Today, marketers are expected to understand data. Creatives are embracing digital and AI. Media specialists are navigating programmatic, performance and retail media. Social teams are becoming content strategists. And increasingly, everyone needs to be just a little bit of everything.
So, what does that mean for salaries?
The Ad Talent team spend every day talking to the people doing these jobs - and the businesses trying to hire them.
Using salary information gathered from candidates interviewed between January 2025 and December 2025, the 2026 Ad Talent Salary Survey looks at what talent is earning across these industries:
Marketing | Advertising | Creative | Digital | Media | PR & Communications | Social & Content | Events | Insights & Analytics | Sales
And there are some interesting numbers in there.
But perhaps the bigger question is: Are you being paid for the job you were hired to do... or the job you have quietly grown into?
And for employers: Are you looking for a unicorn, but budgeting for a pony?
Because the reality is simple: Great people cost money. And losing great people can cost even more.
So, whether you are thinking about your next career move, reviewing your team, setting your 2027 budgets, or just being nosy about what everyone else is earning... see the results of the 2026 Ad Talent Salary Survey below:
| Designation | Experience | Monthly CTC Range |
| CEO | 15+ years | R140 000 – R350 000+ |
| Managing Director | 15+ years | R130 000 – R200 000+ |
| Business Unit Director | 10+ years | R90 000 – R150 000+ |
| Client Service Director | 8–12 years | R90 000 – R130 000 |
| Group Account Director | 8–12 years | R70 000 – R110 000 |
| Account Director | 6–10 years | R65 000 – R85 000 |
| Senior Account Manager | 5–8 years | R40 000 – R65 000 |
| Account Manager | 3–5 years | R38 000 – R45 000 |
| Account Executive | 0–2 years | R18 000 – R28 000 |
| Project Manager | 3–6 years | R35 000 – R50 000 |
| Traffic Manager | 3–8 years | R30 000 – R60 000 |
| Strategic Planning Director | 10+ years | R110 000 – R150 000+ |
| Strategic Planner | 3–6 years | R40 000 – R65 000 |
| Designation | Experience | Monthly CTC Range |
| Head of Digital | 10+ years | R90 000 – R160 000+ |
| Digital Marketing Manager | 5–8 years | R50 000 – R80 000 |
| Performance Marketing Manager | 5–10 years | R60 000 – R100 000 |
| CRM Manager | 5–10 years | R55 000 – R85 000 |
| E-commerce Manager | 5–10 years | R65 000 – R110 000 |
| AI & Automation Specialist | 2–5 years | R45 000 – R90 000 |
| AI Marketing Specialist | 2–5 years | R45 000 – R80 000 |
| Digital Strategist | 5–10 years | R65 000 – R90 000 |
| SEO Specialist | 2–6 years | R35 000 – R55 000 |
| Performance Marketing Specialist | 3–6 years | R35 000 – R65 000 |
| CRM Specialist | 3–6 years | R35 000 – R50 000 |
| Digital Marketing Specialist | 2–5 years | R30 000 – R45 000 |
| Digital Marketing Coordinator | 0–2 years | R20 000 – R38 000 |
| Designation | Experience | Monthly CTC Range |
| Head of Communications | 10+ years | R80 000 – R160 000+ |
| PR Account Director | 8–12 years | R70 000 – R90 000 |
| Senior Communications Manager | 8–12 years | R70 000 – R100 000 |
| Communications Manager | 5–8 years | R45 000 – R70 000 |
| Internal Communications Manager | 5–10 years | R45 000 – R90 000 |
| Senior PR Account Manager | 4–6 years | R40 000 – R50 000 |
| PR Account Manager | 3–5 years | R30 000 – R42 000 |
| PR Account Executive | 0–2 years | R18 000 – R28 000 |
| Designation | Experience | Monthly CTC Range |
| Head of Social Media | 10+ years | R70 000 – R110 000+ |
| Senior Social Media Manager | 5–8 years | R40 000 – R70 000 |
| Social Media Manager | 3–5 years | R30 000 – R55 000 |
| Community Manager | 2–5 years | R25 000 – R40 000 |
| Content Strategist | 5–8 years | R45 000 – R65 000 |
| AI Content Specialist | 2–5 years | R30 000 – R60 000 |
| Content Creator / Producer | 1–5 years | R20 000 – R45 000 |
| Video Content Creator | 2–6 years | R25 000 – R50 000 |
| Influencer Marketing Manager | 4–8 years | R40 000 – R70 000 |
| Social Media Coordinator | 0–2 years | R18 000 – R28 000 |
| Designation | Experience | Monthly CTC Range |
| Head of Insights | 10+ years | R90 000 – R160 000+ |
| Insights Manager | 5–8 years | R55 000 – R90 000 |
| BI Analyst | 3–6 years | R40 000 – R70 000 |
| Data Analyst | 2–5 years | R30 000 – R50 000 |
| Marketing Analyst | 1–3 years | R25 000 – R35 000 |
| Designation | Experience | Monthly CTC Range |
| Chief Creative Officer | 15+ years | R130 000 – R180 000+ |
| Executive Creative Director | 12+ years | R120 000 – R160 000+ |
| Creative Director | 10+ years | R90 000 – R150 000+ |
| Head of Design | 10+ years | R65 000 – R120 000+ |
| Creative Group Head | 7–10 years | R55 000 – R80 000 |
| Senior Designer | 5–8 years | R45 000 – R65 000 |
| Graphic Designer | 0–5 years | R15 000 – R45 000 |
| Art Director | 3–7 years | R30 000 – R55 000 |
| Senior Copywriter | 5+ years | R30 000 – R60 000 |
| Copywriter | 1–4 years | R20 000 – R30 000 |
| Creative / Content Strategist | 5–8 years | R45 000 – R70 000 |
| Motion Designer | 3–8 years | R35 000 – R55 000 |
| UX Designer | 3–8 years | R40 000 – R55 000 |
| UI Designer | 3–8 years | R30 000 – R50 000 |
| AI Creative Specialist | 3–7 years | R45 000 – R60 000 |
| Studio Manager | 5–10 years | R35 000 – R60 000 |
| Designation | Experience | Monthly CTC Range |
| Chief Marketing Officer | 15+ years | R130 000 – R220 000+ |
| Marketing Director | 12+ years | R95 000 – R180 000+ |
| Head of Marketing | 10+ years | R90 000 – R160 000+ |
| Senior Marketing Manager | 7–10 years | R70 000 – R110 000 |
| Marketing Manager | 4–7 years | R55 000 – R80 000 |
| Marketing Manager + AI experience | 5–10 years | R70 000 – R120 000 |
| Senior Brand Manager | 6–10 years | R65 000 – R100 000 |
| Brand Manager | 3–6 years | R40 000 – R70 000 |
| Trade Marketing Manager | 5–10 years | R58 000 – R90 000 |
| Category Manager | 5–10 years | R55 000 – R95 000 |
| Marketing Specialist | 2–5 years | R30 000 – R45 000 |
| Marketing Coordinator | 0–2 years | R18 000 – R30 000 |
| Marketing Assistant | 0–1 years | R15 000 – R22 000 |
| Designation | Experience | Monthly CTC Range |
| Sales Director * | 10+ years | R80 000 – R100 000* |
| Media Director | 10+ years | R90 000 – R160 000+ |
| Media Strategist | 4–7 years | R40 000 – R70 000 |
| Media Planner | 1–3 years | R20 000 – R35 000 |
| Programmatic Manager | 5–8 years | R55 000 – R90 000 |
| Programmatic Specialist | 2–5 years | R30 000 – R60 000 |
| Media Sales Manager * | 6–10 years | R45 000 – R80 000* |
| Media Sales Executive * | 1–4 years | R25 000 – R45 000* |
| Designation | Experience | Monthly CTC Range |
| Head of Events | 10+ years | R75 000 – R120 000+ |
| Senior Events Manager | 8–12 years | R60 000 – R90 000 |
| Events Manager | 5–8 years | R45 000 – R80 000 |
| Senior Project Manager | 6–10 years | R50 000 – R90 000 |
| Project Manager | 3–6 years | R35 000 – R50 000 |
| Project Coordinator | 0–2 years | R18 000 – R30 000 |
| Traffic Manager | 3–8 years | R30 000 – R60 000 |
| Designation | Experience | Monthly CTC Range |
| Chief Commercial Officer / Commercial Director | 15+ years | R150 000 – R300 000+ |
| Sales Director / Head of Sales | 12–15+ years | R100 000 – R180 000+ |
| Commercial / Sales Manager | 8–12 years | R70 000 – R120 000+ |
| Business Development Director | 10+ years | R80 000 – R140 000+ |
| Senior Sales Manager | 7–10 years | R60 000 – R100 000+ |
| Business Development Manager | 5–8 years | R45 000 – R75 000 |
| Key Account Manager | 4–8 years | R40 000 – R70 000 |
| Senior Sales Executive | 3–6 years | R30 000 – R55 000 |
| Sales Executive / Account Executive | 1–4 years | R22 000 – R40 000 |
| Junior Sales Executive / BDM | 0–2 years | R18 000 – R30 000 |
For more information on the compilation of this suvery, visit: 2026 Ad Talent Salary Survey
