Before pursuing a new position, it’s crucial to get ready for marketing salary negotiations and understand how to advocate for fair compensation using practical, realistic strategies. Whether your expertise is in SEO, PPC, or a mix of both, pay remains a sensitive subject. It’s often uncomfortable to talk about, tricky to measure, and slow to change. While plenty of advice exists on salary negotiations in general, this article zeroes in on negotiating compensation specifically for marketing roles.
Difficulties with marketing salaries
Several dynamics make marketing positions tougher to benchmark than many other careers, which complicates both salary expectations and negotiation.
No industry standard
Unlike professions that have national governing bodies and clearly defined career levels, marketing is largely unstandardized. As a result, it’s hard to line up salary bands from one company to another or compare roles on a like-for-like basis.
Inconsistent job titles
Marketing job titles vary dramatically. A VP of Marketing at one organization might handle responsibilities similar to those of a junior account manager at another, while in a different company, that same title could indicate the top marketing executive. Because titles are applied so inconsistently, it becomes difficult to gauge seniority and identify appropriate pay ranges.
Significant market changes in recent years
Marketers who last negotiated their salary during the COVID-era digital surge of 2020–2021 may find that today’s landscape looks very different. Only a few years ago, companies were racing to adopt digital-first marketing, which fueled intense demand for digital specialists. Performance and organic marketers enjoyed a candidate-friendly environment, with new roles emerging, frequent headhunting, and steadily climbing salaries. Now, the situation has shifted. The rise…