AU Paid Media Salary & Career Survey

Find out what paid media really pays in Australia.

An anonymous paid media salary benchmark — add your numbers and see exactly where you stand.

~7 minutesCompletely anonymousResults shared back
By Wylan Ho · Kindred Talent

Headline figures — as at 8 September 2026

The survey has just opened, so reported figures will appear here as responses land. Until then, the demand side — the 736 paid and performance roles we've tracked across the Australian market in the past 90 days:

$90k–$110k
Median advertised salary range (roles we track)
Midpoint $100,000, across the 193 listings that state an annual salary
736
Paid media roles tracked, past 90 days
Sourced across LinkedIn, SEEK and Indeed
28%
Listings that disclose pay
72% of paid media job ads publish no salary at all
55 · 28 · 17
Hybrid · in-office · remote (%)
Of the 639 listings that state a work arrangement
47 · 36 · 14
NSW · VIC · QLD share of roles (%)
Of the 671 listings with a stated state; WA, SA and ACT make up the rest

Advertised figures come from the roles we track. Reported figures from anonymous survey responses will be added as they arrive. Updated monthly.

For the broader market, see our digital marketing salary guide for Australia.

Anonymous · 7 sections · about 7 minutes
Australian Paid Media Salary & Career Survey 2026
Section 1 · Your role1 of 7
What is your current job title? *
Which best describes your seniority level? *
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Which paid channels do you work across? (select all that apply) *
Google Ads (Search, Shopping, Performance Max)
Meta Ads (Facebook, Instagram, Advantage+)
YouTube & video
TikTok Ads
LinkedIn Ads
Programmatic & display (DV360, The Trade Desk)
Retail media (Amazon Ads, Cartology, Coles 360)
Microsoft Ads (Bing)
Pinterest, Snapchat & Reddit
Affiliate & partnerships
Roughly how much media spend do you manage or influence each month (AUD)? *
Under $20,000
$20,000–$49,999
$50,000–$99,999
$100,000–$249,999
$250,000–$499,999
$500,000–$999,999
$1,000,000+
Account management / client services (no direct spend)
I don't manage spend directly
Section 2 · Your company2 of 7
Do you work agency-side or in-house? *
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What industry is your employer in?
How large is your company? *
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Which state are you based in? *
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What is your work arrangement? *
Fully remote
Hybrid
Fully in-office
Section 3 · Compensation3 of 7
What is your current base salary (AUD, before super)? *
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Do you receive bonuses or performance incentives? *
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If yes, what is the approximate annual bonus value?
Does the above salary include Super, or is Super on Top? *
No, Super on top
Yes, Super is included
Unsure
Section 4 · Experience & background4 of 7
How many years have you worked in paid media? *
Less than 1 year
1–3 years
3–5 years
5–8 years
8–10 years
10–12 years
12–15 years
15 years+
Of those years, roughly how many were agency-side? *
None
Less than 1 year
1–3 years
3–5 years
5–8 years
8–10 years
10+ years
And roughly how many were in-house (client-side)? *
None
Less than 1 year
1–3 years
3–5 years
5–8 years
8–10 years
10+ years
Which tools do you use regularly? (select all that apply)
GA4 & Looker Studio
Google Ads Editor & Meta Ads Manager
Bid & campaign management (SA360, Skai, Marin, Optmyzr)
Attribution & MMM (Triple Whale, Northbeam, Rockerbox)
Tag & measurement (GTM, server-side tagging, Conversions API)
Feed management (Feedonomics, Channable, DataFeedWatch)
Creative tools (Canva, Figma, CapCut)
ChatGPT, Claude & other AI tools
Which age bracket are you in? (optional)
Under 25
25–34
35–44
45–54
55+
Prefer not to say
How do you describe your gender? (optional)
Woman
Man
Non-binary or gender diverse
Prefer not to say
Section 5 · Career sentiment5 of 7
Are you currently open to new opportunities? *
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How do you feel about your current salary vs. market rate? *
I'm paid above market
I'm paid at market rate
I'm paid below market
I'm not sure
Any other comments about paid media compensation or career trends in 2026?
Section 6 · Growth & your next role6 of 7
Which areas do you most want to develop in the next 12 months? (select all that apply)
Measurement & attribution (CAPI, server-side, MMM, incrementality)
AI & automation (Performance Max, Advantage+, scripts, agentic tools)
Creative strategy & performance creative
Retail media (Amazon Ads, Cartology, Coles 360)
Programmatic, CTV & video
Full-funnel strategy & media planning
Leadership & people management
Data, analytics & reporting
CRO & landing-page optimisation
SEO & organic crossover
B2B demand generation (LinkedIn, ABM)
What is your career goal in the next 2–3 years?
Stay and deepen my paid media specialist skills
Move into a team lead or management role
Step into a Head of / Director position
Pivot into broader digital marketing or growth
Go freelance or independent consultant
Start my own agency
Move to the platform side (Google, Meta, TikTok)
I'm not sure yet
What you expect in your next role
What base salary range would you expect in your next role (AUD)?
Under $70,000
$70,000–$89,999
$90,000–$109,999
$110,000–$129,999
$130,000–$149,999
$150,000–$174,999
$175,000–$199,999
$200,000-$229,999
$230,000-$259,000
$260,000+
What is the minimum salary increase that would make you consider moving roles?
It's not about salary — the right role matters more
5–10% increase
10–15% increase
15–20% increase
20%+ increase
I would only move for a significant step up (20%+)
What type of company would you ideally move to next?
Agency (boutique or specialist)
Agency (large or full-service)
In-house brand (SMB)
In-house brand (enterprise / ASX listed)
Scale-up or startup
Consulting / freelance
No strong preference
Would you consider a lateral move (same level, same salary) for the right opportunity?
Yes — culture and growth matter more than the pay bump
Maybe — depends on the role and company
No — my next move needs to be a step up
Is there anything specific you are looking for in your next role that you rarely see advertised?
Section 7 · Keep in touch7 of 7
Optional — these details are only used to share results back or stay in touch. Your survey answers above stay anonymous either way.
Would you like me to share the benchmark data with your manager?The data stays completely anonymous — your identity is never attached.
Yes, please
No thanks
Your manager's name
Your manager's email address
Would you like a confidential chat about where you sit in the market, or what's out there?
Yes, I'd love to connect
Maybe later
No thanks
Your name
Your email address
Your phone number (optional)
Your LinkedIn profile URL (optional)
← Back
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Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Thanks — your response is counted.

Your numbers are now part of the 2026 benchmark. Here is where you sit against everyone who has contributed so far.

Your read
—
Median base salary
—
Responses so far
—
Open to a move
—
Paid below market
Base salary by seniority
Box = the middle half of salariesLine = medianWhiskers = lowest to highest
<$60k$90k$140k$190k$240k+
Salaries are collected in $20k bands, so the ranges are approximate.
Base salary by monthly media spend managed
Box = the middle half of salariesLine = medianWhiskers = lowest to highest
Under $60k$90k$140k$190k$240k+
Salaries are collected in $20k bands, so the ranges are approximate. Respondents who don't manage spend directly are excluded.
Working arrangement by company size
0%25%50%75%100%
Working arrangement by company type
0%25%50%75%100%
Where paid media is heading — skills the market is trying to learn
Aggregates update live as responses arrive. Segments with fewer than 8 responses are flagged as provisional.
What's next

Stay tuned — I'll share the full findings on LinkedIn first once the survey closes, before the complete report is published here on the site. If we're not already connected, add me so you don't miss it.

Connect with Wylan on LinkedIn
Why it is worth seven minutes

Australian paid media salary benchmarks.
Real numbers, not guesswork.

Benchmark your package

See how your base, super and bonus compare across seniority, media spend managed, state and company size.

Know your market worth

Find out whether you sit above, at, or below the going rate for your role. Advertised roles centre on $90k–$110k.

See where paid media is heading

AI-driven buying, Performance Max, Advantage+ and retail media are reshaping the field — see what the market values next.

Who should take this

Built for everyone working in Australian paid media — in-house performance marketers, freelancers, search and social specialists, programmatic traders, agency leads and heads of performance. Any level, any company size.

In-houseFreelanceAgency-sidePaid searchPaid socialLead / HeadProgrammatic
Good to know

Questions, answered.

Is it really anonymous?

Yes. You can complete the whole survey without telling us who you are. Salary data is only ever shown in aggregate — grouped with everyone else's — and is never tied to an individual. The optional contact step at the end is stored separately from your answers.

Who runs this survey?

Wylan Ho — founder of Kindred Talent, a referral network for digital talent based in Sydney. Wylan is an active part of the Australian performance marketing community — connecting paid media specialists, in-house teams and agencies, backing industry events, and driving the conversations that move the field forward. The survey is run independently, not on behalf of any employer, so the numbers stay honest.

How long does it take?

About seven minutes. Seven short sections, one screen at a time, and the form keeps your place as you move through. Most questions take a single click.

When do I get the results?

Straight away, then in full. The moment you submit, the live benchmark opens right here on the page — your numbers read against the market so far. The full report follows once the survey closes — shared on LinkedIn first, then published here on the site.

What happens to my data?

Responses feed a private dataset used only to build the aggregate benchmark. Nothing is sold, nothing is published at an individual level, and optional contact details are kept separate from your salary answers.

Every response is anonymous. Salary data is only ever shown in aggregate — never tied to an individual.