How have digital marketing salaries changed?

May 19, 2017 9:36:42 AM

Are digital marketing salaries increasing?

To answer this question, we dig deep into our 2017 ecommerce salary survey data, focussing solely on digital marketing superstars working in online retail. Who received a pay rise in the last 12 months... and who didn't? Who will earn more money this year?

Join us on this journey as we reveal what junior to c-level digital marketing generalists (professionals working across multiple channels), expect from 2017...

Digital marketing salaries haven’t changed that much

That's right. When we compare current salary benchmarks for this specialism to those in our 2016 report, we see that they haven't changed a lot. Let's take a little look at the numbers...

  • Digital marketing assistants/coordinators: £19,000 - £30,000 (2016: £19,000 - £35,000)
  • Digital marketing executives: £19,000 - £35,000 (2016: £20,000 - £35,000)
  • Senior digital marketing executives: £25,000 - £40,000 (2016: £25,000 - £45,000)
  • Digital marketing managers: £25,000 - £80,000 (2016: £35,000 - £70,000)
  • Senior digital marketing managers: £50,000 - £90,000 (2016: £50,000 - £90,000)
  • Head of digital marketing/director of digital marketing: £70,000 - £120,000 (2016: £65,000 - £120,000)

Does this mean that digital marketers aren't receiving as many pay rises as they have in previous years? Definitely not! Over the last 12 months, the majority of people working within this specialism have enjoyed a pay increase... which leads me to our next finding.

67% of digital marketers’ salaries increased in the last 12 months

While 3% of digital marketers’ salaries decreased and 30% stayed the same, 67% saw a boost in their wages. These findings are – not surprisingly - very close to the results that we published for the ecommerce industry overall, with 71% enjoying a pay rise, 26% seeing no change and 3% receiving a decrease.

So, why didn't 33% of respondents see a positive change in their pay in the last 12 months?

For those with a decrease:

  • 60% told us that they took a career sidestep
  • 20% highlighted budget cuts as the cause
  • 20% moved to a different country

Digital marketers whose salaries remained unchanged told a different story, with the main reasons being:

  • ‘there was no budget for it’ (49%)
  • ‘haven’t been in current role long enough’ (16%)
  • ‘not due for a pay rise yet’ (14%).

When we compare this to digital marketers' experiences in 2016, we see just how positive this year's changes have been. In 2016, just 59% received a pay rise, 8% saw their pay decrease and 33% of respondents' wages stayed the same.

64% believe that they’ll earn more money in the next 12 months

While 15% of respondents working within this specialism weren’t sure how their salary would change in the next 12 months, 3% thought that it might decrease. 18% told us that it would stay the same, and 64% were sure that they would receive a pay rise.

Of those who said that their salary would either stay the same or decrease, answers for why ranged from 'market conditions' and 'Brexit' through to 'time in role' and 'not being made aware of any future pay rises'.

So, how do these results compare to the previous year's? Much the same, really. Last year, 24% told us they were unsure, 63% said that they were expecting an increase and 13% thought that it would stay the same.

When it comes to employee benefits, 20% would prefer a larger salary

Employee benefits come in all shapes and sizes. When it comes to offering someone a job - or accepting a job - the right rewards and incentives can make all the difference. That, however, doesn’t mean that everyone receives a remuneration package full of incredible benefits. 3% of our digital marketing respondents don’t receive anything other than their annual salary.

For the 97% of professionals who do receive benefits, we wanted to know: what is most attractive to them when it comes to wages and benefits? We discovered that:

  • 20% would prefer a larger salary and no benefits
  • 7% want non-monetary benefits that would help them save money
  • 12% would much prefer monetary rewards only
  • 59% want it all: monetary and non-monetary benefits

89% of digital marketers expect a pay rise when moving to a new role

digital-marketing-salary-expectations

...but by how much would they expect their wages to grow? Here's what they told us:

  • 5% would expect a 5% pay rise
  • 31% would want 10% more
  • 20% would ask for a 15% boost
  • 29% would look for a 20% increase

The remaining 4% selected ‘other’, with answers including salary growth of up to 50-70%. Just 11% told us that they wouldn't expect their salary to change.

How do digital marketers' experiences and expectations compare to digital professionals working in other ecommerce specialisms?

Our very first salaries by specialism feature ends here... without answering this question! To find the answer, keep up to date with our salaries by ecommerce specialism features and, if you haven't already, get yourself a free digital copy of our latest ecommerce salary survey and insights report.

What do you think?

Share your thoughts on this post - whether you agree, disagree or have your own insight to share, we want to hear from you!

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