Specialist Marketing & Creative Recruitment
Agency Salary Survey for 2014 • Account Handling Salaries • Creative Salaries
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blueskiescareers.co.uk Blue Skies London & South East
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A message from our CEO Agencies in 2013 have continued to build on the positive growth trends established in 2012. The majority of the global networks have continued to report extremely healthy earnings, whilst making some notable acquisitions. 2013 also saw the rise of the independent with some high profile client wins. The increased demand for agency talent has again seen an increase in salary levels, although slightly less steep than 2012. The larger networks have now started to adapt to this where they had been some initial reluctance. While the agency survey give us as accurate as possible an indication of current renumeration, it’s key to bear in mind that security of a role, location, an agency’s core offering, the agency environment and career development opportunities are all part of ensuring a role is attractive to high-calibre agency professionals. Blue Skies continues to recommend to agency clients that a candidate-by-candidate approach is the most sensible course of action when calculating and formulating the right offer. Client services The graduate market saw a slight improvement with agencies (particularly the larger networks) increasing their number of entry-level hires. We would expect the graduate market to strengthen further in 2014. Demand continues to be strongest at the mid-level, particularly for quality Account Managers and Senior Account Managers. An experienced SAM salary will now regularly hit the £40k mark and the average Account Director has increased to £50k. This increase continues to be apparent across the discipline spectrum: direct, digital, promotional, PR and branding agencies. Ben Vickers CEO
2013 continued to see an increase for freelancers compared to that of 2012, with agencies opting to bring in freelance staff as additional resource for projects and add any missing specialist skills to their teams. In turn, day rates have increased with agencies willing to pay to bring in the experienced resource in line and surpassing permanent expectations and experienced freelancers able to command higher day rates. . Whilst our counterparts on permanent have seen demand at the mid-level, freelance has seen the most at the Account Director, Senior PM, Creative Director level. 2014 is set once again to see an increase, as freelancers become a more and more valuable part of the team Lucy Ryan Managing Consultant
In 2013 the demand for digital talent has continued to rise as the market continues to grow within the Digital Space. We continue to see growing demand for junior level talent that has digital skill sets along with demand for good mid-weight talent that can support the Creative directors, contribute to the output of the agency conceptually and take more ownership of the process. We also continue to see strong demand for senior level creative talent as the industry continues to strengthen and recover from the recession, enabling agencies to afford the executive level salaries and justify them to their board / shareholders. Our overall placement levels saw an increase on the previous year, a trend which we expect to continue to rise throughout 2014, and the focus on Digital Talent will continue to dominate the Creative landscape this year. Salary levels are remaining fairly consistent with last year, with the exception that senior level positions are attracting higher salaries as demand continues to grow for digitally savvy senior level Creative talent. 2014 should prove to be a very busy year as agencies continue to ‘staff-up’ and work within the everchanging digital space. Alex Norris Business Manager
Account Handling Salaries Position
Salaries
Salaries
Day
Client Service, Planning, Project
Average
Maximum
Average
250k 180k
N/A
Management & New Business 65k
Managing Director Managing Partner / MD Client Services Director Business Director Group Account Director Senior Account Director Account Director Senior Account Manager
24k 20k
60k 40k 28k 19k
Group Project Director Project Director Senior Project Manager Midweight Project Manager Junior Project Manager Business Dev. / Marketing Director Business Dev. / Marketing Man. Business Dev. / Marketing Exec.
75k
120k 85k 65k 35k
300+ 250 175 150
80k
90k
60k 30k
20k
30k
40k
50k
60k
70k
170 N/A
85k 70k+
10k
250+ 220 180-200
100k
300+ 180+
40k+
225-250 180-200 170 120-130 100-110
100k 40k 30k
26k
Planning Director Senior Planner Midweight Planner Junior Planner
120k 120k
70k 50k 33k 25k 70k+
400+ 320 300 280 260
80k 60k 52k 42k 33k 25k 23k
55k 50k 38k 28k
Account Manager Senior Account Executive Account Executive
All figures are shown in ÂŁ sterling. Source: Blue Skies Marketing Recruitment
150k 120k+ 85k 80k
120+
100k
Creative Salaries Position
Salaries
Salaries
Day
Creative
Average
Maximum
Average
Executive Creative Director Creative Director Deputy Creative Director Senior Art Director Midweight Art Director
60k 45k 35k
Junior Art Director Senior Copywriter Midweight Copywriter Junior Copywriter
25k 45k 35k 25k
30k 60k 45k 30k
N/A 300-350 240-300 200-250
50k 45k
75k 60k 35k 25k
350-450 250-350 300 180-220
50k 45k 35k
60k 50k 40k
350+ 250+ 200+
50k 45k 25k
60k 50k 30k
350+ 250+ 180+
60k 40k 39k 30k
180+ 200-250 170-200 N/A
100k 175k 80k 100k 75k 60k 45k
500+ 350-500 350-400 400-300 200-300
Design Design Director Senior Designer Midweight Designer Junior Designer
30k 20k
Web Senior Web Developer Midweight Web Developer
Junior Developer Digital Designers Senior Designer Midweight Designer Junior Designer Studio Studio Manager Senior Creative Artworker Midweight Creative Artworker Junior Creative Artworker
All figures are shown in ÂŁ sterling. Source: Blue Skies Marketing Recruitment
10k
35k 35k 30k 25k
20k
30k
40k
50k
60k
70k
80k
90k
100k
Creative Salaries Position
Salaries
Salaries
Day
Creative Services
Average
Maximum
Average
Creative Services Director Creative Services Manager Production Manager Project Manager Traffic Manager
45k 40k 35k 35k
79k 60k 50k 60k 40k
300+ 200+ 200+ 200+ 200+
Proofreader
25k
150-200
All figures are shown in ÂŁ sterling. Source: Blue Skies Marketing Recruitment
10k
55k
20k
20k
30k
40k
50k
60k
70k
80k
90k
100k
Agency insight Salary Increases & Decreases
12%
Decrease
42%
Neither
Benefits received
46%
Increase
Car
Gym
Bonus
Data obtained from 500 completed surveys of Blue Skies live candidates
Pension
Laptop
Mobile
Health care