Dr. Gleb Tsipursky – The Office Whisperer
Nirit Cohen – WorkFutures
Angela Howard – Culture Expert
Drew Jones – Design & Innovation
Jonathan Price – CRE & Flex Expert
After a strong start early in the year, the U.S. in-house marketing job market cooled over the course of 2025. Hiring did not disappear, but it became more selective: more employers posted roles, while overall job volume declined, signaling a move toward smaller, more senior-leaning marketing teams.
The findings are based on an analysis of more than 240,000 active in-house marketing job listings posted between January and December 2025, conducted by Taligence in collaboration with Aspen Technology Labs. The data covers full-time, in-house marketing roles only.
More Companies Hiring, Fewer Roles Per Team
Total active marketing job listings reached 241,749 in 2025, down 8.2% from the prior year. New postings fell even further, declining 10.2% year over year.
At the same time, the number of employers posting marketing jobs rose to nearly 39,000, an increase of more than 5%.
This divergence points to a clear pattern: companies continued to hire marketing talent, but did so with fewer openings per organization. Hiring momentum peaked in the first quarter, dropped sharply in Q2, stabilized in Q3, and softened again toward year-end, in part due to seasonal pauses around the holidays.
By late December, active marketing job listings stood just under 32,000, slightly higher than the same time in 2024 but down from the end of the third quarter.
Senior Roles Prove More Durable
While overall job volume declined, senior-level marketing roles showed greater resilience. Director-level and above postings increased modestly year over year, reaching nearly 30,000 roles in 2025. The number of employers seeking senior marketing talent also grew, even as the creation of entirely new senior roles remained relatively flat.
In the fourth quarter, senior postings rose compared with Q3, and year-end active senior roles were more than 12% higher than a year earlier.
Demand for experienced leaders fluctuated less than the broader market, reinforcing a transition toward “player-coach” profiles capable of leading leaner teams.
Entry-Level Hiring Remains Under Pressure
Job openings for entry-level through manager roles peaked early in the year and steadily declined thereafter. These roles struggled to recover following a sharp contraction in Q2 and ended 2025 well below their January baseline.
By contrast, higher-level titles such as Group Director, Senior Director, and Vice President recorded year-over-year growth and regained momentum in the second half of the year. The widening gap suggests employers prioritized decision-making and execution over junior headcount.
Hiring Timelines Lengthen, but Stabilize
By year-end, the average marketing job posting remained open for 39 days. That was longer than in 2024, indicating more deliberate hiring processes, but slightly shorter than at the end of the third quarter. The data suggests hiring slowed compared with last year, without further deterioration late in 2025.
Pay Transparency Improves as Salaries Rise
More than half of marketing job listings disclosed salary ranges in 2025, continuing a steady improvement in transparency. The median advertised salary reached $88,400 by late December, representing a 7.1% increase year over year.
Compensation gains were strongest in specialized and revenue-aligned disciplines. Product Marketing posted the highest median pay, while Field Marketing, Growth Marketing, and Brand Marketing saw the largest year-over-year salary increases.
Demand Shifts Toward Growth and Product Functions
Growth-oriented roles led hiring gains, with Growth Marketing, Partner and Channel Marketing, Field Marketing, and Product Marketing all posting double-digit growth. Brand and Content Marketing also expanded, though at a slower pace.
In contrast, Communications and PR, Analytical Marketing, and generalist marketing roles declined year over year, underscoring a move away from broad marketing functions toward roles tied more directly to revenue and customer acquisition.
Remote Hiring Holds Steady
Remote roles accounted for roughly 14.5% of all marketing job listings at year-end, a modest increase from the prior year. The data suggests remote work has stabilized as a structural feature of marketing hiring rather than an expanding trend.
Geography: New York Gains, Seattle Slips
California, New York, and Texas continued to lead the country in overall marketing job volume, followed by Florida, Illinois, and Georgia. New York posted the strongest year-over-year growth among large states and also saw notable salary increases.
At the city level, New York City and San Francisco recorded sharp job growth, alongside Austin, Atlanta, and Miami. Seattle dropped out of the top ten markets after a significant contraction, highlighting uneven recovery across major metros.
What the Data Signals Going Into 2026
By the end of 2025, the marketing job market was still active, but more restrained. Employers hired with intent rather than scale, favoring experienced talent and specialized skill sets while keeping teams lean.
Senior roles, growth-focused disciplines, and higher pay transparency defined the year, while entry-level hiring lagged behind. As 2026 begins, marketing hiring appears less about rebuilding headcount and more about maximizing impact within tighter organizational structures.
