2024 Canada Marketing and Creative Salaries and Hiring Trends

Agencies and small-to-midsize businesses are especially eager to bring professionals with digital experience on board. But they still face stiff competition from other firms for skilled marketing and creative expertise. Employers must be prepared to reassess their compensation packages, hire quickly when they find skilled talent, and offer flexibility in when and where employees work.

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Design and Production: Management

Design and Production

Design and Production: Digital

Design and Production: UX

Content Development and Management

Advertising and Marketing: Agency

Advertising and Marketing: Corporate

Advertising and Marketing: Agency or Corporate

Advertising and Marketing: Digital

Public Relations

Position Title

25th Percentile

50th Percentile

75th Percentile

Creative Director

126500

146250

167750

Creative Services Manager

81500

93000

112750

Production Manager

80000

92500

99000

Studio Manager

64000

74000

82250

25th Percentile

New to the role, with little or no experience; requires more than casual instruction or supervision to perform day-to-day duties.

50th Percentile

Has the experience to consistently perform core responsibilities without direct supervision; very comfortable with processes and subject matter associated with the role.

75th Percentile

Value to the organization goes far beyond the ability to perform normal job duties; has rare qualifications that enable consistent contribution in unique ways; ready for next career level when available.

Hiring Trends in Marketing and Creative

Creative organizations face challenging market for skilled talent

Marketing and creative teams need skilled design and production talent to make their brands and products shine, but the hiring market is tough.

91% of managers report challenges hiring skilled talent, primarily in digital marketing, content development, and digital and UX design and production.

Hiring entry- and middle-level talent is becoming more challenging because firms aren’t offering the same robust compensation packages they provided workers at these levels in recent years.

Marketing Digital marketing Design, production Digital,
UX design /
production Project
management,
traffic,
operations Marketing Digital marketing Design, production Digital,
UX design /
production Project
management,
traffic,
operations

Digital marketing
strategy Marketing
automation Creative
development and
art direction Marketing research
and analytics Social media Digital marketing
strategy Marketing
automation Creative
development and
art direction Marketing research
and analytics Social media

Contract talent moves the needle

More organizations are adopting a variable talent model, supplementing core teams with contract professionals to complete projects that have stalled due to understaffing.

This model can help managers move forward with key initiatives, especially those involving new digital products that provide a competitive advantage to the entire business.

Other firms handle talent shortages by depending more heavily on internal resources to deliver high-priority projects. This increases workloads and stress on staff and risks greater employee turnover.

Digital and
UX design
and production Non-digital
marketing Advertising Digital marketing Content
development Communications
and
public relations Digital and
UX design
and production Non-digital
marketing Advertising Digital marketing Content
development Communications
and
public relations

Salary range Flexible work
options Benefits Day-to-day
responsibilities Company culture
and values Salary range Flexible work
options Benefits Day-to-day
responsibilities Company culture
and values

Hottest jobs

Copywriter

Digital marketing manager

Industries hiring most

Health care

Professional services

Retail (brick-and-mortar and e-commerce)

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How do we determine our salary figures? See our methodology.

The salaries listed in the salary tables represent starting compensation only, meaning pay for someone new to a company in the position listed. Our estimates do not include bonuses, benefits or perks. We report salaries in percentiles and ranges, recognizing that professionals join companies at varied experience levels.

Other data referenced in this Salary Guide is based on online surveys developed by Robert Half and conducted by independent research firms. Respondents included hiring managers and employees from small (less than $50 million in revenues), midsize ($50 million to $1 billion) and large ($1 billion or greater) private, publicly listed and public sector organizations across Canada.

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