The marketing profession is in the midst of a profound and accelerated transformation — a “Great Reshuffle” driven by the dual forces of a cooling global economy and the disruptive power of artificial intelligence. The period of 2024–2025 is not merely a cyclical downturn but a structural inflection point, fundamentally altering roles, required skills, and career trajectories. This report provides a comprehensive analysis of this new landscape, synthesising extensive data from the United Kingdom and the United States to deliver actionable intelligence for marketing leaders, business owners, and professionals.
The evidence indicates that the marketing profession is undergoing a forced evolution, where strategic, AI-augmented roles are thriving while task-oriented functions face obsolescence, creating a widening chasm between high-value and replaceable talent.
| Metric | United Kingdom | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Total Marketing Professionals | 1.7 million (jobs supported) [11] | 2.5 million (core marketers) [12] |
| Job Growth/Decline (2024-2025) | Significant downturn; 23% drop in new permanent marketing roles (Q1 2024) [13] | Cooling market; 10% YoY decline in job postings (Nov 2024) [14] |
| Average Salary (Marketing Manager) | £55,000 - £75,000 (London) [15, 16] | $161,030 (National Median, May 2024) [17] |
| Layoff/Hiring Freeze Prevalence | High (51% considering layoffs, 20% in hiring freeze) [1] | High in Tech Sector (95k+ layoffs in 2024) [18] |
| AI Adoption Rate (Marketing) | Projected to reach 22% of firms in 2024 [19] | 69.1% of marketers already use AI [2] |
| Marketer Burnout Rate | High (58% overwhelmed, 50% exhausted) [7] | High (59% of Millennials, 58% of Gen Z) [20] |
The marketing profession finds itself navigating a period of intense pressure and uncertainty. The post-pandemic hiring boom has given way to a cautious, cost-conscious environment, while the relentless pace of technological change demands constant adaptation. This section dissects the macroeconomic headwinds, the specific impacts on marketing employment, and the human cost of operating in this high-stakes landscape.
In the UK, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) data from late 2024 through mid-2025 paints a picture of a decelerating market. Payrolled employees fell by 149,000 between June 2024 and June 2025.[22] The number of job vacancies has been in a sustained decline, falling for 37 consecutive periods to 718,000 in May-July 2025, a level now below the pre-pandemic benchmark of January-March 2020.[22, 23] While nominal wage growth remains relatively strong at around 5.0%, real wage growth, when adjusted for inflation, is a much more modest 0.9%.[22] Critically, the overall employment rate, while stable, remains below pre-COVID levels, indicating a less resilient workforce than headline figures might suggest.[24, 25]
The United States mirrors this trend of normalisation. The Indeed Job Posting Index, a key leading indicator, was down 10% year-over-year as of November 2024, though it remained 10% above pre-pandemic levels.[14] This signifies a market that is still creating opportunities but has moved definitively away from the "hire-at-all-costs" mentality of 2022. Job growth has become highly concentrated, with nearly 75% of all jobs added in the last 12 months coming from just three sectors: health care, government, and leisure & hospitality.[14] LinkedIn's Workforce Reports confirm this cooling trend, showing a pattern of fluctuating but generally slowing hiring momentum throughout 2024.[26]
Public reports often frame this cooling as a healthy "return to normal." However, the underlying data suggests a more fragile situation. The fact that the UK employment rate is still below its pre-COVID benchmark [24, 25] and US job growth is so narrowly focused [14] points to an economy with less buffer against shocks. This context is crucial for understanding the marketing sector's vulnerability. As a function often viewed as a discretionary expense, marketing budgets and headcount are disproportionately exposed to cuts in an economy that has not fully regained its pre-pandemic robustness.
The combined weight of macroeconomic pressures has translated into a sharp and painful contraction in marketing recruitment. UK data points to a clear downturn: new permanent marketing roles fell by 23% in Q1 2024 compared to the previous quarter, according to the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo).[13] Indeed’s own figures reinforce this picture, showing a 24% year-on-year drop in UK job postings for the sector.[27]
Even more alarming is the collapse in candidate activity. The same APSCo report found that applications for marketing roles plummeted by a staggering 70% in Q1 2024.[13] This precipitous drop, far exceeding the decline in vacancies, points not just to a slowing market but to a crisis of confidence. Marketers, sensing instability, appear to be hunkering down in their current roles, contributing to the "Great Stay" phenomenon observed in North America.[28] This creates a challenging paradox for employers: they may struggle to fill roles due to a perceived skills shortage, while a pool of suitable talent remains immobilized by risk aversion.
Layoffs and hiring freezes have become common tactics. LHH's 2024 survey shows that 51% of UK HR leaders have undertaken or were considering layoffs, while one in five (20%) report an active hiring freeze—the highest incidence among all countries surveyed, outpacing even the US (14%).[1]
In the US, the trend is similar but amplified in the technology sector, a major employer of marketers. A Crunchbase tracker recorded more than 95,000 layoffs at U.S.-based tech companies in 2024 alone.[18] When these cuts occur, startups are often more likely to eliminate roles in marketing and recruiting while retaining engineers.[18] This reveals a "scapegoat" dynamic reflects a persistent perception problem: when cash flow tightens, marketing is still too often treated as a cost centre rather than a strategic growth driver—an especially precarious reality for professionals in SMEs and startups.
The marketing and advertising workforce being subjected to these pressures is substantial. In the UK, the advertising and marketing industry supports more than 1.7 million jobs.[11] In the US, there are an estimated 2.5 million core marketers, rising to 6 million when adjacent roles like sales and public relations are included.[12]
This workforce is characterized by high levels of churn and relatively short tenure. The average employee turnover rate for UK workers in 2024 is a remarkable 35%.[29] The marketing industry, specifically, has the lowest staff retention of all sectors surveyed, with an average employee tenure of just 2.8 years.[5] In contrast, the US labour market appears more stable, with average turnover rate across all industries easing to 18% in 2024 after record highs in prior years.[28]
A fascinating divergence appears at the leadership level. While the rank-and-file marketer is in a constant state of flux, the average tenure for a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at a Fortune 500 company has stabilized and is now 4.2 to 4.3 years.[30, 31] This is only slightly below the C-suite average of 4.6 years.[31] This suggests the emergence of a bifurcated career ladder. Senior marketing leaders are becoming more embedded in the strategic core of the business, taking on broader "CMO+" responsibilities that encompass communications and customer experience, thereby increasing their stability and influence. Simultaneously, non-executive marketers appear to be caught in a high-churn cycle, frequently changing jobs every 2-3 years.[5, 32]
This is likely driven by a market structure where significant salary increases are most reliably achieved by moving companies, rather than through internal promotion, effectively penalizing loyalty. The traditional, steady climb up the corporate marketing ladder seems to be breaking down, replaced by a more volatile "up or out" dynamic for the majority of the profession.
Despite the challenging job market, marketing salaries have seen recent growth, though this trend is expected to moderate. In the UK, a 2025 salary survey recorded an average salary increase of 7.7% over the previous 12 months.[4] However, other analyses suggest that overall wage growth is likely to slow as the balance of power shifts back toward employers.[27] In the US, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported a median annual salary for marketing managers of $161,030 in May 2024.[17]
However, these headline figures mask persistent and, in some cases, worsening inequalities. The Marketing Week 2025 Career & Salary Survey for the UK reveals a stark picture. The gender pay gap in marketing has widened from 16% in 2024 to 17.8% in 2025, meaning female marketers are paid, on average, significantly less than their male peers. Even more dramatically, the ethnicity pay gap has surged from 8.5% to 13.3% over the same period, indicating a significant regression in pay equity for professionals from minority ethnic backgrounds.[33]
The following table provides a comparative benchmark of marketing salaries in the UK and USA, highlighting the significant geographic and role-based disparities in compensation.
| Role | UK - London (£) | UK - Manchester/Regional (£) | USA - National Average ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Executive/Specialist | £30,000 - £40,000 | £25,000 - £35,000 | $61,897 [34] |
| Marketing Manager | £50,000 - £70,000 [16] | £40,000 - £55,000 | $89,534 [34] |
| Senior Marketing Manager | £60,000 - £85,000 [15] | £50,000 - £65,000 | $111,000 (Experienced/Certified) [35] |
| Head of Marketing/Director | £90,000 - £120,000+ | £70,000 - £100,000 | $161,030 (Median, Marketing Manager) [17] |
Note: Salaries are indicative and vary by industry, company size, and individual experience. UK data compiled from sources.[15, 16, 36] USA data from sources.[17, 34, 35]
The intense pressures of the modern marketing role are taking a significant toll on the profession's mental health. A 2024 report found that 58% of marketers feel overwhelmed, and half are emotionally exhausted.[7] This aligns with broader workforce trends, where 52% of all US employees reported feeling burned out in the past year.[37] In the UK, the situation is even more acute, with 91% of adults reporting high or extreme levels of stress at some point in the past year.[20]
The drivers of this burnout are multifaceted. A significant portion of marketers (43%) report working more hours than they are contracted for.[7, 36] The primary causes cited include increased workload (46%), mental health challenges (34%), and intense pressure to meet deadlines (30%).[20] The proliferation of marketing channels and the complexity of the martech stack also contribute significantly to cognitive load and feelings of being overwhelmed.[7]
This presents a "productivity paradox" for the modern marketer. The industry has adopted an extensive arsenal of AI and automation tools designed to enhance efficiency. Yet, instead of reducing workload, these tools often fuel an "always-on" culture, increasing the expected volume and velocity of output.
The pressure to master and manage a constantly expanding toolkit adds a new layer of stress. The problem is not a lack of technology to improve productivity; it is the lack of a strategic framework for deploying that technology in a way that prioritises human wellbeing over sheer output. The consequences are tangible, with 34% of young US workers (aged 18-29) having considered quitting their jobs due to negative impact on their mental health.[37]
In a climate of economic caution and tightening budgets, the pressure on marketers to prove their value has never been greater. The focus has shifted decisively from brand-building and creative endeavors to quantifiable, revenue-driven outcomes. Marketers report consistent and growing pressure to justify advertising spend and demonstrate a clear Return on Investment (ROI).[38]
Job performance is now rigorously evaluated against a set of hard financial and lead-generation metrics. The most common Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) include Revenue Attributed to Marketing, Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs), Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs), Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), and Customer Lifetime Value (LTV).[39, 40] This signals a fundamental re-framing of the marketing function. It is no longer a "cost center" but is being held to the same performance standards as the sales department.
This elevation in strategic importance comes with a significant increase in accountability and risk. A failure to demonstrate a tangible contribution to the bottom line is now a direct threat to job security. The cost of underperformance—or even a vacancy in a key role—is quantifiable. Estimates suggest that a vacant Paid Search Specialist role can cost a business between $2,500 and $5,000 per week in lost ROI from unoptimised ad spend and missed conversion opportunities.[41] This high-stakes environment underscores the necessity for marketers to be not only creative and strategic but also deeply analytical and commercially astute.
The integration of Artificial Intelligence, particularly generative AI, is the single most disruptive force in marketing since the advent of the internet. It is simultaneously a source of immense opportunity and profound anxiety, reshaping workflows, redefining roles, and creating an urgent need for new skills. This section explores the depth of AI adoption, its real-world impact on jobs, and the critical skill sets required to thrive in this new paradigm.
AI is no longer a futuristic concept in marketing; it is a present-day reality. Adoption has been swift and widespread. In 2024, 69.1% of marketers reported having already integrated AI into their operations, a significant jump from 61.4% in 2023.[2] Across all business functions, 78% of organisations now use AI, up from just 55% the previous year, demonstrating a rapid acceleration of deployment.[42, 43] In the UK, the number of firms adopting AI was projected to more than double from 9% in 2023 to 22% in 2024.[19]
The primary applications of AI within marketing departments are centered on efficiency and scale. According to HubSpot's 2025 State of Marketing Report, the most prominent use cases are content creation (35%), data analysis and insights (30%), and workflow automation (20%).[44, 45] This reflects a strategic focus on automating time-consuming tasks to free up human marketers for higher-value activities.
This rapid adoption is backed by substantial financial commitment. A McKinsey survey found that 92% of companies plan to increase their AI investments.[46] Gartner forecasts that global IT spending will reach a record $5.43 trillion in 2025, with growth powered by AI and generative AI initiatives.[47]
However, a critical disconnect exists between investment in AI tools and investment in the people who use them. A staggering 70% of marketing professionals report that their employers provide no formal training in generative AI.[3] This gap is even more pronounced when viewed through a hierarchical lens: 65% of executives receive official AI training, compared to only 34% of junior staff who are often the most hands-on with the new technology.[3]
This lack of formal education, combined with the pressure marketers feel to learn AI or risk becoming irrelevant [48], has given rise to a "shadow AI" workforce. Employees are turning to external resources like YouTube and online courses to "level up fast" on their own.[49] While this demonstrates initiative, it also introduces significant risks for businesses, including inconsistent brand voice, potential data privacy breaches, and a lack of ethical oversight in how AI is deployed. It points to a massive, unmet need for structured, strategic AI education within marketing organisations.
The rapid rise of AI has fueled widespread anxiety about job security. Nearly 60% of marketers now fear that AI could replace their roles, a figure that has almost doubled from 35.6% in 2023.[2] In a US-based survey, 21% of marketers expressed fear of job loss, with 14% believing their jobs could be replaced by machines "very soon".[50]
These fears are not unfounded, as expert forecasts predict significant shifts. Forrester projects that US advertising agencies will automate 7.5% of their jobs—equivalent to 32,000 roles—by 2030. The roles most at risk are those that are heavily process-oriented, such as clerical positions (28% of losses), sales support (22%), and market research analysis (18%).[9, 51] On a global scale, projections from McKinsey and the World Economic Forum suggest that while hundreds of millions of jobs will be displaced by 2030, an even greater number of new roles will be created, leading to a net positive but highly disruptive transition.[52, 53]
The most concrete, near-term evidence of AI's impact comes from the freelance market, which often serves as a leading indicator for the broader employment landscape. A 2025 Brookings Institution study analyzing data from a major freelance platform found that since the launch of ChatGPT, freelancers in AI-exposed, text-heavy roles (such as copywriting and editing) have experienced a tangible 2% decline in the number of contracts and a 5% drop in monthly earnings.[10]
This data points not to a wholesale "death of the marketer," but rather to the "great unbundling" of the marketing role. The traditional, generalist marketing position, which encompassed a mix of strategic planning, content creation, data analysis, and project management, is being deconstructed. The tasks that are most easily automated—such as writing basic copy, pulling standard reports, and scheduling social media posts—are being stripped away and assigned to AI assistants.
What remains, and what is becoming more valuable, are the uniquely human capabilities: high-level strategic thinking, novel creative problem-solving, complex relationship management, and nuanced ethical judgment.
The implication is that the marketing generalist is an endangered species. The future belongs to the "AI-Augmented Strategist," a professional who directs a suite of intelligent tools to execute the tasks they once performed manually, freeing their time to focus on areas where human intellect provides a distinct competitive advantage.
As old tasks are automated, new roles are emerging to manage, direct, and optimise the use of AI in marketing. These are not just modified versions of old jobs; they are fundamentally new positions requiring a hybrid of technical, strategic, and creative skills. Prominent new titles appearing in the market include AI Marketing Strategist, AI-Powered Content Creator, and marketing-focused Data Scientist and Machine Learning Engineer.[54]
One of the most critical new functions is that of the Prompt Engineer. This skill, identified as paramount for 2025, involves crafting detailed, context-rich instructions for generative AI models to elicit high-quality, on-brand, and strategically aligned outputs.[55] It represents the primary interface between human strategy and machine execution.
The common thread across these emerging roles is a fundamental shift in the nature of marketing work: a transition from "doing" to "directing." The value of a marketer is no longer measured by the hours spent manually executing a task, such as writing an email or designing a graphic. Instead, value is derived from the intellectual rigor applied to directing an AI tool to achieve a specific strategic outcome. The AI Marketing Strategist does not write every social media post; they develop the overarching content strategy and the master prompts that guide an AI to generate a month's worth of posts in minutes. This shift places a premium on strategic clarity, critical thinking, and a deep understanding of how to leverage technology to achieve business goals.
To remain relevant and valuable, marketers must cultivate a new and evolving skillset that blends traditional marketing acumen with technical proficiency. The most in-demand competencies for 2025 and beyond fall into several key categories.
Core strategic skills now include Data Analysis and Interpretation, using AI to uncover insights from vast datasets; AI-Driven Customer Journey Mapping, to predict and personalize customer interactions in real-time; and Predictive Analytics, to forecast market trends and consumer behavior.[56]
Technical and creative skills are also being redefined. Proficiency in Content Personalization and Automation is essential, as is expertise in AI-Enhanced SEO and SEM, where AI tools are used to optimise for increasingly sophisticated search algorithms. The ability to develop and manage Chatbots and Conversational Marketing platforms is also becoming a key differentiator.[56]
A new layer of hybrid skills is emerging at the intersection of strategy and technology. These include Prompt Engineering, as previously discussed, and AI Automation, which involves using platforms like Zapier or Make.com to connect different AI tools and marketing platforms into seamless, automated workflows.[55]
Finally, as AI becomes more powerful and autonomous, a critical and often overlooked skill is AI Ethics and Data Privacy. Professionals who understand the legal frameworks like GDPR and can implement responsible, transparent, and unbiased AI practices will be indispensable for mitigating brand risk and maintaining customer trust.[56]
While the forces of economic cooling and AI transformation are global, their impact on the marketing employment landscape manifests differently in the United Kingdom and the United States. Each market possesses unique structural characteristics, regulatory environments, and cultural dynamics that shape job opportunities, salary expectations, and the pace of technological adoption.
The UK marketing job market is characterized by the significant gravitational pull of London, a persistent talent shortage exacerbated by post-Brexit realities, and a steady, if not yet explosive, adoption of AI technologies.
London operates as the undisputed center of the UK's marketing industry, creating a significant disparity with other regional hubs. This concentration is most evident in compensation. Marketing roles in London command substantial salary premiums; for instance, a Senior Marketing Manager can expect to earn £60,000-£85,000, a figure that would be closer to £50,000-£65,000 in a city like Manchester.[15, 16] This premium is driven by the high concentration of corporate headquarters, a thriving tech scene, and the higher cost of living.
The capital is home to the vast majority of the UK's marketing jobs, with the North-West (led by Manchester) being the largest hub outside of London, accounting for 12% of UK employment in the sector.[11] While the rise of remote and hybrid work has slightly diffused this concentration, London's network effects—access to clients, agencies, and industry events—ensure its continued dominance. Furthermore, London is the primary hub for AI startups in the UK, with 1,387 AI-focused businesses based in the city as of June 2023.[21] This proximity to innovation accelerates the adoption of AI within London's marketing ecosystem at a faster rate than in regional markets.
The UK's departure from the European Union continues to cast a long shadow over the marketing talent pool. The end of free movement has restricted the supply of experienced marketers from the EU, exacerbating existing skills shortages. This has had several knock-on effects. Firstly, it has made it more difficult for businesses, particularly SMEs and agencies, to find qualified candidates for specialized roles. Secondly, the reduced talent pool has contributed to salary inflation, as companies compete more fiercely for a smaller number of available professionals. The process of sponsoring visas for non-UK talent is often complex and costly, creating a barrier for many organisations outside of large enterprises. This has placed a greater emphasis on upskilling the domestic workforce and has made talent retention an even more critical strategic priority for UK-based marketing leaders.
The US marketing employment market is defined by its sheer scale, significant state-by-state variation, and a more mature and aggressive adoption of AI technologies, driven by its dominant tech sector.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were approximately 389,100 marketing manager positions in 2023, with an additional 22,200 advertising and promotions managers.[17] The overall sector is projected to grow by 8% between 2023 and 2033, a rate considered faster than the average for all occupations. This is expected to create around 36,600 openings for managers each year, driven by the need to replace retiring workers and the continued importance of marketing for maintaining market share.[17] For non-managerial roles, there were 903,400 market research analysts in 2023, a field also projected to grow by 8% over the next decade.[57] These figures paint a picture of a large, fundamentally healthy market, despite the near-term cooling trends.
The US market is not monolithic. Job opportunities and salaries vary significantly by state and metropolitan area. Tech hubs like San Francisco, New York, and Seattle traditionally offer the highest salaries but also come with the highest cost of living. A digital marketing manager in San Francisco, for example, could earn an average base salary of $114,747, compared to a national average closer to $89,534.[34]
The widespread adoption of remote work since the pandemic has begun to reshape this geography. While the share of job postings mentioning remote work has fallen from its 2022 peak, it remains well above 2019 levels.[14] This has allowed companies to recruit from a national talent pool, potentially easing talent shortages in high-cost areas and creating new opportunities for marketers in lower-cost states. However, it has also led to complex compensation strategies, with many companies adjusting salaries based on an employee's location. The impact of remote work is a key dynamic, offering greater flexibility for professionals but also creating downward pressure on salaries for those outside major metropolitan hubs. US-specific investment in AI is also a driving factor, with US private AI investment reaching $109.1 billion in 2024, far outpacing other nations and fueling rapid integration of AI tools within US marketing departments.[42]
The transformative pressures of economic uncertainty and AI adoption are not being felt uniformly across all sectors. Different industries, with their unique business models, customer bases, and regulatory environments, are adapting in distinct ways. This section provides a focused analysis of five key verticals: B2B Technology/SaaS, Biotech and Life Sciences, Financial Services/Fintech, Professional Services, and Manufacturing.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), defined here as companies with revenues between £2M and £50M, face a unique and acute set of marketing challenges. They must compete for talent and attention with larger enterprises while operating with significantly tighter budgets and smaller teams. This section provides a data-driven playbook for SMEs to navigate the complexities of team structure, budgeting, and talent management in the current climate.
The structure of an SME's marketing function is a critical decision with significant implications for cost, agility, and expertise. Data shows a strong preference for building internal capabilities. A survey of small businesses (1-100 employees) found that 56.9% have dedicated in-house marketers. A further 20.8% have an employee who handles marketing in addition to other duties, while only a small minority rely exclusively on an outside agency (4.8%) or freelancers (2.2%).[77]
However, outsourcing remains a popular strategy for specific functions. A 2024 report indicated that nearly 80% of small businesses outsourced at least one marketing function in the past year, with 46% of all marketing efforts being outsourced, up from 25% in 2020.[78, 79] The primary drivers for outsourcing are no longer just cost savings (cited by 34%), but increasingly the need to improve access to specialized talent (42%) and meet rising customer demands (35%).[80]
This data points to the rise of a hybrid model as the optimal structure for many SMEs. A core in-house team, often starting with one or two marketing generalists, provides brand consistency, deep product knowledge, and alignment with business goals.[79] This internal team is then augmented by external agencies or freelancers for specialized, high-skill tasks like advanced SEO, paid media management, or complex graphic design. This approach provides the best of both worlds: the strategic control of an in-house team and the on-demand expertise of an external partner, without the high overhead of a large, fully specialized internal department.
For founders considering their first marketing hire, the decision point often comes when the founder can no longer dedicate sufficient time to marketing or when the need for specialized expertise surpasses their own. The first hire is typically a versatile "Marketing Manager" or "Marketing Generalist" who can manage multiple channels and lay the strategic groundwork before specialist roles are added.[59]
Determining the right marketing budget is a perennial challenge for SMEs. While there is no one-size-fits-all answer, industry benchmarks provide a crucial starting point. A 2024 survey of CMOs found that the average marketing budget was 7.7% of total company revenue.[6] This figure represents a notable decrease from 9.1% in 2023, reflecting the broader trend of budget tightening.[81]
General rules of thumb suggest that B2B companies should allocate 2-5% of revenue to marketing, while B2C companies should aim for 5-10%.[6] For SMEs, a range of 5-7% is often cited as a realistic and effective benchmark.[81] It is critical for SMEs to treat this budget as an investment in growth, not a discretionary cost to be cut at the first sign of economic trouble. The focus should be on channels with the highest and most measurable ROI, such as email marketing, SEO, and targeted short-form video, which was cited as delivering the highest ROI in a recent HubSpot survey.[6]
SMEs are on the front lines of the war for marketing talent and face a distinct set of challenges. A 2024 survey of small businesses identified the top three marketing-related hurdles as:
Beyond these, staff retention is a critical issue. Data from 2022-2023 shows that smaller organizations (1-249 employees) experience significantly higher staff turnover (18.2%) than larger enterprises (13.6% for 1000+ employees).[29] The marketing industry itself has the lowest retention rate of any sector.[5] This high churn is costly; the average cost of replacing an employee is estimated to be £30,614 in the UK.[29]
To compete, SMEs must leverage their unique advantages. While they may not be able to match enterprise-level salaries, they can offer greater autonomy, a more direct impact on business outcomes, and a more flexible and appealing company culture. Investing in targeted upskilling, particularly in high-demand areas like AI, can also be a powerful retention tool, showing employees a clear path for career growth within the organization.
The forces reshaping the marketing profession today are setting the stage for a radically different future. The convergence of AI, data analytics, and evolving consumer expectations will lead to new team structures, a redefinition of essential skills, and a permanent shift in how marketing talent is sourced and deployed. This section synthesizes expert predictions and current trend data to project the state of the marketing profession from 2025 to 2030.
The traditional, hierarchical marketing department, organised by channel-specific silos (e.g., email team, social media team), is becoming obsolete. The future marketing team will be structured for agility, cross-functional collaboration, and the seamless integration of human and artificial intelligence.
Expert analysis suggests a move towards more fluid, project-based structures. This includes the adoption of agile marketing pods, small, cross-functional teams assembled to tackle specific campaigns or business objectives.[83] These pods might include a strategist, a content creator, a data analyst, and a paid media specialist, all working in tight, iterative cycles. This structure is designed to break down silos and increase the speed of execution.
Another key trend is the deeper integration of marketing with sales and customer service under a unified Revenue Operations (RevOps) framework. This model aligns all revenue-generating departments around a single set of goals and a shared view of the customer journey, eliminating the friction and data gaps that often exist between marketing and sales.
Finally, the marketing team of 2030 will be fundamentally AI-augmented. This goes beyond simply using AI tools; it means structuring the team around the assumption that AI will handle a significant portion of the executional workload. This could lead to an "inversion of agency workforce composition," where teams consist of a smaller number of highly-paid, senior strategic thinkers paired with powerful generative AI assistants that handle tasks previously done by junior talent.[9]
The evolution of team structures will be mirrored by a transformation in job roles. As AI automates routine tasks, some skills will become less valuable, while new, more strategic roles will emerge.
Emerging Roles to Watch:
Skills at Risk of Obsolescence:
The traditional model of full-time, permanent employment is being increasingly challenged by the rise of the freelance and gig economy. This trend is particularly pronounced in marketing, where project-based work and the need for specialized, on-demand skills are common.
The growth of fractional marketing roles, especially the Fractional CMO, is a key indicator of this shift. A 2024 survey revealed that 9% of startups and SMBs were either currently working with or planning to engage a fractional CMO, a steady increase from 5% the previous year.[85] The primary drivers for this are cost-effectiveness (78%) and access to high-level strategic expertise without the overhead of a full-time executive salary (72%).[85]
This trend extends across the marketing function. In the US, 58% of the workforce in the marketing industry already works as freelancers.[86] Globally, freelancers constitute 46.7% of the total workforce.[87] This suggests a future where marketing departments are increasingly composed of a hybrid model: a small, core team of full-time strategic leaders who manage a flexible, on-demand network of freelance specialists for execution. This model allows businesses to scale their marketing efforts up or down quickly in response to market changes, providing a level of agility that is difficult to achieve with a traditional, fixed-headcount structure.
Navigating this period of transformation requires a proactive and strategic approach. The following recommendations are tailored to the key personas navigating this new landscape:
For Marketing Manager Mary:
For Founder Fiona:
For AI-Curious Catherine:
Yes, data suggests that marketing certifications can provide a significant return on investment. For example, an experienced and certified Marketing Manager in the US can earn approximately $111,000 per year, which is over $31,000 more than an uncertified manager in an entry-level role.[1]
Specific certifications from organisations like the Digital Marketing Institute and the American Marketing Association have been linked to an average salary increase of around $12,000 for graduates.[1] While many certifications from platforms like HubSpot are free and provide excellent foundational knowledge for beginners, their direct impact on a resume and salary can vary.[2]
Entry-level marketing roles are among the most significantly impacted by AI. Many routine tasks that were previously handled by junior staff—such as basic data entry, standard reporting, and some forms of customer service—are now being automated by AI systems.[3]
Projections indicate that AI could replace over 50% of the tasks performed by roles like market research analysts and sales representatives, which are common entry points into the profession.[4] This is leading to a potential decline in the overall number of available entry-level positions. Furthermore, as AI makes these tasks more efficient, salary expectations for the remaining entry-level roles are also shifting downwards.[4] The World Economic Forum notes that while AI will create new jobs, they are often not direct one-to-one replacements for the roles being displaced and frequently require a different, more advanced skillset.[5]
As AI automates more technical and repetitive tasks, uniquely human "soft skills" are becoming more critical for career success and differentiation. The most valuable of these are abilities that AI cannot yet replicate, such as high-level creativity, emotional intelligence, and complex reasoning.[6]
Other essential transferable skills that are in high demand include strong communication, leadership, adaptability, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving.[3] In an AI-augmented workplace, skills centered on human interaction and strategy—like relationship building, teamwork, and business agility—are becoming paramount.[7]
With a significant training gap in the industry (70% of employers do not provide formal AI training), many marketers are successfully taking a self-directed, or "scrappy," approach to learning.[8]
A popular method is using free online resources such as YouTube tutorials, webinars, and online courses to quickly acquire practical skills.[9] For more structured learning, several platforms offer dedicated programs. HubSpot Academy, for instance, provides a free "AI for Marketing" course that covers foundational concepts.[10] For those seeking more in-depth knowledge, the Digital Marketing Institute offers paid, comprehensive courses like "AI for Business & Marketing" and "Advanced AI for Digital Marketing."[11]
The modern marketing team is shifting from a large, siloed department to a smaller, more agile, and strategically focused unit that is heavily augmented by technology. A clear example of this evolution can be seen in the manufacturing sector.
A traditional 10-person marketing team—with distinct roles like a Marketing Director, Content Writer, Graphic Designer, SEO Specialist, and PPC Manager—is being effectively replaced by a lean, 3-person "AI-First" operation. This modern team consists of an AI Marketing Strategist, a Growth Marketer, and a Marketing Technologist. Together, this core strategic team directs a powerful AI platform that handles the day-to-day execution of tasks (content creation, data analysis, ad management) that were previously performed manually by the larger team.[12] This new structure prioritizes high-level strategy, agility, and technological proficiency over manual task execution.