Salaries in Advertising & Marketing

How much should I be making as a freelancer? I specifically mean an hourly rate. I've been in the field for 15 years and helped multiple big and small brands build their online presence. I signed … more

Agency to in-house: the comp math nobody talks about
That in-house offer looking like a raise might not be. Agency side: $75K base but bilable hours, unpredictable OT, and zero equity. In-house: $85K with benefits… more

What is the salary progression from Analyst to Manager at Publicis Groupe agencies? Just curious what to expect as making way up the ladder.

I’ve been doing SEO for five years and realized my salary has grown slower than peers in product or growth roles. Is SEO pay plateauing unless you pivot into something broader? Any advice on pivots th… more

Three years into a marketing role, hitting your numbers, getting "great job" feedback — and somehow feeling more lost than when you started. Nobody tells you that career clarity doesn't … more

Mid-level PMM here (5 years experience, NYC market). What’s the realistic total comp right now? I feel like offers are all over the place.

How much do you think I should be making? I have a bachelor's degree from a D10 in advertising/marketing. My first job was as a marketing analyst for a privately owned but well-known cleaning comp… more

I’ve spent a decade in Chicago and most my friends either left to move to their hometowns or started having families and moved to the suburbs and I never see them. I’m thinking about moving to a small… more

Got "exceeds expectations" on my performance review. Company just posted record quarterly profits. My raise? 3%.
When I asked about the disconnect, I got "budget constraints" and "market c… more

What Should I Be Making?

2+ years in marketing, currently in paid media managing 7 accounts. The only one handling digital at my last job—learned through experience. No degree, but relevant certifications and hands-on experie… more

Anyone got tips on off cycle promotions? I’ve been killing myself recently and was told I was approved for a promotion last year but we couldn’t afford due to ‘business performance’. We just had a gre… more

Who pays better: The Big 4 (WPP, Omnicom, etc.) or Independent Agencies?

I’ve worked at both. The Holding Company had "prestige" but paid me low. The Independent shop had zero name recognitio… more

“We can't promote you because you're the only one who knows how to run this.”

I tried to transfer to a new team internally for a pay bump. My current boss blocked it because I’m "too criti… more

Does a PMP or MBA actually add $20k to your salary?

I’m considering spending $5k on a Project Management certification. Recruiters, be honest: Does seeing "PMP" on a marketing resume actually… more

Anyone else getting “promoted” to senior titles without senior pay?
Got bumped to Senior Marketing Manager at $78K. Market rate? $95-110K. My agency hands out “Senior” and “Lead” titles instead of raises.
Fri… more

I’m planning on moving back to my home town which is a 2nd tier city. I’ll work remotely but would be open to finding a local job. What are digital marketing managers making in smaller cities? And yo… more

How do I get smart on AEO? I’m betting this is going to be more important in the near future. Do I just create .md files for agents to read?

My job is now 50% stuff that wasn't in the job description.

I was hired for SEO. I am now doing Email Marketing, Social Media, and occasional Graphic Design. No title change. No raise. Just other duties … more

What do you think is the best role to balance salary and work-life balance in advertising? Is there a certain role in the agency ladder that is perfect when comparing work life balance to salary? What… more

I was offered a role that felt like a step up in responsibility but only came with a tiny raise. The hiring manager called it a 'stretch opportunity'. Is there anyone here who’s taken a pay-sl… more

Do you think working in a big vs small agency hurts or helps your salary? Some of the smaller agencies seem to have higher pay bands because they nurture their employees more than big agencies. Which … more

I recently discovered that my mid-level title in a small agency comes with a salary that’s closer to what juniors make at bigger shops. If you’ve made a jump from a small agency to a larger firm, did … more

How much time at a job reaps the most benefits? How many years should you stay to maximize your salary?? Curious what people have to say about this based on how long they stay and how much their salar… more

I’m responsible for organic growth, but I don’t control engineering resources or site speed. When rankings drop, it’s suddenly my problem.
How are other SEO folks getting comp tied to things they can’t… more

Anyone else suddenly hate their job after a re-org?
Three months ago I loved my work. New leadership restructured our team, gave me a manager who doesn't get content marketing, and moved my best projects to an… more

Salary range for senior creative at BBH NYC?
10yrs experience on global brands.

Is a year too short a period to expect an annual bonus or salary increment? I joined in at a time when the company was pretty much crumbling, and even though it's only been a year, I think I did a… more

I feel like am spending more time in meetings than doing work. Does this only get worse as you move up? How much of your day do you spend on managing an administrative work vs creative and marketing … more

Why do job postings sometimes not include the salary range? Genuinely don’t understand why they wouldn’t include this? I would appreciate a broad range over no range at all

POV: you have an offer to work for a company you've always been fascinated by the work of, but they're offering to pay you close to 30K less than you're already making. Would you do it? I … more

Your team added AI tools to "boost efficiency" but your role now includes training the platform, QA-ing outputs, and cleaning up AI-generated content—on top of your original responsibilities.
Senio… more

What is a good range for senior creative salaries in London?

2019 Content Marketing Manager job: Write blog posts, manage editorial calendar. $75K.
2025 Content Marketing Manager job: Write blogs + produce video + run SEO + analyze GA4 + manage social + build email campaign… more

Hi! Quick update about where we are with the job market.

I'm currently freelancing (12+ years of experience overall), but decided to apply for a role to test the waters and received word the org I applied to w… more

My bonus is tied to product revenue, even though I don’t control roadmap or pricing. When things slip, my payout slips too. Is that how PMM bonuses usually work?

What salary advice do you think is appropriate to ask your mentor? I am genuinely curious where my mentor stands in terms of salary but don’t want to be invasive. What questions could I ask instead to… more

There was a company I really wished to work for. I made it to the interview a few months ago, but got ghosted after the 2nd round. I'm working at a different place that I don't care for now, a… more

I saw someone claim they got overtime yesterday after working on one of the Superbowl ads. If you’ve worked on them before what kind of bonuses do you get (a raise, week off, promotion, etc)?

Your manager with 10 years at the company just discovered you – hired last year – make nearly the same salary. That's not your problem, it's HR's failure to adjust existing salaries to mar… more

I had an interview last month, and haven’t heard back from the recruiter. I followed up via email twice, once per week. With each email I tried to include a factoid about the company and featured a recent blog or… more