Navigating the Digital Marketing Career Path
The lowdown on the digital marketing specialist job market – plus salary benchmarks.
It’s an interesting time for digital marketers. If you’re building your career in this space, the industry is serving up exciting opportunities, but also unique challenges.
Like something out of a Choose Your Own Adventure, there’s a few pathways you can pursue.
We caught up with the team – to mine his insights on the current market landscape.
We also got the inside scoop on salary benchmarks for roles like:
- Digital Marketing Specialist
- Performance Marketing Specialist
- Digital Marketing Lead
- + more.
Market insights
The digital marketing profession covers a wide range of roles and responsibilities. It covers everyting from digital delivery to engineering and design.
It also includes roles like technical product managers, engineers, digital marketers, e-commerce specialists, and UX/UI designers.
So why choose this career? The digital marketing profession offers variety and the chance to work at the intersection of technology and creativity.
It's an incredibly varied role and no two days are the same – especially if you work in a startup environment. This variety attracts professionals who thrive in dynamic and fast-paced settings.
There are also unique challenges for this career path.
One of these challenges is staying ahead of technological advancements. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and its operationalisation is a key trend. What we're actually trying to do is focus with a number of core customers on the operationalisation of AI.
But the current market is influenced by economic factors.
Digital and marketing professionals have been impacted by macroeconomic fluctuations, which has resulted in more cautious hiring practices.
Here are the current hiring trends we're seeing:
1. 🤖AI and emerging tech are in demand
There's a growing demand for professionals skilled in AI – particularly those who can make AI practical for customer service enhancement.
2. 💼 It’s an employer's market
Companies are becoming more selective – leading to a saturation of candidates. It's more of an employer's market now, whereas 18 months ago it was an employee's market.
3. 👎Salary expectations are being adjusted
Due to market shifts, candidates who once secured significant pay rises are now experiencing pay cuts. More on that below.
So what do different digital marketing specialist roles pay in 2024? 💵💵💵
Sadly the salary landscape hasn’t been kind in this space.
Candidates who were getting 30-40% pay rises 2 years ago are likely now taking 10-15% pay cuts".
Average salaries for digital marketing professionals do remain competitive, though. And the demand for specialised skills like AI and data analytics can still command premium salaries in the right roles.
Looking for the nitty gritty on what these careers pay? We’ve got the goss.
From Digital Marketing Specialist or Performance Marketing Specialist, to landing that promotion as a Digital Marketing Leader, here’s what you can expect from your paycheck.
Our advice for digital marketing job seekers
Here's some thoughtful advice for candidates navigating the tricky digital marketing career landscape.
Our top tips:
1. 💪Stay resilient – The market may be challenging, but perseverance is key.
Our advice is to remain resilient and try to keep your skills up.
2. 🔥Pursue passion – Figure out what excites you and seek opportunities that align with your interests.
Find what you're passionate about and adapt yourself to an environment where you'll get first-hand experience.
3. 🤓Embrace continuous learning – Skill development is essential to staying competitive.
Technical skills worth developing
Strong technical skills are key for making it in competitive career markets like this one.
Want to progress? Consider developing the following skills:
- Design tools – Get familiar with tools like Figma and Adobe Creative Suite, as these are crucial for designers.
- Project Management – Jira and Monday.com are widely used by product managers.
- Data Analytics – Understanding data is fundamental, as AI and machine learning rely heavily on data science.
- Programming Languages – particularly important for those interested in AI and machine learning.
Having a background in data analytics and Python language is going to be core for people interested in AI.
Bonus: Top take away tips
Here are our top two tips for establishing a thriving career in digital marketing.
1. Start-ups are where it’s at
Look for opportunities with start-up businesses where you can get exposure to a wide range of projects.
Start-ups are a great starting place. They’ll teach you how to build a business while working collaboratively and cross-functionally.
2. Stay sharp
To find success in this market, you’ll need to stay ahead of the game and on top of your learning.
Build your learning through micro-courses and develop your bench strength in specific skill sets – like the ones listed above.
Want more on navigating your digital marketing career?
Download a copy of your 2024 Salary Guide here.