Salary Trends in Digital Marketing: What Are People Making?

Curious how your digital marketing salary stacks up against others in the industry? 

It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting out or a seasoned pro in a leadership role (or somewhere in between). Knowing the going rates can be a big help the next time you talk salary.

It can be tough to find comprehensive, centralized data on digital marketing compensation, especially as new technologies shift the industry. That’s why we put together a survey on digital marketing salary trends in the U.S. and around the world.

In this survey, you’ll find:

• How gender, work mode, and location impact average compensation
• Whether marketers openly discuss salary information
• The most valued benefits among digital marketers
• Proven strategies for securing raises and promotions

Are you being paid what you deserve? These findings will help you evaluate your current digital marketing salary and plan your next career move.

Key Takeaways

• Out of our respondents, the average digital salary in the U.S. was $84,233, compared to $68,491 globally.
• The gender pay gap in the U.S. for digital marketing was much smaller than the national average, but was more pronounced for entry-level and executive jobs.
• Mid-sized U.S. companies (251–1,000 employees) offer the highest compensation at entry levels, but larger companies leap ahead at higher levels.
• Hybrid workers globally earn more than remote and in-office counterparts.
• Larger companies (5,000+ employees) show a stark gender pay gap—men earn nearly 30% more than women.
• Globally, those who are satisfied with their jobs and earn higher compensation are more likely to openly discuss their compensation.
• Remote U.S. workers receive fewer raises and promotions than hybrid or in-office peers.
• Flexible hours, paid time off, and remote work are the most valued benefits worldwide.
• Globally professionals were nearly twice as likely to switch jobs in the last year compared to the U.S.
• AI is gaining traction in salary negotiations, with 39.2% of global professionals using it in their preparations.

Table of Contents

• Key Takeaways
• Our Methodology
• Compensation by the Numbers (U.S.)
  • Global Compensation Figures
• What Factors Impact Compensation (U.S.)
  • Gender and Compensation (U.S.)
  • Work Mode and Compensation (U.S.)
  • Job Role and Compensation (U.S.)
  • Education and Compensation (U.S.)
  • Seniority and Compensation (U.S.)
  • Company Size and Compensation (U.S.)
  • Experience and Compensation (U.S.)
• Global Compensation Impact Factors
  • Job Roles and Global Compensation
  • Work Modes and Global Compensation
  • Gender and Global Compensation
• Digital Marketing Salary Satisfaction (U.S.)
  • Global Digital Marketing Salary Satisfaction
• Are Digital Marketers Discussing Their Salaries?
• Digital Marketing Compensation Raises and Promotions (U.S.)
• Global Digital Marketing Compensation Raises and Promotions
• How Digital Marketers Are Trying to Improve Their Compensation (U.S.)
• How Digital Marketers Are Trying to Improve Their Compensation (Global)
• Additional Job Benefits and Variable Renumeration (Bonuses and Commission) (U.S.)
  • Global Job Benefits and Variable Renumeration
• Job Switching in 2024 (U.S.)
  • Global Job Switches in 2024 Factors
• AI’s Impact on Digital Marketing Compensation
• What Digital Marketers Can Learn from Our Findings
• Conclusion

Our Methodology

To deliver accurate and insightful salary trends, we collected responses from 2,880 digital marketing professionals across 96 countries in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024. This diverse dataset offers a broad perspective on how digital marketing salary trends vary by region, role, and experience.

Survey questions focused on salary issues such as:

• Total compensation (measured in U.S. dollars)
• Attitudes toward discussing compensation at work
• Strategies for increasing compensation
• Perceptions of AI’s role in salary negotiations
• Job-switching behavior and motivations

We also gathered data on respondents’ gender, education level, work experience, and seniority to build a comprehensive picture of global digital marketer salary trends.

Compensation by the Numbers (U.S.)

From our respondents, the average digital marketing salary in the U.S. in 2024 was $84,233. This number could be impacted by a variety of different factors, from an influx of entry-level professionals in the industry to regional salary variations to broader economic trends.

The following chart highlights how digital marketing salaries are distributed across income brackets.

Most digital marketing salaries fall under $150,000, with the median salary being $63,000. Salaries exceeding $150,000 are less common and typically align with senior executive or specialized roles.

Global Compensation Figures

Globally, the average digital marketing salary in 2024 was $68,491.

One thing to note here is that North American respondents comprised a large share of this year’s data (59.7% vs 29.7%), influencing the global average. 

How so? One potential factor is that North America has a higher cost of living and greater demand for specialized talent. A higher representation of North Americans can also mean a greater representation for leadership and technical roles, driving up the average salaries. 

With that said, the global salary increase reflects growing investment in digital marketing, particularly in emerging markets.

Our regional distribution of survey respondents was as follows:

Asia-Pacific (APAC): 14.3%

Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA): 14%

Latin America: 3.6%

North America: 59.7%

Other: 8.4%

The average salaries for these regions were as follows:

The breakdown of global salary bands also shows some notable differences: 

The majority of respondents earned less than $50,000, with the next largest group earning between $51,000 and $75,000. Again, this is most likely due to differences between economic development and costs of living in different regions.

• Asia-Pacific (APAC): Economic diversity could explain some of the digital marketing salary disparities we see here, with higher costs of living correlating with higher salaries in countries like Australia and Singapore.
• Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA): Western Europe aligns with North American salaries, while Eastern Europe and Africa have lower overall compensation.
• Latin America: Salaries remain below global averages, possibly due to the growing impact of social media marketing and e-commerce.

What Factors Impact Compensation (U.S.)

While salary figures provide a snapshot, several key factors significantly influence compensation in the digital marketing industry, such as experience and job category.

Gender is one demographic factor that also continues to correlate with differences in digital marketing salaries. Despite progress, women in digital marketing still earn less than men across most roles, though the gap is narrowing in some categories.

Let’s break down specific compensation trends so you can see exactly how these factors affect your earning potential.

Gender and Compensation (U.S.)

While women in digital marketing earn less than men in the U.S. ($89,825.20 vs. $93,887.10), this does represent a pay gap of 4.3%, far lower than the national gender pay gap of 17%. 

These improvements may reflect equitable pay initiatives but don’t tell the whole story. Entry-level and executive female digital marketers still see notable pay gaps compared to their male counterparts.

Non-binary respondents reported a high overall average salary of $100,333.30. However, the low number of respondents in this gender category makes it difficult to draw any solid conclusions.

Let’s take a closer look at seniority and gender below:

One big thing to note here is that lower average salaries for “owners” may reflect solo freelancers identifying as business owners rather than owners of larger firms.

At the executive level, men earn an average of $103,139.50, while women earn $90,000—a gap of 12.7% that is similar to the national average. Entry-level roles also show a notable gap of 14.04%. With this said, some U.S. states are beginning to require posting salaries in job descriptions, while not asking about previous salaries in interviews. We anticipate the gap coming closer in future years as a result. 

We also see significant gaps in digital marketing salaries between men and women based on their years of experience at every level. 

If we look at some key job roles, we can see that the gender gap is relatively consistent as well.

Despite progress, sustained efforts are necessary to close gender pay gaps, particularly at entry-level and executive positions.

Work Mode and Compensation (U.S.)

More than half of marketing leaders report hiring more freelancers. But how does that affect digital marketing salaries? 

In the U.S., digital marketing professionals on in-house teams earn the most, with an average salary of $95,094. This may stem from a higher demand for specific expertise and smaller teams compared to agencies.

Another major variable is remote versus in-person work. Among our respondents, 41% worked completely remotely, 36.3% on a hybrid system (a combination of remote and in-office work), and 22.7% in the office. 

Interestingly, hybrid workers reported the highest average salary at $96,564, compared to $93,806 for remote workers and $93,506 for in-office employees. 

Where the office is located may correlate with compensation. Hybrid and remote workers that work in the immediate local area of their office earn the highest average salary of $97,091, while those working from a different country average $87,722. This trend is particularly relevant for remote professionals and digital nomads considering cross-border work opportunities.

When we refocus this in terms of seniority, those working with a hybrid model have the highest compensation at the executive level, while in-office workers earn the most at the entry level. As an employee, it may mean that working in the office is the best way to increase your earning power early on.

It’s important to note that for many workers, the ability to work remotely part or all of the time can make up for a slightly lower digital marketing salary. Let’s look at satisfaction levels with their compensation based on compensation levels and their relation to compensation. 

Not surprisingly, the highest-paid group, hybrid workers, also reports the highest satisfaction with their compensation.

Job Role and Compensation (U.S.)

Our survey revealed significant variations in salaries across different digital marketing roles, reflecting the diverse skill sets and how companies value them.

There are a few roles where we have further insight:

• General marketing and “other” represented some of the largest salary totals across the board. This included director-level/C-level roles, managers, and strategic roles. This also reflects the fact that developing roles that might be difficult to classify, such as AI prompt engineers, can command higher salaries due to their specific expertise. 
• Content marketing’s average of $88,203 highlights the growing importance of thought leadership, SEO-driven content, and brand-building strategies. 
• With that said, writing and editing’s average of $59,000 suggests that creative execution is less financially valued compared to strategy and management roles. The number may also be dragged down by lower-earning freelancers. 

In general, these figures suggest that digital marketing roles tied to strategic planning and measurable outcomes may correlate to higher salaries.

Education and Compensation (U.S.)

A higher level of education is associated with higher earning power in many industries, but with digital marketing salaries, this has more of an impact in certain roles than others. That means you don’t necessarily need to invest in an advanced degree to improve your compensation.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, doctoral degrees are among the highest earners in general. They average over $125,000 and are heavily concentrated in leadership and strategic roles. Master’s degree holders also see a consistently high average pay—about $106,500—showing the value of advanced education.

However, there’s a huge variance in salary range among bachelor’s degree holders—from $63,000 to $125,000 depending on the job role. In addition, associate degree holders do well for themselves as well, with salaries averaging around $94,000 in certain marketing fields.

Those with only a high school education tend to be concentrated in operational or lower-level roles. One exception is social media marketing, where average salaries with a bachelor’s or a high school diploma are comparable ($83,484 vs. $83,667).

Focusing on work mode specifically, advanced degrees tend to have the most correlation with higher earnings for in-house digital marketing professionals. 

Among freelancers and agency professionals, having an advanced degree is less connected with higher salaries, potentially suggesting that skills and experience are more heavily weighted in those environments.

The major takeaway: An associate’s degree is generally a minimum requirement to command higher salaries, with some exceptions. Advanced degrees tend to have a stronger impact on compensation in data-driven roles like analytics and SEO. 

In contrast, creative roles like social media marketing tend to show less dependency on formal education. We also need to consider that things like certifications can fill the skills gap and increase earning power without needing advanced degrees.

Seniority and Compensation (U.S.)

As expected, compensation in digital marketing increases with seniority, reflecting the growing responsibilities and strategic influence that come with higher-level roles.

Notably, women earn less than men on average at all seniority levels, with the biggest gap in executive roles.

The lowest average compensation ($72,122) is for entry-level roles at small companies (defined as less than 50 employees). The sweet spot for entry-level employees seems to be mid-sized companies with 251 to 1,000 employees, where their average compensation is $76,971. As they advance, though, this isn’t necessarily the case.

Company Size and Compensation (U.S.)

On paper, one would think larger companies have more resources to compensate employees, and this is, for the most part, true in the U.S.

Again, companies with fewer than 50 employees offer the lowest average salary across categories, while companies with more than 5,000 employees offer the highest. As we said before, though, mid-size companies are the best option for entry-level workers.

Analyzing our results for gender, we see that women once again earn less than men across all company sizes. The largest gap was in companies with more than 5,001 employees, where the difference between average salaries for men and women was about $24,000. 

Keeping this in mind, professionals seeking top-tier compensation should consider opportunities at larger organizations, where budgets and career advancement potential are more robust. However, as our data shows, they will likely need to rise through the ranks before that starts to pay off.

Experience and Compensation (U.S.)

In digital marketing, our data shows that compensation typically increases with experience but tends to plateau after eight to nine years. The plateau may result from a saturation of senior-level roles or that compensation tends to pivot to leadership positions at this point.

Interestingly, early-career digital marketers with only high school diplomas can sometimes outearn those with advanced degrees—averaging $78,000 compared to $75,500 for master’s degree holders. However, this trend reverses as higher-educated professionals gain more experience. This may be because advanced degrees are more required/expected for senior and executive roles.

Looking into specific job types, entry-level roles in paid media marketing offer competitive starting salaries, averaging $88,000, likely due to the high return on investment (ROI) these roles deliver. In contrast, social media marketing salaries start at nearly $70,000, possibly reflecting the field’s broader talent pool and variable demand.

In some categories, compensation rises with experience, such as content marketing, where average salaries reach nearly $100,000 with 10 or more years in the role. Others, such as digital public relations and writing/editing, remain relatively static regardless of the number of years of experience professionals have. 

Global Compensation Impact Factors

When we look at global digital marketing salaries, there are a variety of different factors that impact compensation, from economic development and technology infrastructure to industry maturity and regional cost of living. 

With that in mind, our team has added region-specific insights to provide an accurate picture of digital marketing salaries around the world. 

Notably, the global average digital marketing salary was $68,491 in 2024. Regions like North America offer premium salaries for data-driven and technical roles, while emerging markets prioritize creative and social media roles where barriers to entry are lower.

Despite regional differences, some global compensation trends mirror those seen in the U.S.—notably, the persistent gender pay gap and the rise in hybrid and remote work models.

While U.S. respondents make up a significant portion of the global survey base, our analysis still reveals important compensation trends.

Job Roles and Global Compensation

Global digital marketing salaries vary widely by role, reflecting how different regions prioritize certain skills.

In the APAC and Latin America regions, digital marketers in roles like SEO and social media marketing earn significantly less than their North American counterparts. For instance, SEO roles globally average $53,156, compared to $84,781 in the U.S. With this said, this might partially also be due to a lower cost of living in these regions. For example, the average U.S. house cost is $419,000, compared to $150,000 in Brazil.

Globally, roles categorized as “other” report the highest average salaries ($85,244), heavily driven by director-level titles, web developers, and marketing generalists. This trend mirrors the U.S., where emerging roles such as growth hackers and digital strategists that defy traditional classifications demand premium compensation.

Roles in client management and data analytics also command higher salaries worldwide, while creative roles like writing and social media marketing lag behind.

Among the lowest-paying roles, there are some significant differences from the U.S. data. We mentioned that salaries in emerging markets may not have the same earning potential, possibly due to international SEO not being as developed as SEO in English markets. Social media marketing compensation is also much lower around the world than in the U.S., where influencers and ads play a larger role in marketing.

However, just like in the U.S., writing/editing is the lowest-compensated role, which may be driven by a higher supply of talent and the increasing use of AI to write copy. 

Work Modes and Global Compensation

Remote work has become more popular around the world, with India, Canada, and the United Kingdom following the U.S. as the top countries with remote workforces.

As in the U.S., hybrid workers earned the highest global average digital marketing salary among all work modes. There may be a few reasons for this, such as blending remote flexibility with in-office collaboration justifying higher compensation in the eyes of company leaders. There’s also the possibility that hybrid companies make more money than those with a full-remote or in-office work mode, allowing them to compensate better.

Salaries for hybrid employees in Western Europe closely follow those in North America, reflecting the cultural importance of work-life balance. 

The hybrid modality is also becoming more popular in countries with some countries in the APAC region, such as Australia and Singapore, with salaries nearing those in Western countries. These roles are also the most lucrative in Latin America, although salaries there are still lower than global averages.

In-office roles offer the second-highest average salary globally ($70,057) and remain the norm in APAC and Latin America. This trend likely might be tied to infrastructure limitations and cultural preferences for in-person collaboration in these regions.

However, in-office jobs are less popular in North America and Western Europe, reflecting a growing preference for flexibility and greater access to technology that supports remote work.

Globally, remote roles pay less than hybrid and in-office arrangements. This is especially true in APAC and Latin America. This may reflect employer concerns about productivity and the reduced costs associated with fully remote teams. 

Gender and Global Compensation

Despite growing global conversations around pay equity, the gender pay gap remains a persistent challenge in digital marketing. On average, women earn 5.3% less than men worldwide, highlighting ongoing disparities in compensation across roles and regions.

For example, in APAC and Latin America, women in digital marketing earn significantly less than men. In contrast, Western Europe shows smaller gaps, possibly due to stronger regulatory frameworks promoting pay equity.

Globally, women in entry-level jobs earn 14% less than men. The widest gap is at the executive level, with men earning around 11% more. 

Company size amplifies the gender pay gap. At organizations with more than 5,001 employees, men earn nearly 29% more than women.

Digital Marketing Salary Satisfaction (U.S.)

Taking things back to the U.S., satisfaction with compensation is a critical metric for employers, impacting their retention and, in some cases, performance.

While many report being somewhat satisfied, a notable portion feels undervalued, revealing gaps between compensation and job expectations. The majority report they are “somewhat satisfied,” while a small minority report being “very dissatisfied.”

Certain roles also see higher satisfaction levels than the average, like digital public relations (48.8%), influencer marketing (46.7%), and data and analytics (37.7%). 

This is interesting because, on the one hand, roles like data and analytics generally correlate with higher compensation, so satisfaction makes sense for that field. However, influencer marketers and digital public relations professionals earned less compared to other roles. That suggests that for these workers, building professional partnerships might contribute more to satisfaction, not just base pay. 

Conversely, professionals in SEO report the highest dissatisfaction rates (13.2%), possibly due to the constant pressure to adapt to shifting algorithms or feeling undervalued compared to other strategic roles.

Professionals in content marketing and writing/editing roles report moderate satisfaction with their salaries, but lower “very satisfied” rates compared to those most satisfied with their roles. 

Understandably, roles with performance-based variable renumeration and above-average compensation are associated with higher satisfaction levels. In addition, open discussions about compensation correlate with higher satisfaction levels. 

Among those who openly discuss their salaries, 45.9% report being “very satisfied,” compared to only 21.7% of those who keep compensation private. This likely means that people happy with their salaries are more likely to talk about it, while those who aren’t happy might be less likely to discuss things due to embarrassment or a fear of retribution.

Global Digital Marketing Salary Satisfaction

Worldwide, digital marketing professionals faced greater dissatisfaction with their compensation compared to their U.S. counterparts in our survey. 

As in the U.S. results, professionals in North America who receive performance-based variable renumeration report higher job satisfaction.

Greater dissatisfaction with compensation is especially pronounced in regions like APAC and Latin America.

In Western Europe, stronger labor protections and higher wages may play a role in higher satisfaction. 

Globally, there isn’t much difference from the U.S. in terms of what roles are most satisfied with compensation. Roles like data and analytics and digital public relations did well, while creative roles saw lower satisfaction overall.

Are Digital Marketers Discussing Their Salaries?

Pay transparency is a hot topic, especially in the U.S., where several states have passed laws requiring employers to post salary information in job listings. Discussing salaries in the workplace was once taboo, but growing pay transparency laws and shifting workplace norms are encouraging more digital marketers to talk openly about compensation. This openness can correlate with job satisfaction and earnings.

45.9% of respondents who openly discuss their compensation felt “very satisfied” with their jobs, and also tend to earn a higher average salary ($85,239).

U.S.-based digital marketing professionals who prefer to keep compensation private are predominantly “somewhat satisfied” and earn slightly less on average. Professionals who prefer to keep their compensation private may do so due to cultural norms, and instead typically rely on public salary data to benchmark salaries.

Globally, it’s more common for respondents to share information about compensation occasionally and less common to discuss it openly.

Not surprisingly, global results show that openly discussing compensation correlates with higher satisfaction and the highest average compensation ($85,239). 

Encouraging pay transparency and compensation discussions can help close disparities and even help businesses attract more qualified applicants. 

Employers might consider providing anonymous or private forums for those who are less comfortable talking about their salaries. Senior leaders can promote transparency by instituting transparent practices, giving employees at each level visibility into their colleagues’ compensation. 

Digital Marketing Compensation Raises and Promotions (U.S.)

Raises and promotions are crucial for professional growth and satisfaction. While many U.S. digital marketers have seen increases in pay or new titles over the past year, disparities remain across roles, genders, and work environments.

Respondents in client-facing roles like digital public relations and social media marketing report the highest rates of raises and promotions, while those in SEO report the lowest. This correlates with the lower satisfaction levels in SEO. To retain skilled workers focused on SEO, businesses may want to provide more opportunities for advancement. 

We see evidence of gender disparity regarding promotions and raises as well. Men in digital marketing in the U.S. reported significantly higher rates of both raises and promotions than women. 39.4% of men received a raise and promotion, while only 24.3% of women did.

To close this gap, employers should consider focusing on leadership development for women and transparent and consistent promotion criteria.

Work mode also correlated with the likelihood of getting promoted or increased compensation.

In-office employees were most likely to receive both a raise and promotion (48.7%), suggesting a continued advantage of workplace visibility and networking opportunities. In contrast, 37.5% of remote workers reported receiving neither, underscoring he importance of networking and visibility in a virtual environment.

In terms of the size of these raises, the highest salary increases were in account management/client relations, graphic design, and sales, suggesting the importance of employees with client- and customer-facing skills as well as technical and creative expertise.

Employers should consider implementing methods to ensure they recognize remote employees on par with hybrid and in-office workers. Remote employees also should try to be more assertive in asking for project work and sharing their accomplishments by regularly communicating their progress when relevant, as well as proactively highlighting success in internal or client-facing reports.

Global Digital Marketing Compensation Raises and Promotions

Digital marketers worldwide may face greater challenges in receiving raises and promotions compared to their U.S. peers, and this was reflected in our data.

Similar to the U.S., executives see the highest rates of receiving both raises and promotions (54.4%), as do in-office workers (41.4%).

Conversely, 44% of fully remote workers received neither, indicating challenges in visibility and recognition in remote roles even more pronounced than in the U.S.

A gender disparity is evident here, too: Women around the world receive fewer raises and promotions than men—23% compared to 28.4%.

Digital public relations roles led the pack for raises and promotions (40.4%). Graphic design was the next highest (36.5%), showing an appreciation for creative skill and expertise. However, this doesn’t extend to writing/editing: only 20.6% of professionals in this role received both raises and promotions.

Looking at regional differences, professionals in North America are more likely to receive both raises and promotions, with 28.4% achieving this milestone. The percentage of respondents in the APAC region receiving both a raise and a promotion is equal to the rate in North America, while the percentage of those receiving a raise without a promotion is almost the same (34.3%). 

EMEA shows significantly lower rates of raises and promotions compared to the above regions, with 18.6% of respondents reporting both a raise and promotion and 32% receiving just a raise. 

Respondents from Latin America offer a fairly strong picture of raises and promotions, with 23.4% receiving both and 27.3% receiving a raise.

How Digital Marketers Are Trying to Improve Their Compensation (U.S.)

Obviously, earning power is important, especially as the cost of living in the U.S. rises with inflation, increasing housing expenses, and other economic realities. 

But even beyond financial necessity, digital marketing professionals value better compensation as recognition for their expertise and accomplishments. If they do not receive that from their current employer, they may search for new opportunities elsewhere.

To that end, U.S.-based digital marketers are turning to various tactics to increase their salaries.

Upskilling through courses remains the most popular strategy, with 14.9% of U.S. digital marketers investing in continuous learning to stay ahead of industry trends. Close behind, 14.1% are taking the lead on major projects, and 13.9% are expanding their professional networks to access new opportunities.

Those with lower salaries report taking courses and networking to pursue higher salaries, while those with higher salaries prefer taking the initiative on projects and seeking freelance assignments. 

Freelance work is also a popular strategy among digital marketers in graphic design and SEO to make more money, which makes sense, given the variety of gigs available in those roles.

Respondents with higher education degrees are more likely to negotiate their salaries and seek certifications, while high school graduates turn to taking a course and freelancing. 

Men and women both opt for networking as a tactic. However, gender-based trends reveal that men are more likely to focus on leadership opportunities, with 14.5% leading large projects to gain visibility and advancement. In contrast, 15.6% of women prioritize professional development through courses, reflecting a strategy centered on building expertise for long-term career growth.

Interestingly, only 9.2% of digital marketers reported actively negotiating their salary or promotion. This suggests that many professionals may be missing a direct and impactful way to improve their compensation.

How Digital Marketers Are Trying to Improve Their Compensation (Global)

Across the globe, digital marketers are proactively seeking ways to increase their salaries. As in the U.S., taking a course and taking initiative on large projects were the top strategies among global respondents, a consistent preference across all education levels. 

Globally, digital marketers are less inclined to pursue higher-paying jobs than their U.S. counterparts. This trend may reflect stronger employer loyalty or the perception that job-switching offers fewer financial benefits in certain markets. Preparing to leave a job was most common among respondents with a doctorate or some postgraduate experience.

• In APAC countries, digital marketers prioritize professional development to improve their marketability and are more proactive in seeking higher salaries or promotions. This reflects the region’s rapid digital transformation and growing demand for specialized skills.
• In the EMEA region, professionals are less likely to negotiate for raises or promotions, favoring relationship-building strategies instead. 
• Digital marketers in Latin America are less likely to pursue negotiation or job changes to improve compensation. 
• Respondents in North America were likelier to turn to leadership on projects or negotiation to increase compensation.

Additional Job Benefits and Variable Renumeration (Bonuses and Commission) (U.S.)

Benefits like health insurance and retirement plans are a traditional part of compensation in the U.S. However, other perks are growing in popularity.

Interestingly, flexible hours, paid time off, and remote work rank as the most valued benefits among U.S. digital marketers. This trend reflects a growing demand for work-life balance and autonomy in how professionals manage their schedules. A small but significant share of respondents focused on parental leave as well.

Most respondents indicated they received some form of variable renumeration (bonuses, commission, etc.) as a part of their employment.

Professionals in sales and social media marketing are most likely to receive this perk, while those in writing/editing are least likely to. 

Unsurprisingly, employees who receive renumeration are significantly more likely to report being “very satisfied” with their jobs, suggesting that performance-based incentives are closely tied to job satisfaction.

Looking at bonuses and other types of variable renumeration, most fell within the 3–4% and 5–6% ranges of total compensation, reflecting standard performance-based rewards. However, larger amounts of 10% or more were relatively rare, highlighting limited opportunities for substantial financial incentives.

Global Job Benefits and Variable Renumeration

Globally, benefits related to work-life balance are also the most popular among respondents.

Benefits like parental leave, wellness programs, and sabbaticals receive less emphasis globally, potentially reflecting cultural differences or varying industry norms around work-life balance and employee support. Specialized benefits like pet insurance and IVF coverage, while currently less prioritized, signal emerging trends as companies seek to offer more inclusive and personalized employee support.

About half of digital marketing professionals worldwide report receiving some form of variable renumeration (bonuses, commission), but the concentration and size of said renumeration vary.

Globally, professionals in sales, influencer marketing, digital public relations, brand/event marketing, and data and analytics are the most likely to receive some type of renumeration. This trend may reflect the direct impact these roles have on revenue generation and brand growth.

As in the U.S., most renumeration amounts reflected 3-4% and 5-6% of employees’ total compensation. 

Unlike in the U.S., in-office workers were far more likely to receive a bonus than hybrid or remote workers.

Job Switching in 2024 (U.S.)

A fairly small percentage of U.S. respondents (12.6%) reported switching jobs last year, keeping with the ”great stay” trend. However, those who did make a move were often driven by compensation concerns, limited professional growth, and unsupportive work environments.

Women changed jobs more frequently in the last year, citing toxic work environments, while men left primarily due to low salaries. This contrast highlights how workplace culture and compensation affect different groups. 

Almost 20% of women left to find a better work-life balance, compared to just 15% of men. Overall, women left jobs more often for cultural reasons, while men were more likely to target more compensation.

When looking at roles, 47.4% of social media professionals cited toxic work environments as a reason for job switching, the highest of all roles, followed by content marketers. Work-life balance was a major factor for brand/event marketers, while a shocking 50% of email marketers left their jobs for more growth opportunities. 

Global Job Switches in 2024 Factors

Globally, 23.4% of digital marketers switched jobs in 2024—nearly double the rate of U.S. professionals. The top three reasons for leaving their previous job mirror the U.S. results: a lack of opportunities for growth, low compensation, and a toxic work environment. 

This alignment suggests that these challenges are not region-specific but reflect broader industry-wide issues.

A toxic work environment was a top factor in most regions, pointing to the importance of cultivating a positive workplace culture to avoid turnover.

In the APAC region, many employees are focused on seeking better-paying roles. In North America, high competition for skilled talent intensifies the demand for competitive salaries, potentially prompting many to change jobs for higher pay.

Latin America offers workers fewer opportunities for professional development, which may drive more workers there to search for more fulfilling positions.

We should also talk a bit about the role of layoffs in forcing job switches worldwide. 

Latin American respondents experienced higher layoff rates.. In North America, layoffs are often part of cyclical hiring patterns in dynamic industries, driving professionals to seek more stable or fulfilling roles.

AI’s Impact on Digital Marketing Compensation

Artificial intelligence is transforming how digital marketers approach their careers—including how they negotiate raises and promotions. However, digital marketing professionals in the U.S. had mixed opinions about how effective it would be in this regard.

The responses reflect a range of opinions across the spectrum, making data in this area especially enlightening. When we asked U.S. digital marketers if they had used AI in their compensation negotiations, about half did, in various ways.

Using AI in salary negotiations proved effective for U.S. marketers. Those who used AI to prepare were 16.1% more likely to secure both a raise and a promotion compared to those who didn’t—highlighting AI’s potential to improve negotiation outcomes.

Globally, there was a similarly wide range of responses when it came to forecasting the impact AI would have in this area, with fewer respondents predicting a positive impact and more respondents doubting that it would have any impact.

Significantly fewer respondents around the world report using AI for compensation discussions compared to the U.S.—39.2% compared to 48.4% in the U.S. Both U.S. and global respondents who used AI primarily relied on it for gathering salary data and crafting negotiation scripts.

Globally and in the U.S., AI is seen as helpful for gathering and organizing information to use as support during compensation discussions, as well as a tool for expressing oneself accurately and effectively during those conversations.

What Digital Marketers Can Learn from Our Findings

Both employees and employers can use our findings: employees to advance and enhance their careers, and employers to ensure they are offering competitive and fair digital marketing salaries and a positive work environment. Here are some key insights to keep in mind:

• Specialized and leadership roles continue to command the highest salaries in digital marketing. 
• Women remain underrepresented in executive positions and are less likely to occupy the top salary brackets compared to their male counterparts.
• We see that hybrid workers report the best balance across job roles and salary brackets, suggesting that this model provides the flexibility employees desire while maintaining in-office collaboration that some employers value.
• Work-life balance remains a top priority for employees.
  • To address this, employers should implement flexible work arrangements, manage workloads to prevent burnout, and actively encourage employees to take their allotted time off.
• Employees report seeking new positions largely due to a lack of opportunities for growth and low salaries.
  • To reduce turnover, employers must prioritize employee retention by offering clear career advancement pathways, mentorship programs, and competitive compensation that reflects employees’ experience and industry benchmarks.
• Investing in professional development can also help retain top talent.
• Beyond integrating AI into daily tasks, employees are using AI to prepare for salary negotiations—an approach that has proven effective.
  • U.S. professionals who used AI tools reported higher success rates in securing raises and promotions, demonstrating AI’s value in career advancement.

Conclusion

There’s a lot to digest in this survey, and we hope it provides useful guidance to digital marketing professionals as employees and employers. The full report with more insights is also available here.

Staying on top of the latest trends and compensation benchmarks helps both employees and organizations make smart moves that drive growth and success.

New technology, changing work expectations, and economic realities are redefining digital marketing. Keeping up with these changes empowers professionals to develop in-demand skills and helps employers create competitive, future-ready work environments.

Finally, we’d like to thank our respondents for participating in the survey. Your insights are invaluable—not only to us but also to the broader digital marketing community seeking to build rewarding and successful careers.