Here at Aquent, we have analysed UK salary data from the past four years across the creative, digital and marketing sectors. We compared and contrasted the increases, decreases, new roles and those that have become redundant, in order to explore the emerging trends for the industry in 2019.

Entry Level Increases

As we head into 2019, there is good news for entry level creatives with substantial pay rises across the board, particularly for UXers and Designers.

UX Designers have seen a 21% year-on-year rise, Graphic Designers saw their pay go up 11% and Artworkers 16%.

While marketing and creative careers are still sought after, the industry is now competing with the salaries of big tech. Also, the uncertainty around Brexit means Britain is no-longer the attractive destination that it once was when it comes to launching a career. This, coupled with an ongoing talent shortage, has meant that employers have had to raise salaries to attract good qualified talent.

Changing Skill Sets Required

The creative industry isn’t static and, while demand for some roles has declined, we have seen a dramatic increase in brand and agency leaders looking for Video Editors at all levels, as well as User Researchers and Digital Product Designers.

The app era may have peaked as Mobile App Developers across all levels saw their salaries fall, with seniors seeing a 19% drop.

The increasing importance of data driven marketing is shown with an 18% rise in salaries for midweight Marketing Data Analysts.

The marketing sector is ever-changing and the skills required are always in flux. We’ve seen an increased call for Data Analysts to ensure that CMOs can get the most from their MarTech investments.

The End of Traditional Content?

Despite the focus by many CMOs on content marketing, traditional Copywriters aren’t seeing any benefits in terms of their pay.

There has been no growth in writing and content salaries in the past 4 years.

Senior Social Media Managers now earn the same average salary as senior Copywriters.

Despite the lack of growth in traditional content areas, there has been a 10-15% increase in salaries for social media experts at all levels. This, alongside the high demand for talent with skills in video, shows a sizeable shift towards marketing for the modern demographic.

If you are looking to hire new staff this year, thinking of changing roles yourself or are just interested to see more salary data, you’ll want to check out our new Salary Guide.