and, according to the Bellwether report, progression upwards in 2024, marketing teams are likely to expand and develop at a faster pace as the year progresses.

The marketing function is constantly evolving to understand and meet the customer’s needs. A combination of this speed of change, and adopting the range of latest technological solutions to keep ahead, brings a number of challenges for businesses who wish to remain competitive. The need for skills that can utilise emerging technologies to drive innovation and efficiency will be in high demand with salaries rising to reflect this.

With rapid change comes the constant need for training and professional development. Creating the space and time to learn, review and assess the latest marketing technology, whilst concurrently implementing new projects and campaigns is proving a challenge. In addition, marketing teams are expected to be agile enough to adjust their strategies to meet changing customer behaviours and demands as they happen.

Those companies who are unable to address these rapid changes will in time lose competitive advantage, profitability and their ability to retain and attract new customers.

The Impact of Technology on Marketing Jobs

The greatest take up of AI within job roles has arguably been seen within the marketing function, with data analytics, customer personalisation, consumer support, content and video production all benefitting from this disruptive technology. This activity is driving demand for new and enhanced marketing skill sets and producing completely new roles. Increased demand is producing a skills shortage which we predict will drive marketing recruitment and salaries ahead of inflation in the year ahead.

Data-Driven Specialists:

In the coming year marketing will increasingly demand professionals with expertise in data analytics and interpretation. With the rise of big data, AI and machine learning, marketers will need to harness insights to make informed decisions. Data analysts and scientists will play a pivotal role in shaping marketing strategies based on consumer behaviour, preferences, and emerging market trends.

AI and Automation Specialists:

Automation tools and artificial intelligence are becoming integral to marketing operations. Marketing automation platforms, chatbots, and AI-driven analytics will require specialists who can implement, manage, and optimise these technologies.

A new breed of professionals will emerge specialising in developing marketing strategies centred around AI and machine learning. These strategists will focus on leveraging AI to optimise customer experiences and drive engagement. Professionals adept at integrating AI into marketing strategies will find themselves in high demand.

Digital Marketing Managers:

As digital platforms continue to dominate the marketing space, the demand for skilled digital marketing specialists is set to rise. Proficiency in SEO, social media marketing, content creation, and online advertising will be crucial. Companies will seek professionals who can craft cohesive digital campaigns that resonate with target audiences across diverse platforms.

Key points
  • The average salary increase across all marketing roles is 6.5%
  • Marketing leading the way with artificial intelligence
  • Salaries for technical marketing skills such as AI and data analysis will rise beyond inflation

What can we expect to see in 2024?

The efficiency and productivity benefits of integrating enhanced technology into marketing strategies will drive demand and salaries for skills in this area.

Long term investment in brand building through main media will secure traditional marketing roles such as event management and Out of Home advertising focused jobs but we will see tighter integration with digital marketing teams to complement and enhance the brand strategy.

Salaries for technical marketing skills such as AI and data analysis will rise beyond inflation as available skills fail to meet demand.

There will be greater collaboration with IT teams to adopt and deploy new technology rapidly.

Marketing communications will become more targeted and personal using data and AI.

Intuitive, human intelligence will embrace and partner with artificial intelligence to deploy marketing campaigns at lightening pace.

July 2023
Key points
  • The average salary increase in 2023 will be 6% to 7%.
  • 35% of marketing departments intend to recruit before the end of the year.
  • The use of AI is becoming standard across marketing teams.

The Belwether report for Q1 2023 drew a mostly positive picture of marketing and advertising budgets for 2023 and 2024. But that was in April - as of July we’ve had two increases in bank interest rates, with another threatened.

Organisations are certainly feeling the effect of increased costs of borrowing and slowing consumer demand in the face of a cost of living crisis. This is likely to have a dampening effect on budgets for the remainder of 2023, and we are seeing a downturn in marketing job volumes. Despite this, it’s not all doom and gloom - 35% of marketing departments intend to recruit before the end of the year, signaling a more optimistic view of the future.

The resulting softening of the jobs market and greater candidate availability will mean lower salary increases than those seen during 2022, despite stubborn inflation levels. The salary survey indicated that the average salary increase for marketing teams during 2023 will be 6% to 7%.

Use of AI

We have yet to see jobs being directly at risk by AI technology. But we are seeing extensive use of the technology within marketing roles. AI is being used extensively in digital marketing and has already been incorporated into programmatic advertising campaigns, audience targeting and segmentation; AI algorithms leverage machine learning techniques to analyse user data and behavior, customer profiling and delivery of personalized content.

Use of AI is becoming something of an expectation in marketing roles. This will make marketing more efficient, meaning marketing teams are likely to become smaller over the longer term.

Upskilling existing teams to leverage these rapidly developing technologies has become a priority, we are seeing an increased volume of job descriptions requiring knowledge of AI tools.

Doing more with less

Many marketing departments are adopting AI from a place of necessity – 2023 is the year of doing more with less. Marketing teams are having to choose carefully where to spend, and are working hard to keep activity levels steady.

Demand is growing in some areas, however, despite the economic slowdown. Content-based roles are growing, for instance, as more organisations look to stand out using content in a crowded online environment. Growing numbers are spending on videos, podcasts, and graphics as well as writing and photography. This is despite the growth of generative AI, which can be used to create content quickly but which may feel ‘faceless’. Businesses should keep a watching brief, test it carefully, and may find themselves using a combination of both AI and human-created content.

January 2023

There has been a slight cooling of the job market through the second half of 2022 from historic highs.

The Q3 2022 Belweather report showed a flattening of budgets, and we predict a further drop in ad and marketing budgets to reflect changes in GDP through 2023. These budget cuts will have a dampening effect on salaries throughout the year, however, employment remains high across all marketing roles, creating a challenging environment to attract new talent.

As budgets tighten, marketing spend will be focused on activity where performance can be tracked through metrics with demonstrable return on investment.

12% rise in marketing analyst pay

Digital roles remain the most in demand, with digital experience a requirement in most marketing positions.

There has been a rise in demand for technical marketers and marketing analysts to interpret increasing volumes of digital data. Salaries for these roles are increasing faster than inflation with average salary growth of 12%.

Demand for content writers to promote digital content remains high to meet Google's Helpful Content alogrythm update.

Businesses have focussed on developing their customer experience and a growth in roles to support this.

There is huge pressure on small businesses to compete, both in terms of salaries and marketing budget.

Marketing salaries have flattened since June 2022, and we predict salaries to track government reported inflation through 2023 (predicted to be 7% by the OBR)

The challenge for leaders within 2023 will be to retain their teams in the face of a cost of living crisis.

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