jobfacts

Marketing, sales and advertising directors

SOC 2020 1132

Marketing, sales and advertising directors plan, organise and direct advertising campaigns and market research and formulate and implement an organisation’s marketing, sales and social media policies.

Also calledMedia directorMarketing directorDirectorSales directorChief marketing officerCMOand 50 more titles
Typical full-time pay£94,1002025 Provisional
People in the job254,000across the UK
Demand for workersCritical
New adverts a month2,700↑ 22%on last year · 68th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time marketing, sales and advertising directors earn between £65,500 and £135,000 a year.

What full-time marketing, sales and advertising directors earn, 2025
£94,100 typical£45,900lowest 10%£65,50025%£146,900top 20%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£65,500–£135,000)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£45,900
Lowest 20% earn less than£58,900
25%£65,500
Median£94,100
75%£135,000
Top 20% earn more than£146,900
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £94,100
London£114,000
East of England!£94,400
South East£87,600
West Midlands!£82,000
North West!£81,400
South West!£80,500
Yorkshire and The Humber!£79,800
East Midlands!£77,900
North EastNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £94,100
London£114,000
East of England£94,400 (small sample)
South East£87,600
West Midlands£82,000 (small sample)
North West£81,400 (small sample)
South West£80,500 (small sample)
Yorkshire and The Humber£79,800 (small sample)
East Midlands£77,900 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £83,800
  • 2024 £87,300
  • 2025 Provisional£94,100
↑ 12% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 2,700 jobs for marketing, sales and advertising directors are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as critical.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (3 in all)
Show as table
Aug 20263,069
Jul 20263,087
Jun 20263,515
May 20263,205
Apr 20262,122
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 20262,380
Jan 20262,262
Dec 20251,485
Nov 20253,298
Oct 20252,794
Sept 20252,335
Aug 20251,879
Jul 2025Not published
Jun 2025Not published
May 20253,796
Apr 20252,487
Mar 20253,001
Feb 20252,499
Jan 20251,726
Dec 20241,239
Nov 20241,712
Oct 20241,723
Sept 20241,744
Aug 20241,810
Jul 20241,911
Jun 20241,938
May 20242,225
Apr 20242,018
Mar 20241,940
Feb 20242,100
Jan 20242,554
Dec 20232,180
Nov 20232,215
Oct 20232,139
Sept 20231,833
Aug 20232,501
Jul 20232,377
Jun 20233,112
May 20233,303
Apr 20232,419
Mar 20232,999
Feb 20233,440
Jan 20233,406
Dec 20223,541
Nov 20223,497
Oct 20223,403
Sept 20223,172
Aug 20223,507
Jul 20224,325
Jun 20223,951
May 20225,038
Apr 20223,724
Mar 20224,582
Feb 20224,447
Jan 20224,424
Dec 20213,568
Nov 20213,723
Oct 20213,748
Sept 20213,580
Aug 20213,574
Jul 20214,073
Jun 20213,539
May 20213,727
Apr 20213,060
Mar 20214,158
Feb 20212,781
Jan 20213,179
Dec 20202,487
Nov 20202,654
Oct 20202,589
Sept 20202,373
Aug 20202,185
Jul 20202,718
Jun 20202,225
May 20202,203
Apr 20202,660
Mar 20204,692
Feb 20204,187
Jan 20204,200
Dec 20193,137
Nov 20193,752
Oct 20193,607
Sept 20193,787
Aug 20193,866
Jul 20194,560
Jun 20194,493
May 20194,495
Apr 20193,242
Mar 20193,835
Feb 20193,708
Jan 20193,917
Dec 20182,424
Nov 20183,546
Oct 20183,212
Sept 20183,183
Aug 20183,091
Jul 20183,227
Jun 20183,443
May 20183,327
Apr 20182,993
Mar 20183,807
Feb 20183,242
Jan 20183,887
Dec 20172,515
Nov 20173,016
Oct 20173,245
Sept 20172,798
Aug 20172,974
Jul 20172,864
Jun 20173,856
May 20173,590
Apr 20173,727
Mar 20174,160
Feb 20173,707
Jan 20174,783
Is there a shortage of marketing, sales and advertising directors?
Critical

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment; in 2024 it was elevated.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthWell above usual
  • Pay against similar jobsWell above usual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
12%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for functional managers and directors, which includes marketing, sales and advertising directors. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London3,414
Manchester372
Birmingham270
Leeds185
Bristol, City of166
Glasgow City142
Nottingham113
Newcastle upon Tyne91
Liverpool89
Sheffield87
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where marketing, sales and advertising directors are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 602 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from United States, France, India, ranking it 31st of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of marketing, sales and advertising directors
1.7%!
19%!
31%
28%
18%
3.1%!
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
16–241.7% (small sample)
25–3419% (small sample)
35–4431%
45–5428%
55–6418%
65+3.1% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent72%
Higher education below degree5%
A levels or equivalent12%
GCSEs or equivalent8.3%
Other qualifications!2.1%
No qualifications!0.4%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent72%
Higher education below degree5%
A levels or equivalent12%
GCSEs or equivalent8.3%
Other qualifications2.1% (small sample)
No qualifications0.4% (small sample)

Main employers: business and other management consultancy activities (9.7%), advertising agencies (8.3%), computer programming activities (3.6%), computer consultancy activities (3.3%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
72%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
None
none leads directly into this work

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • liaises with client to discuss product/service to be marketed and develops the most appropriate strategy to deliver the objectives
  • discusses employer’s or clients’ requirements, plans and monitors surveys and analyses of customers’ reactions to products
  • defines target group for advertising campaigns and implements strategy through appropriate media planning work
  • conceives advertising campaigns to impart the desired product image in an effective and economical way
  • examines and analyses sales figures, advises on and monitors marketing campaigns and promotional activities
  • controls the recruitment and training of staff
  • stays abreast of changes in market trends and advertising rates
  • produces and/or assesses reports and recommendations concerning marketing, advertising and sales strategies

Skills

  • build business relationships
  • implement marketing strategies
  • perform market research
  • align efforts towards business development
  • analyse consumer buying trends
  • coordinate marketing plan actions
  • create annual marketing budget
  • define measurable marketing objectives
  • develop professional network
  • follow company standards
  • liaise with managers
  • manage contracts
  • manage staff
  • plan health and safety procedures

Knowledge

  • corporate social responsibility
  • financial management
  • market analysis
  • market pricing
  • product comprehension
  • project management
  • sales strategies
  • e-commerce systems

Suits people who like

  • Leading and persuading
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for corporate managers and directors, a group of 20 jobs that includes marketing, sales and advertising directors.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 3%about 78,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 20351.4 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.