Michael Page launches its 2027 Salary Guides, revealing the marketing roles and skills businesses are hiring for, and where salaries are rising fastest.Employer demand is moving from generalist to specialist, with growth-focused roles rising up the list of marketing priorities.Separately, department-head salaries in the North and Midlands have risen by up to 40% year-on-year, while equivalent London roles have held broadly flat.16 September 2026, London – Michael Page has released its 2027 Salary Guides, offering insight into the UK hiring market, the roles and skills in demand, and what marketing professionals are looking for in their next move.The guides point to two distinct trends: what businesses are hiring for, and where pay is rising. Together they suggest hiring in the marketing sector is evolving on two fronts at once: by skillset and by geography.The rise of the growth specialistEmployer demand is shifting from generalist to specialist. Marketing Manager remains a fixture, but the roles rising fastest up the list are more specialist in nature, with the strongest demand concentrated in revenue-generating areas: growth marketing, digital strategy, marketing analytics and ecommerce.Most in-demand marketing roles2026 Guides2027 GuidesMarketing ManagerGrowth Marketing ManagerMarketing ExecutiveDigital Strategy and Transformation LeadProduct ManagerMarketing Analytics and Insights ManagerBrand ManagerEcommerce and Marketplace ManagerHead of MarketingMarketing ManagerMost in-demand marketing skills2026 Guides2027 GuidesContent creation and writingMarketing & AI adoptionEnd-to-end campaign managementMarketing automationData analysis and reportingCustomer journey managementStakeholder managementCustomer loyalty, optimisation and personalisationJames Nally, UK Practice Director, Marketing and Digital at Michael Page, says: "Marketing and digital recruitment has become about far more than simply finding marketers. Employers want commercially minded, AI-enabled growth professionals who can directly influence revenue, customer experience, and business transformation. New and innovative roles are likely to enter the market, alongside continued demand for interim consultancy, as businesses build the evolving skill sets they need."The biggest salary premiums are going to candidates who can combine AI and marketing in practice, applying it across campaign optimisation, content management, customer journeys, loyalty, personalisation and automation. Demand is strongest where those candidates can also demonstrate measurable growth and commercial outcomes."Regional pay rises at department-head levelSeparately, the salary growth recorded in this year’s guides is concentrated in senior specialist roles outside London. Across the North and Midlands, Creative Director salaries have risen by around 40% year-on-year, the largest increase seen in this year’s data, followed by Head of Social Media and Content at around 19%.Salary growth at junior and generalist level, and at leadership level in London, has been steadier by comparison.Nally continues: "Regional employers competing for department heads are increasingly benchmarking against the London market rather than against each other. In the current market, candidates are looking for a compelling reason to move, whether that's greater flexibility, a clear career opportunity or a salary increase. Employers who benchmark to or above the market rate put themselves in a far stronger position to secure the people they want."Attracting specialist marketing talent60% of UK marketing professionals are actively looking for their next role, against a national average of 50%. For employers, the biggest expected recruitment challenge over the next 12 months is providing the working arrangements candidates require, cited by 42% of hiring managers. Nally adds: "Flexibility now weighs as heavily as salary when candidates decide their next move. We're seeing growing demand for part-time and four-day working arrangements, with many businesses willing to invest a full-time budget to secure the best people. “Others are using bespoke agreements to lock in talent, whether that’s sign-on bonuses, the opportunity to work from abroad, or salary and flexibility review points after probation. Businesses who can offer flexibility on start and finish times, or part-time and condensed hours, are drawing in excellent talent.”For businesses looking to unlock further hiring insights, the Michael Page 2027 Salary Guides can be downloaded here.ENDSMethodologySalary Guides 2027Michael Page’s Salary Guides analyse thousands of placements and conversations with hiring managers and professionals across 19 specialisms in the UK to generate data on sector-specific recruitment trends, popular roles, and in-demand skills. The resulting insights on UK salary and skills trends are designed to help employers shape hiring strategies for 2027.All Salary Guides ‘Market sentiment’ data, unless otherwise stated, is from an online survey conducted by Michael Page and UNLIMITED (now part of Accenture Song). Year-on-year salary changes are calculated on the median of each published range.About Michael PageMichael Page is a global recruitment consultancy operating in 34 markets with more than 6,000 employees worldwide. Founded in London in 1976, Michael Page plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange.Michael Page offers specialist expertise across professional recruitment, executive search and advisory, and scaled recruitment and outsourcing. Page Executive operates as the executive search and leadership advisory service within the Michael Page business.In the UK, Michael Page operates nationwide, providing local knowledge backed by the strength and reach of our global network.Powered by world-class tools and technology and a strong commitment to quality and partnership, Michael Page connects people and businesses with talent that makes a difference.
