Each year, our salary guides give us more than numbers, they reveal how expectations across marketing, digital and sales are shifting in real time.

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One of the clearest insights from recent editions is that salary growth is no longer driven by tenure, job title or channel expertise alone. Instead, it’s being shaped by commercial impact.

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Employers are increasingly rewarding professionals who can connect their work to outcomes, showing revenue growth, customer retention, efficiency gains and measurable ROI. Roles that once sat comfortably as execution-focused are now expected to demonstrate judgement, prioritisation and influence across the business.

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We’re also seeing wider salary bands for the same job titles. Two people may hold identical titles, but the one owning broader scope, leading cross-functional decisions or influencing commercial strategy will almost always sit at the top end of the range.

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Another trend is selectivity. Hiring hasn’t stopped, but it has become more intentional. Employers are clearer on what success looks like and are less willing to compromise on capability depth.

For candidates, the takeaway is simple: positioning matters. How you articulate impact, decision-making and outcomes is just as important as what you’ve worked on.

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For hiring managers, clarity around scope and expectations remains the strongest lever for attracting the right talent in a competitive, candidate-aware market.

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Our 2026 Salary Guide has just been released. Have a read of it here: https://www.gybeconsulting.com.au/resources/salary-guide-2026

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