Marketing Director Head Of Marketing Salary UK
Last updated: July 2026 · Written by Shev Dilay, Live Digital · 11 min readMarketing Leadership Salary UK — 2026 Quick Reference
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- Marketing Manager: £35,000–£55,000
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- Senior Marketing Manager: £50,000–£70,000
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- Head of Marketing: £70,000–£110,000 (London to £120,000+)
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- Marketing Director: £85,000–£130,000 (London to £150,000+)
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- VP Marketing: £110,000–£160,000
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- CMO / Chief Marketing Officer: £130,000–£250,000+
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- UK average — Head of Marketing: ~£75,000 · Marketing Director: ~£82,000
Contents
Head of Marketing vs Marketing Director: What’s the Difference?
These two titles are the most-confused senior roles in marketing, and the distinction directly affects pay. In most UK organisations, the Marketing Director is the more senior of the two — a board-level or near-board role owning marketing strategy, budget and commercial outcomes. The Head of Marketing typically leads the marketing function operationally, owning execution, team management and campaign delivery, and often reports into a Marketing Director, VP Marketing or CMO. That said, the titles are heavily company-size-dependent. In a startup or SME, “Head of Marketing” is frequently the most senior marketing role, reporting straight to the CEO — and paid accordingly. In a large corporate, a Marketing Director may sit above several Heads of Marketing. Because of this overlap, the pay ranges intersect: a Head of Marketing at a well-funded scale-up can out-earn a Marketing Director at a smaller firm. Always read the scope and reporting line, not just the title. On average, Marketing Directors out-earn Heads of Marketing by roughly £7,000–£15,000 at comparable company size, reflecting the broader commercial and budget accountability the director role carries.Head of Marketing Salary UK 2026
The average Head of Marketing salary in the UK is around £70,000–£90,000 in 2026, with most benchmarks clustering near £75,000. Glassdoor reports a UK average of £64,000, while specialist recruiters place experienced Heads of Marketing higher — Intelligent People quotes £80,000–£110,000 and Ashdown Group’s national range runs £74,000–£105,000. In London, Robert Half puts the range at £75,000–£100,000 and Morgan McKinley higher again at £105,000–£125,000 for larger remits.| Head of Marketing | Salary range |
|---|---|
| UK national average | £70,000–£90,000 |
| London | £85,000–£120,000 |
| Startup / scale-up (top role) | £80,000–£130,000 + equity |
| SME / smaller firm | £60,000–£85,000 |
Marketing Director Salary UK 2026
The average Marketing Director salary in the UK is around £80,000–£100,000 in 2026. Glassdoor reports an average of £82,190, with top earners (90th percentile) reaching £128,776; Payscale and Indeed both land near £79,000–£80,000. London and senior corporate roles push considerably higher — Morgan McKinley quotes £90,000–£130,000 for London, and live Reed job adverts for senior director roles reach £120,000–£150,000.| Marketing Director | Salary range |
|---|---|
| UK national average | £80,000–£100,000 |
| London | £90,000–£150,000 |
| Top earners (90th percentile) | £128,000–£150,000+ |
| SME / smaller firm | £70,000–£95,000 |
Marketing Director & Head of Marketing Salary Per Month
Based on typical UK averages, here’s roughly what each role earns per month gross (before tax, NI and pension):| Role | Annual salary | Approx. monthly (gross) |
|---|---|---|
| Head of Marketing | £70,000–£90,000 | £5,800–£7,500 |
| Marketing Director | £80,000–£100,000 | £6,700–£8,300 |
| London Marketing Director | £90,000–£150,000 | £7,500–£12,500 |
Marketing Leadership Salary by Sector
Sector has a big impact on marketing leadership pay. Technology, SaaS and fintech consistently pay the most — these companies are marketing-led, well-funded, and compete hard for leaders who can drive growth. Agencies and the charity/not-for-profit sector typically pay less, though agency roles can offer faster progression.| Sector | Head of Marketing | Marketing Director |
|---|---|---|
| Tech / SaaS / fintech | £85,000–£120,000 | £100,000–£150,000 |
| E-commerce / consumer | £75,000–£105,000 | £90,000–£130,000 |
| B2B / professional services | £70,000–£95,000 | £85,000–£120,000 |
| Agency | £60,000–£90,000 | £75,000–£110,000 |
| Charity / not-for-profit | £55,000–£75,000 | £65,000–£90,000 |
London vs the Rest of the UK
London commands a 15–25% premium on marketing leadership pay. Indeed’s data shows London Heads of Marketing at around £69,000 versus £66,000–£67,000 in Manchester and Birmingham for the base title, but the gap widens sharply at director level and in high-paying sectors, where London directors frequently exceed £130,000.| Location | Head of Marketing | Marketing Director |
|---|---|---|
| London | £85,000–£120,000 | £90,000–£150,000 |
| Manchester / Bristol / Edinburgh | £65,000–£95,000 | £80,000–£115,000 |
| Rest of UK | £60,000–£85,000 | £70,000–£100,000 |
The Marketing Leadership Ladder: Manager to CMO
Head of Marketing and Marketing Director sit in the middle of a career ladder that runs from Marketing Manager up to Chief Marketing Officer. Here’s how pay progresses across the full path:| Role | Typical UK salary | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing Manager | £35,000–£55,000 | Runs campaigns and channels |
| Senior Marketing Manager | £50,000–£70,000 | Owns a marketing area, manages a small team |
| Head of Marketing | £70,000–£110,000 | Leads the marketing function operationally |
| Marketing Director | £85,000–£130,000 | Owns marketing strategy, budget and outcomes |
| VP Marketing | £110,000–£160,000 | Senior leadership, often in scale-ups |
| CMO | £130,000–£250,000+ | Board-level, owns the whole marketing org |
What Factors Affect Marketing Leadership Salary?
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- Seniority and scope. Board-level, budget-owning roles pay far more than execution-focused ones — the director step alone adds £10,000–£20,000+.
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- Sector. Tech, SaaS and fintech pay top of market; charity and not-for-profit pay least.
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- Company size and stage. A funded scale-up or large corporate out-pays an SME, and startups often add equity to offset lower base.
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- Location. London carries a 15–25% premium; the gap widens at director level.
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- Specialism and growth track record. Demonstrable revenue/growth impact, and in-demand skills like performance and digital marketing, lift pay materially.