U.S. Marketing Jobs Report - Q1, 2025
We're witnessing a critical moment for the economy, shaped by mounting pressures such as the implementation of new tariffs and a historic Wall Street selloff. These factors will inject uncertainty into the labor market, complicating hiring decisions across industries, geographies and professions.
In times like these, gaining a clear, data-driven understanding of the job market is important. In collaboration with Aspen Technology Labs, Taligence analyzed over 90,000 active client-side marketing job listings in Q1 2025. This report explores key trends in job levels, disciplines, geographic shifts, salary transparency, and remote work to offer a comprehensive view of the current state of marketing employment in the U.S.
The findings reveal a profession that remains resilient and continues to grow, particularly in senior and performance-focused roles. Yet, caution persists amid economic volatility. This report serves as both a benchmark of recent performance and a practical guide to the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Note: This report covers full-time, client-side marketing positions only. Future editions will incorporate agency-side data for a more complete picture. We’re also exploring the talent supply side of the market - the number and distribution of jobseekers - which we aim to address in future studies.
Key Findings
1. Marketing Job Volume Grew Across the Board
- Total active listings in Q1 2025 reached 90,951, up 9.1% QoQ.
- New job postings totaled 60,098, a 13.3% QoQ increase.
- The number of employers posting marketing jobs was 22,792 in Q1 2025.
- Listings at quarter-end (March 31) stood at 36,252, reflecting 13.9% growth QoQ and a 1.6% increase YoY.
- The rebound from the Q4 holiday lull peaked the week of March 3, then stabilized in late March.
2. Senior Hiring Accelerates
- Total active senior marketing roles (Director and above) in Q1: 10,615 (+8.6% QoQ).
- New senior marketing job listings: 6,792 (+12.6% QoQ).
- End-of-quarter total: 4,457, up 15.9% QoQ and a strong 17.6% YoY.
- Like overall job volume, senior hiring surged early in the quarter and held steady through March.
3. Job Level Dynamics
- Fastest Quarterly Growth:
- EVP/SVP/Executive Director roles: +32.6%
- Manager/Senior Manager: +21.7%
- Group Director/Senior Director/VP: +21.6%
- Highest YoY Growth:
- Group Director/Senior Director/VP: +31.5%
- C-level and EVP/SVP roles also rose YoY, albeit at lower volumes.
- Entry-level roles saw +8% QoQ growth, but declined -4.5% YoY.
- Executive-level roles saw notable upward shifts in compensation benchmarks.
4. Salary Transparency and Pay Trends
- Salary transparency hit 49.9% of listings, up 11.6 percentage points YoY.
- Median salary across roles: $84,989, a 6.3% YoY increase.
5. Remote Work Holds Steady
- Despite renewed Return-to-Office pressure, remote roles held steady at 13.7% at the end of Q1, down just 0.5 percentage points YoY.
- Remote jobs surged briefly in January - February before settling back.
Hybrid expectations appear to have plateaued, though geographic and cultural factors may still influence this trend.
6. Hiring Speed Slows Slightly
- Average posting lifetime (days a job stays on the market) is now 31 days, 3 days longer than Q4 2024.
- Slower decision-making may reflect longer approval cycles, higher competition for niche talent, more rigorous candidate vetting or a more uncertain business climate.
7. Marketing Disciplines: Performance Roles Lead
- Strongest YoY Growth
- Growth Marketing: +19.3%
- Media: +18.9%
- Product Marketing: +16.7%
- Quarterly Standouts:
- Partner & Channel Marketing: +46% QoQ, rebounding from late-2024.
- YoY Declines:
- Brand Marketing: -3.7%
- PR & Communications: -7.3%
- Highest Pay:
- Product Marketing: $155,043 median
- Largest YoY Pay Increases:
- Partner & Channel Marketing: +16.2%
- Brand Marketing: +15.6%
- Content Marketing: +10.4%
- Field Marketing, while still the lowest paid, saw a +20.2% QoQ pay jump.
Companies continue to prioritize performance-driven functions like growth and media while pulling back on traditional comms roles.
8. Geographic Shifts
- Top 10 States by Job Volume: California, New York, Texas, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, Georgia, Massachusetts, Virginia, Pennsylvania
- Top Growth States:
- New York: +12.9% YoY, +31.5% QoQ
- Texas and Illinois also saw strong growth.
- States with Declines (YoY):
- Georgia, New Jersey, Florida, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia
- Most rebounded with double-digit QoQ growth, except Virginia, which continued to decline.
- Salary Movement:
- Massachusetts: +24.1% YoY, +12.5% QoQ
- Georgia saw a -15.7% YoY decline in marketer compensation.
Conclusion
2025 began on a strong note, with rising demand for senior talent and marketing disciplines tied to measurable performance. Entry-level hiring remained steady despite ongoing automation debates. Leadership hiring is clearly rebounding, while compensation levels and transparency continue to rise. Remote work is holding its ground, and geographic trends suggest a revitalized New York market and ongoing softness in Virginia. Hiring is still happening—but with greater deliberation.
