Australia is short on marketing talent, and that shortage is doing most of the work in setting today's salaries. In 2024, 78% of Australian employers reported difficulty filling roles (ManpowerGroup) — and digital marketing is squarely in the crunch. There are roughly 103,000 advertising and marketing professionals in Australia, with the workforce projected to grow about 22% by 2035 (Jobs and Skills Australia). When demand outruns supply, pay moves.
But “the market rate” is rarely one number. What you'll pay depends on the role's seniority, the specialism, the city, whether super is included, and how you engage the person — permanent, contract, freelance or fractional. This guide pulls those threads apart. Crucially, it tells you exactly where every figure comes from, so you can budget with confidence rather than guesswork.
How to Use This Guide
Salary data is only as good as its source. Rather than blend everything into one tidy-but-unaccountable table, we've split the numbers into three clearly labelled tiers. All figures below are gross base salaries and exclude superannuation unless stated otherwise.
- Tier 1 — Verified, Robert Half (National): exact figures from the Robert Half 2026 Australia Salary Guide, reported as national gross base salaries across the 25th, 50th and 75th percentiles.
- Tier 2 — Verified, Hays (Sydney/NSW): exact figures from the Hays FY25/26 Salary Guide. These are Sydney/NSW figures — typical pay plus a range — so read them as a higher-cost market, not a national average.
- Tier 3 — Market estimates: roles the major guides don't break out separately. These are drawn from Kindred's network and general market signals, not attributed to a single salary guide. Treat them as directional, not gospel.
The honesty is the point. If a number isn't published by a named source, we won't pretend it is.
Marketing Salaries — Robert Half 2026 (National)
These six roles come straight from the Robert Half 2026 Australia Salary Guide. Figures are national gross base salaries (excluding super), shown at the 25th, 50th and 75th percentiles. The 25th percentile broadly reflects someone newer to the role or a smaller/regional employer; the 75th reflects deeper experience, scope or a competitive market.
| Role | 25th percentile | 50th percentile (median) | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Administrator | $65,000 | $70,000 | $75,000 |
| Marketing Coordinator | $70,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Marketing Advisor | $80,000 | $90,000 | $100,000 |
| Marketing Manager | $110,000 | $140,000 | $150,000 |
| Digital Marketing Specialist | $90,000 | $100,000 | $110,000 |
| Digital Marketing Manager | $110,000 | $140,000 | $150,000 |
Source: Robert Half 2026 Australia Salary Guide (national, gross base, excludes super).
Specialist & Senior Roles — Hays FY25/26 (Sydney)
For specialist and senior titles, we use the Hays FY25/26 Salary Guide. One important caveat: these are Sydney/NSW figures, expressed as a typical salary plus a range, excluding super. Sydney sits above the national average (see the location section below), so adjust downward for other cities.
| Role (Sydney) | Typical | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing Director | $210,000 | $180,000 – $240,000 |
| SEO Specialist | $110,000 | $95,000 – $120,000 |
| Performance Marketing Specialist | $130,000 | $100,000 – $150,000 |
| eCommerce Manager | $145,000 | $120,000 – $165,000 |
| Content Manager | $100,000 | $90,000 – $120,000 |
Source: Hays FY25/26 Salary Guide (Sydney/NSW, gross base, excludes super). Note: Hays uses the title “Performance Marketing Specialist” rather than “Manager”.
Hiring for one of these specialisms directly? We've written practical guides on how to bring on an SEO specialist and how to hire a performance marketer or paid media specialist via referral rather than the open market.
Market Estimates: Roles the Major Guides Don't Publish
Some of the most-asked-about roles aren't broken out cleanly in the major published guides. The figures below are market estimates drawn from Kindred's network and general market signals — they are not attributed to a single salary guide, and should not be read as Robert Half or Hays data. Use them as a directional starting point, then pressure-test against your specific scope and city.
| Role | Estimated base salary | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CMO / Head of Marketing | ~$170,000 – $250,000+ | Wide band; varies sharply with company size, stage and equity. |
| Paid Media Specialist | ~$80,000 – $110,000 | For reference, Hays lists a comparable “SEM Specialist” at around $110k in Sydney. |
| Growth Marketing Manager | ~$110,000 – $140,000 | Often blends acquisition, lifecycle and analytics; scope drives the range. |
Market estimates only. Not sourced from Robert Half or Hays.
Freelance, Contract & Fractional Day Rates
Not every role is a permanent hire. Day rates and retainers behave differently from salaries, and the figures below are market rates — estimates from Kindred's network and provider-published pricing, not from a named salary guide. They exclude GST and any agency margin.
| Engagement | Typical market rate |
|---|---|
| Freelance SEO | $600 – $1,500 / day |
| Freelance Performance Marketer | $600 – $1,200 / day |
| Freelance Paid Media | $550 – $1,100 / day |
| Fractional CMO | $2,000 – $4,000 / day, or $5,000 – $18,000 / month retainer |
Market rates only (fractional CMO retainers reflect provider-published pricing, e.g. Mamba Digital, Fractionus). Not sourced from Robert Half or Hays.
Choosing between these models is its own decision. We break it down in Freelance, Contract, Fractional or Permanent: Which Engagement Model Do You Actually Need? — and if a fractional leader is on the table, see Fractional CMO Cost in Australia for a fuller breakdown.
Does Location Matter? Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth
Yes — meaningfully. According to the Robert Half market outlook, marketing salaries vary by city relative to the national average:
- Sydney: about 9% above the national average.
- Perth: about 9% above the national average.
- Melbourne: about 3% above the national average.
- Brisbane: about 1% above the national average.
The practical takeaway: Sydney and Perth command the highest pay, while Brisbane sits roughly 8% below Sydney for the equivalent role. This is exactly why the Hays figures above (Sydney) read higher than the national Robert Half medians — and why you should adjust expectations to the market you're actually hiring in. It also explains why remote and hybrid hiring can stretch a budget further: a Brisbane-based hire at Brisbane rates can do Sydney-grade work.
One more macro signal worth pricing in: Robert Half reports that 71% of Australian employers expect the positive economic outlook to influence how they set salaries in 2026. Translation — competitors are likely budgeting to pay up, so lowball offers will struggle in a tight market.
What the Numbers Don't Tell You
A salary band tells you what a role costs. It doesn't tell you how to actually land the right person — and in a market where 78% of employers can't fill roles, that's the harder problem. The best marketing talent is rarely scrolling job boards. They move through trusted networks, on the strength of a warm introduction from someone they respect.
That's the entire premise of Kindred Talent. We're a referral network, not a recruiter or an agency, and not a job board. We make warm introductions only — across permanent, contract, freelance and fractional People, agency Partners, and software Platforms. The approach holds up after the handshake, too: we see 94% placement retention at six months. And because good hiring should give back, 5% of every fee goes to a charity our client nominates. Paying the market rate gets you a candidate; a trusted introduction gets you the right one.
FAQ
What is the average digital marketing salary in Australia in 2026?
There's no single average — it depends heavily on seniority and specialism. As a reference, the Robert Half 2026 Australia Salary Guide puts a Digital Marketing Specialist at a national median of $100,000 and a Digital Marketing Manager at $140,000 (gross base, excluding super). Specialist senior roles in Sydney run higher — for example, Hays lists a Marketing Director at a typical $210,000.
Do Sydney marketers earn more?
Yes. Per the Robert Half market outlook, Sydney pay sits about 9% above the national average — matched by Perth (+9%), ahead of Melbourne (+3%) and Brisbane (+1%). In practice, Brisbane sits around 8% below Sydney for the same role.
How much does a Marketing Manager earn in Australia?
The Robert Half 2026 Australia Salary Guide reports a Marketing Manager at $110,000 (25th percentile), $140,000 (median) and $150,000 (75th percentile) nationally, gross base and excluding super. Sydney roles and broader scope push toward — or above — the top of that band.
What does a fractional CMO cost vs a full-time CMO?
A full-time CMO or Head of Marketing is a market-estimated ~$170,000–$250,000+ base (plus super and on-costs). A fractional CMO is engaged by the day or on retainer — market rates run ~$2,000–$4,000 per day, or roughly $5,000–$18,000 per month, with no on-costs and far more flexibility. We unpack the full comparison in Fractional CMO Cost in Australia.
Where can I find vetted digital marketing talent?
Through a network that knows the people personally. Kindred Talent is a referral network that makes warm introductions to vetted permanent, contract, freelance and fractional marketers — never via job boards — with 94% placement retention at six months. Get started and we'll introduce you to the right fit for your budget.
Looking for digital marketing talent within your budget? Kindred makes personal introductions — Get Started →