Salary Survey 2026: Financial Marcomms Compensation In Review
On the release of Financial Narrative's 2026 Salary Survey, produced in partnership with Opinium and The Works Search, our panel examined the paradoxes defining the financial marcomms talent market: record raises alongside record dissatisfaction, growing teams alongside growing intent to leave, and an industry grappling with how it values experience.
Alyssa Gilmore of Bloomberg, and Financial Narrative founding board member, led the discussion, framing the central tension: salary increases hit a record high of 6.2%, yet satisfaction fell to a three-year low. She challenged the panel on whether employers truly understand why people stay, not just why they leave, and raised the uncomfortable question of whether senior talent is being cut at the very moment its judgment is most needed.
Jack Cody of Opinium walked through the key findings, highlighting that nearly half of marcomms leaders are considering a job move in 2026 despite very few having changed employers last year. He also presented the "experience cliff," showing that professionals aged 55+ faced redundancy at six times the rate of their mid-career peers, with compensation dropping steeply after 25 years of experience.
Susan Goodwin Thomas of Heyman Associates observed that the US market sits firmly in the employer's hands, with more candidates looking than there are senior roles available. She noted that some organisations are cutting expensive senior talent while simultaneously losing the wisdom, judgment, and interpersonal skills that only come with maturity, and that the smartest employers are selling long-term opportunity rather than competing on pay alone.
Sarah Leembruggen of The Works Search offered a UK perspective, describing a market where agencies are under sustained pressure with squeezed margins and smaller bonuses, while in-house roles remain the overwhelming preference for candidates. She highlighted a striking trend: senior departures are routinely being backfilled one rung down, framed as growth opportunities but driven by cost savings.
The overarching message: compensation is now table stakes, not a differentiator. Culture, transparency, flexibility, and the long-term opportunity to grow are what separate the employers who retain talent from those who keep refilling the same roles. The full 2026 Salary Survey report is available for Financial Narrative members.