Salaries in Advertising & Marketing

What’s the average salary for a first time CD in a major market like LA/SF/NY?

Do big holdingco pharma agencies give annual bonuses? If so, what's typical at VP level?

Curious about others rates if you’re working through an agency as a print production manager. I feel like the agencies take a huge chunk and my employer really doesn’t know how little I make per hour.… more

I remember a while back there was a Google chart that listed salaries in creative and other depts. Does that still exist?

Got a Senior Account Director offer at a global AOR on a flagship auto account in Toronto. Posted range stops at $130K. Is there usually room to push above posted ranges, or do they hold firm? Is $130… more

Full-time job: $85k.
Freelance side hustle: $40k.

Who else is working two jobs just to feel comfortable?
Share your setup.

I feel like Social Media Managers are the most exploited role in marketing. You are expected to be an expert in short-form video production, copywriting, data analytics, and real-time PR crisis management. … more

What are first year art ACD’s making in pharma out of NYC?

Are US companies finally cracking down on hiring Canadian remote workers?

Getting a $100k USD remote job while living in Toronto or Vancouver has been the ultimate cheat code (hello $135k CAD). But rec… more

Do you think advertising and marketing has a worse work-life balance problem than other industries, or do we just complain about it more? Genuinely asking — I have friends in consulting and finance wh… more

A colleague just executed the perfect Boomerang maneuver to get his raise.

He left our agency making $85k because they refused to bump him to $100k. He went in-house for exactly 11 months. Recently, our age… more

I am new to the contract world and I'm wondering what Project Managers are making with 8-10 years of experience.

What is a reasonable hourly rate for a full time freelance graphic designer at [insert large well known appliance brand here] in Chicago? I am sort of new to full time freelancing- I charge $100/hr for my o… more

Anyone have any insight as to salaries at on the Program Management team at Whirlpool? I saw a job posting for an AD, Program Management role at Whirlpool in Chicago, but it doesn't list a salary … more

What's the one thing you wish you'd negotiated before taking your current job? I'm in active conversations with a new company right now and trying to make sure I don't leave anything o… more

I've noticed that fully remote advertising roles pay noticeably less than in-office roles with the same title. Is that happening to others or is it company-specific? Trying to figure out if I'… more

Have you ever walked away purely because the comp dance felt disrespectful? I’m curious what boundaries people are setting for themselves in this market, because I just did and I'm not sure if my … more

A former coworker warned me: If they say "we are a family," run. 🚩

She took a job as a Marketing Manager for $70k at a startup that preached "family values." What that actually meant was: boun… more

At what point in your career did your comp actually start to feel fair? I’m 5 years in and still feel like I’m being paid like I’m brand new. Wondering if there’s a title or experience threshold where… more

At what point does "job hopping" for raises actually hurt your future earnings?

I’ve a friend that’s jumped 4 times in 6 years to boost his pay. Now recruiters are asking why the tenure is so short?
more

A friend has been interviewing in the Seattle/Portland markets recently. In 2022, a Director of Growth Marketing was an easy $160k base.

Today, same roles demanding 10 years of experience, managing a team o… more

What is the one negotiation question you wish you asked before signing?

Mine: "Can I see the full benefits handbook?" I signed for a great base salary, only to find out their health premiums … more

For DTC/ecommerce marketing directors (NYC or similar markets), what’s your base + target bonus % and what did it actually pay last year?

Been passively looking and the salary ranges on job postings in this industry are all over the place. I saw two Sr. AD roles this week, one at $85k and one at $130k, seemingly the same job. Does anyon… more

Thought it'd be interesting to get a real read on where everyone's at. I'll go first: Creative Director, LA, 8 years in the industry, sitting at $175k base. No bonus to speak of. Feels lik… more

Has anyone taken a deliberate pay cut for a role that was better for your mental health, geography, or growth, and actually felt good about it a year or two later?

Real stories about how those conversations played out (good or bad) would be super helpful. If you discovered a colleague in the same role was making significantly more for the same work, how would yo… more

I was asked to step in and lead a piece of business when someone left, and it kind of just… stayed mine. It’s been a few months and we haven’t talked about title or pay. At what point should I bring i… more

For those of you who’ve jumped from agency to in-house, how big was the actual salary jump versus what you expected?

I followed up on a raise conversation after not hearing anything for a while, and my manager said these things take time. I get that, but it also feels like it just keeps getting delayed. How long do … more

I've been in the freelance game for about 6 months now, so I'm still learning. I can't figure out what a fair quote is. Does anyone else feel like they’re playing a game of "how much … more

I got promoted to a senior art director at my job and couldn't be more excited. We are having a call later today about what my raise is going to be. I am curious what the rate for a senior AD woul… more

Our paid budget got cut 60% in January. Targets didn't move. So I spent Q1 doing things I'd been too busy to try ,repositioning existing content, fixing conversion leaks in the funnel, leaning… more

I mentioned that I’ve been feeling stretched thin across too many accounts, and my manager said it’s a sign I’m trusted with more responsibility. I get the intent, but it didn’t really solve anything.… more

In prepping for an interview for an internal role change. I would be taking over our DTC business. Our recruiter said the one of the topics the new a VP will want to focus on is data analytics. I’m … more

Wondering how much I could make in a different city for the same role! I am an analyst at an agency, and currently in Chicago, but I would welcome the idea of working in San Francisco or somewhere els… more

What agencies in Publicis Groupe tend to pay the most? Curious where I should gravitate to get the most money, or if there are any specific agencies that tend to be more generous pay-wise. Does it dep… more

I don't get how and why the marketing budget is always the first thing to get cut when the growth targets stay exactly the same. Are you being asked to hit the same MQL/SQL or revenue targets with… more

Someone applied for a Senior SEO Lead role internally. They offered $95k, capping raise at 10% due to HR policy.
They left, and they hired company an external candidate for $125k to replace them. Why … more

I’m on at team of ICs and everyone is in a Director level payband besides me. How do I convince my supervisor to make the case for my promotion? Everyone on the team has been hired in at director leve… more