Welcome to the Forward Role
Marketing & Digital Salary Guide 2026!
The Forward Role Marketing & Digital Salary Guide has been created by our specialist team and analyses UK salary data, Forward Role's hiring stats, job search trends and industry change to deliver a comprehensive overview of the Marketing & Digital job markets.
For employers, our report can be used to ensure you’re offering competitive salaries and contractor day rates, to current and prospective staff. The guide can help you to enhance employee satisfaction and ensure you attract and retain the best candidates.
For candidates, it will act as a means to benchmark your salary or rates against the average for your industry, negotiate a pay rise or discover what other opportunities are available. The Forward Role Digital & Marketing Guide compares salary data for a range of roles across a variety of sectors.
Some Key Stats from our 2026 Salary Guide:
-
AI hiring is growing 30% faster than the market, 66% of UK digital leaders won’t hire without AI skills
-
Salary growth has stabilised after rapid increases in previous years
-
Mid-level roles are seeing the highest hiring demand (driving salary competition)
-
Flexible working & progression are now key drivers alongside salary
-
48% of data & analytics roles offer hybrid/flexibility to attract talent
-
Rise in freelance, fractional & contract roles increasing earning flexibility
"Every salary guide is a snapshot of a moment. The moment this one captures is a market that has learned to do a great deal more with a great deal less.
Teams are leaner than they were two years ago. Higher expectations, and a clear premium on anyone who delivers real impact. Whether that impact comes from a fractional leader brought in for a quarter, or a hire who is genuinely fluent in the tools that now matter, the direction of travel is the same. In 2026, businesses are paying for what people can do, not for how many of them there are."
Brian Johnson - Managing Director, Forward Role
Download the FREE Forward Role 2026 Salary Guide below.
(*Once you click Submit, the form will appear in your downloads automatically)