Digital and analytical skills boost marketer salaries, plus who's earning what in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth

By Rosie Baker | 6 February 2014
 
Talent shortage: Digital and data marketers can demand a bigger wedge.

Salaries are expected to grow a measly 2.4% on average this year, but marketers with experience in digital, customer marketing and data can demand more wedge. That's according to the annual salary survey from Robert Walters. There's some stark regional differences too.

In the face of rapidly changing business models and structural change across industries, businesses are looking to tool up. They badly need marketers with digital and data capabilities as they vie to better understand their customers, drive growth and take share from competitors. Not to mention run the numbers and show what is working, and what is not.

The average salary for an insight manager in Sydney is set to rise by around $20,000 this year to $170,000 at the top end, while a digital marketing manager salary looks set to increase by $30,000 to $160,000.

There remains a skills shortage of marketers with sufficient data analytics and digital experience in the local market. While businesses still look overseas for top talent, the talent pool is stronger than two years ago, according to the 'survey'. (The data came from roles placed and briefs received from clients in calendar year 2013.)

Digital data specialists have yet to work their way into the top layers of marketing management, according Robert Walters. Marketing directors and CMOs currently in roles tend to come from a “different era” and didn't grow up with digital so take an overview stance and rely on their mid-level marketers as digital specialists.

More hybrid marketing roles are being created in the market as businesses are combining customer marketing skills into traditional brand manager roles was another trend that the company saw developing.

Marketers in Sydney and Melbourne continue to command higher salaries than other states. A head of marketing in Sydney can earn up to $250,000 - up to $30,000 more than last year and $60,000 more than a top marketing director in Brisbane takes home.

A brand manager in Perth will take home up to $120,000 – that’s $15,000 more than their counterpart in Adelaide – although brand manager roles in Adelaide are expected to rise this year.

Rob Moss, head of sales and marketing at Robert Walters, told AdNews employers are looking for a lot more strategic input from marketers as there is more commercial pressure on the function within business.

The same level of restructures and redundancies witnessed in 2014 is not expected this year. But as a result of top level dead heading, there are a lot of senior level marketing directors in the market for new roles, he suggested.

But money is not always the motivator.

Many candidates are looking for additional benefits and will sacrifice $5,000 to $10,000 for benefits like flexible working, or factors that will improve the work life balance, so employers might find that investing in culture is money well spent, according to the global recruitment firm.

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