H1 2026 Salary Benchmark Report
Median salaries from real placements — no surveys, no estimates.
H1
Jan - Jun 2026
5
Disciplines
127
Full-time placements
OVERVIEW
Every number in this report comes from a real placement — not a survey, not a projection. We placed 127 full-time hires in the first half of 2026 across marketing, brand creative, product design, product management, and executive roles at some of the fastest-growing brands in the country.
Use this to negotiate smarter, budget accurately, and move faster when it matters.
AT A GLANCE
Marketing
$145K
$85K – $275K
50 placements
Brand Creative
$145K
$80K – $248K
33 placements
Product Design
$200K
$100K – $405K
25 placements
Product Mgmt
$250K
$185K – $350K
7 placements
Executive
$330K
$225K – $475K
12 placements
Marketing
50 placements
Social / Influencer / Community
$120K
$85K – $220K
16 placements
Growth / Performance
$130K
$100K – $250K
12 placements
Brand / Content
$179K
$155K – $275K
10 placements
Email / CRM / Lifecycle
$135K
$120K – $185K
7 placements
Product Marketing (PMM)
$190K
$180K – $200K
5 placements
FOR CANDIDATES
The jump from Manager to Director in Social is nearly $77K. If you're leading a team and owning strategy, you're likely underleveled — and underpaid — if your title doesn't reflect it. At the growth track, Sr. Manager roles are now paying above Manager/Lead. Seniority is being rewarded.
FOR HIRING MANAGERS
Social talent at the Manager/Lead level is concentrated in the $100K–$145K band — there's real volume here. But Director-level social hires are running $155K–$220K. If you're expecting Director output from a Manager budget, expect turnover. Growth hires above Director are scarce and expensive.
Social / Influencer / Community
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior / Associate | Content Creator | $85K | $85K |
| Mid / Senior | Social Media Manager, Influencer Marketing Manager, Social Content Strategist | $120K | $95K – $130K |
| Manager / Lead | Social Media Manager, Paid Social Manager, Influencer Strategist, Influencer Manager | $120K | $100K – $145K |
| Director / Principal | Social Media Director, Content Director, Director Social & Influencer | $197K | $155K – $220K |
Growth / Performance
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior / Associate | Growth Marketing Coordinator | $110K | $110K |
| Manager / Lead | Growth Marketing Manager, Growth Marketer, Growth Manager (CRO + Email) | $125K | $100K – $135K |
| Sr. Manager / Staff | Director of Growth, Sr. Paid Search Manager | $130K | $120K – $150K |
| Director / Principal | Head of Growth, Director of Ecommerce & Growth, Sr. Director Acquisition | $186K | $145K – $200K |
| Sr. Director / VP | Head of Growth Marketing | $250K | $250K |
Brand / Content
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manager / Lead | SEO/GEO Lead | $155K | $155K |
| Sr. Manager / Staff | Brand Manager, Content Strategy Lead | $178K | $155K – $200K |
| Director / Principal | Director of Brand, Director of Integrated Marketing, Head of Brand Marketing | $180K | $175K – $182K |
| Sr. Director / VP | Director of Marketing, Head of Brand | $263K | $250K – $275K |
Email / CRM / Lifecycle
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid / Senior | Sr. Manager Retention, Retention + CRM Manager | $135K | $120K – $150K |
| Manager / Lead | Email Marketing Manager | $130K | $130K |
| Sr. Manager / Staff | Segment Marketing Manager | $180K | $175K – $185K |
Product Marketing (PMM)
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid / Senior | Product Marketing Manager | $180K | $180K |
| Director / Principal | Director of Product Marketing | $200K | $200K |
Brand Creative
33 placements
Graphic Design
$160K
$90K – $248K
12 placements
Creative Direction
$195K
$150K – $230K
6 placements
Art Direction
$138K
$130K – $200K
5 placements
Creative Operations / Project Management
$140K
$125K – $145K
4 placements
Motion / Video
$90K
$80K – $100K
3 placements
Copywriting / Content
$135K
$135K – $135K
2 placements
Package Design
$133K
$133K – $133K
1 placement
FOR CANDIDATES
Brand Creative salaries vary more than any other function. A Mid/Senior Graphic Designer can land anywhere from $100K to $248K — the difference is usually company type and scope of work. Know what you're walking into. Creative Directors at the Director level range $150K–$230K; if you're being offered the low end, ask why.
FOR HIRING MANAGERS
Creative Direction is where the market gets competitive fast. ACD and CD roles at the Director level are running $195K median with real range above $200K. If you're budgeting below $150K for a CD, you're looking at a very different candidate pool than you think. Junior graphic designers are the most affordable entry point in this function.
Graphic Design
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior / Associate | Junior Designer, Brand Designer | $90K | $90K |
| Mid / Senior | Sr. Brand Designer, Senior Graphic Designer, Interactive Brand Designer, Senior Designer | $143K | $100K – $248K |
| Manager / Lead | Sr. Brand Designer | $160K | $160K |
| Sr. Manager / Staff | Brand Designer | $170K | $130K – $210K |
| Director / Principal | Creative Designer | $231K | $231K |
Creative Direction
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manager / Lead | Creative Strategy Lead | $165K | $165K |
| Director / Principal | Creative Director, Associate Creative Director, Creative Strategy Director | $195K | $150K – $230K |
| Sr. Director / VP | Creative Director | $200K | $200K |
Art Direction
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid / Senior | Art Director | $130K | $130K |
| Manager / Lead | Social Art Director | $135K | $135K |
| Sr. Manager / Staff | Sr. Art Director | $200K | $200K |
| Director / Principal | Art Director Retail & 3D | $140K | $140K |
Creative Operations / Project Management
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid / Senior | Senior Project Manager | $125K | $125K |
| Sr. Manager / Staff | Creative Operations Manager | $140K | $140K |
| Director / Principal | Account Director | $145K | $145K |
Motion / Video
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid / Senior | Brand Video Editor | $80K | $80K |
| Individual Contributor | Video Editor | $100K | $100K |
Copywriting / Content
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid / Senior | Sr. Copywriter | $135K | $135K |
Package Design
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid / Senior | Packaging Designer | $133K | $133K |
Product Design
25 placements
Senior / Staff Product Designer
$228K
$160K – $250K
12 placements
Product Designer / Founding
$187K
$130K – $200K
8 placements
Lead / Head of Design
$310K
$100K – $405K
5 placements
FOR CANDIDATES
Product Design pays significantly more than Brand Creative at comparable levels. Senior Product Designers are landing at $183K — $40K above Senior Brand Designers. If you have a hybrid skillset, know your lane and price accordingly. Head of Design roles have a massive range ($100K–$360K) — company stage is doing a lot of work here. Negotiate hard at earlier-stage companies.
FOR HIRING MANAGERS
Product Design is the highest-cost function we place outside of Executive. Senior talent starts at $160K and scales quickly. Founding Designer roles at $130K–$200K are the most cost-effective way to get senior output early. Head of Design is a wide market — be specific about scope or you'll attract the wrong range.
Senior / Staff Product Designer
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid / Senior | Senior Product Designer, Staff Product Designer | $183K | $160K – $220K |
| Individual Contributor | Staff Product Designer | $225K | $225K |
| Manager / Lead | Senior/Principal Product Designer | $250K | $250K |
| Sr. Manager / Staff | Staff UX Researcher, Senior Product Designer | $228K | $220K – $235K |
| Director / Principal | Senior Product Designer | $230K | $230K |
Product Designer / Founding
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid / Senior | Founding Product Designer, Product Designer, Product Designer (Growth) | $175K | $130K – $200K |
| Founding | Founding Product Designer | $187K | $187K |
| Individual Contributor | Product Designer | $200K | $200K |
Lead / Head of Design
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sr. Manager / Staff | Product Design Manager | $405K | $405K |
| Director / Principal | Head of Design | $225K | $100K – $310K |
| Sr. Director / VP | Head of Design, Product Design Lead | $310K | $260K – $360K |
Product Management
7 placements
Senior Product Manager
$220K
$185K – $250K
4 placements
Director / Principal PM
$305K
$260K – $350K
2 placements
VP of Product
$320K
$320K – $320K
1 placement
FOR CANDIDATES
PM salaries compress at the top. The gap between a Director/Principal PM ($305K) and a VP ($320K) is only $15K. If you're being offered a Director title with VP responsibilities, the market says you should push for the VP comp — or at minimum, VP trajectory in writing.
FOR HIRING MANAGERS
Senior PMs are expensive and the range is tight. Sr. Manager-level PMs are running $228K–$250K — not far off Director comp. If budget is a constraint, scope the role carefully. The difference between what you pay a Sr. Manager PM and a Director PM is smaller than you'd expect.
Senior Product Manager
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid / Senior | Senior Product Manager, Senior Product Manager AI | $200K | $185K – $215K |
| Sr. Manager / Staff | Senior PM – GSO, Senior PM Member Experience | $239K | $228K – $250K |
Director / Principal PM
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director / Principal | Director of Product Growth, Principal Product Manager | $305K | $260K – $350K |
VP of Product
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sr. Director / VP | VP of Product Management – Growth + Monetization | $320K | $320K |
Executive
12 placements · via Executive People
Creative Leadership (CMO, VP, SVP)
$298K
$225K – $450K
7 placements
Commercial Leadership (CCO, CEO, CGO)
$400K
$265K – $475K
5 placements
FOR CANDIDATES
Commercial leadership pays more than Creative leadership at the same C-level — $400K median vs $320K. If you're a CMO or SVP with P&L ownership or a commercial mandate, make sure your comp reflects it. The market is paying for revenue accountability. Know which bucket you fall into before you negotiate.
FOR HIRING MANAGERS
Executive hiring has wide variance. A CMO can cost $285K or $450K depending on scope and company stage. The $80K spread at the C-level is entirely about what you're asking the person to own. Get specific on mandate before going to market — it'll tell you exactly what the role should cost.
Creative Leadership (CMO, VP, SVP)
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sr. Director / VP | VP Marketing, VP Brand Marketing, VP Creative | $275K | $225K – $325K |
| Executive (SVP / C-Level) | CMO, SVP Marketing, VP Creative | $320K | $285K – $450K |
Commercial Leadership (CCO, CEO, CGO)
| LEVEL | JOB TITLE | MEDIAN | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial | Chief Growth Officer | $400K | $400K |
| Executive (SVP / C-Level) | Chief Commercial Officer, CEO, Head of Practitioner Sales | $400K | $265K – $475K |
Key takeaways from H1 2026
On titles
The title doesn't tell the whole story. A Social Media Manager at a seed-stage brand and one at a Series B are fundamentally different jobs. Scope and stage matter as much as the title on the JD.
On creative
Creative leadership is being paid like a strategic function. Creative Directors are hitting $195K median — a signal that brands are treating creative as a growth lever, not overhead.
On design
Product Design is commanding the highest IC salaries of any function we place. Senior and Staff designers are clearing $220K median — closing the gap with PM comp at growth-stage companies.
On AI
AI scope is showing up in comp. Roles with explicit AI responsibility are sitting at the top of their ranges across every function — and that gap will likely widen.
Data reflects base salary from 127 full-time placements made in H1 2026 (January–June). Equity, bonus, and contractor compensation not included. Questions? hello@creativepeopleinc.com