Marketing, sales and advertising directors: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time marketing, sales and advertising directors in the UK earned a median £94,135 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 141% more than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
Only 1 of 382 occupations with a published full-time median are higher.
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £65,527 and £134,962.
The mean, £113,940, is 21% above the median, a sign of a few very high earners.
Median full-time pay: women £80,801 a year, men £97,899 a year.
ASHE counts roughly 245,000 employee jobs, 93% full-time.
From £74,830 in 2021, the median is up 25.8%, close to the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 253,900 people in this line of work, 24% of them in London.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £45,852 | £914.00 | £23.50 | £36,561 | £728.30 | £21.75 |
| 20th percentile | £58,921 | £1,149.90 | £29.96 | £53,520 | £1,059.30 | £28.62 |
| 25th percentile | £65,527 | £1,259.00 | £33.13 | £60,138 | £1,155.00 | £31.33 |
| 30th percentile | £71,419 | £1,364.70 | £36.14 | £66,870 | £1,278.10 | £35.07 |
| 40th percentile | £80,606 | £1,559.30 | £41.24 | £77,210 | £1,478.80 | £39.82 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £94,135 | £1,751.20 | £46.57 | £90,000 | £1,707.10 | £45.55 |
| 60th percentile | £107,785 | £1,948.70 | £52.13 | £103,089 | £1,911.80 | £51.07 |
| 70th percentile | £124,794 | £2,256.60 | £58.73 | £121,057 | £2,189.90 | £57.81 |
| 75th percentile | £134,962 | £2,411.50 | £63.62 | £131,906 | £2,345.70 | £62.29 |
| 80th percentile | £146,923 | £2,544.30 | £69.48 | £143,096 | £2,499.50 | £67.83 |
| 90th percentile | – | £3,082.80 | £82.29 | £179,747* | £3,066.40 | £81.12 |
| Mean | £113,940 | £1,959.40 | £51.57 | £108,331 | £1,869.40 | £51.11 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £74,830 | £1,437.40 | £37.56 | £69,536 | £1,341.60 | 223 |
| 2022 revised | £77,469 | £1,484.50 | £39.83 | £74,131 | £1,414.80 | 203 |
| 2023 revised | £83,773 | £1,533.20 | £40.85 | £78,491 | £1,437.40 | 225 |
| 2024 revised | £87,296 | £1,629.00 | £43.11 | £82,979 | £1,554.50 | 237 |
| 2025 provisional | £94,135 | £1,751.20 | £46.57 | £90,000 | £1,707.10 | 245 |
Marketing, sales and advertising directors by region
UK: 253,900 (± 19,500), April 2025 to March 2026. 2 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| London | 62,000* | ± 12,800 |
| South East | 49,400 | ± 8,800 |
| East of England | 29,400* | ± 7,400 |
| North West | 21,300* | ± 5,600 |
| South West | 21,300* | ± 5,300 |
| West Midlands | 16,500* | ± 5,300 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 14,500* | ± 4,500 |
| East Midlands | 12,800* | ± 4,700 |
| Scotland | 12,200* | ± 4,000 |
| Wales | 6,300* | ± 2,200 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What marketing, sales and advertising directors do
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. (ONS SOC 2020, 1132)
Also covers: account director (advertising), commercial director, marketing director, media director, sales director, account director, advertising director, appeal director, appeals director, brand director, export director, managing director, account director (marketing), account director (sales), business development director, chief commercial officer, chief marketing officer and digital account director (44 titles in the ONS coding index).
- 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
Entry is generally via career progression from related occupations (e.g. marketing manager, advertising accounts manager, sales manager), although in practice most will hold a degree. Professional qualifications are also available and off and on-the-job training is possible. Entrants to professional qualifications from relevant bodies (such as the Chartered Institute of Marketing) require GCSEs/S grades, A levels/H grades, a BTEC/SQA award, a degree or equivalent qualification and/or relevant experience.
Related
Functional managers and directors (median £75,264) · Financial managers and directors · Public relations and communications directors · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Mean
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026