Senior Marketing Salaries Jump 40% Outside London as Capital Pay Flatlines
TL;DR: Michael Page's 2027 Salary Guide shows 'head of' marketing salaries in the North and Midlands up 40% year on year while London pay is flat, with AI adoption now the most sought-after skill.
The Regional Pay Gap Is Closing
Michael Page's 2027 Salary Guide records a 40% year-on-year rise in 'head of' marketing salaries across the North and Midlands, while equivalent London roles stayed flat. Creative director pay outside London also rose 40%, and head of social, media and content roles climbed 19%.
It is a striking reversal of the usual London premium. As hybrid and remote norms hold, employers in regional hubs are paying up to secure senior talent that no longer has to relocate to command a competitive package.
A Restless, Mobile Market
The guide finds 60% of UK marketers actively job-hunting, well above the 50% national average, even though 52% say they are satisfied in their current role. Satisfaction, in other words, is no longer enough to guarantee retention.
Employers are looking outward too: 70% of the 2,706 senior marketing hires tracked in the year from June 2025 went to external candidates rather than internal promotions.
AI Fluency Becomes Table Stakes
Some 77% of marketers now use AI tools daily, and the most in-demand skills for 2027 are AI adoption, marketing automation, customer-journey management and optimisation. Michael Page's James Nally frames the ideal hire as a 'commercially minded, AI-enabled growth professional.'
The message for candidates is blunt: AI literacy has shifted from a differentiator to a baseline expectation on the job description.
Marketing Minute's Take
If you lead a team outside London, your retention maths just changed — regional benchmarks are catching up fast, and a satisfied marketer is still a flight risk. For individuals, the clearest pay lever in 2027 is demonstrable AI-and-automation fluency, not another year of tenure.
Quick FAQ
How much have marketing salaries risen outside London?
Michael Page's 2027 Salary Guide reports 'head of' marketing salaries up 40% year on year in the North and Midlands, with London equivalents flat over the same period.
What marketing skills are most in demand for 2027?
AI adoption, marketing automation, customer-journey management and optimisation/personalisation top the list, with 77% of marketers already using AI tools daily.
Are UK marketers looking to move jobs?
Yes — 60% report actively job-hunting, above the 50% national average, and 70% of senior hires in the year to mid-2026 went to external candidates.
The London premium is quietly eroding, and that's healthy for the industry. But it means regional employers can no longer rely on geography to keep salaries down or talent loyal. The single best investment a marketer can make this year is provable AI fluency — it's now the price of entry. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
The takeaway: regional senior pay is converging with London and AI fluency is now baseline — reset both your salary benchmarks and your team's skills plan.
Are your salary benchmarks still built on a London-versus-regions gap that's rapidly closing?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: Marketing Week, Michael Page 2027 Salary Guide.
Related reading
Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
Comments