What talent actually costs right now.
H1 ‘26
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
$145K
Median · 50 placements
| ROLE | RANGE | MEDIAN | PLACEMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product Marketing | $180K – $200K | $190K | 2 |
| Brand / Content | $155K – $275K | $181K | 8 |
| Email / CRM / Lifecycle | $120K – $185K | $150K | 5 |
| Growth / Performance | $100K – $250K | 140K | 14 |
| Social / Influencer / Community | $85K – $220K | $125K | 21 |
Social, Influencer, and Community drove the most volume — 21 of 50 marketing placements. The $85K–$220K range within that single bucket tells the real story: a Social Media Manager at a seed-stage brand and one at a Series B are fundamentally different jobs. The title doesn't tell the whole story — scope and stage do.
Brand Creative
$145K
Median · 33 placements
| ROLE | RANGE | MEDIAN | PLACEMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creative Direction | $150K – $230K | $195K | 8 |
| Creative Operations / PM | $140K – $145K | $143K | 2 |
| Art Direction | $130K – $200K | $138K | 4 |
| Graphic Design | $90K – $248K | $142K | 14 |
| Motion / Video | $80K – $100K | $90K | 2 |
Creative Directors are hitting a $195K median — closer to VP Marketing than to the designers they lead. Brands are no longer treating creative as a cost center. Graphic Design had the widest salary range in this entire report ($90K–$248K), reflecting how much specialization and seniority vary within that one title.
Product Design
$200K
Median · 25 placements
| ROLE | RANGE | MEDIAN | PLACEMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead / Head of Design | $100K – $405K | $300K | 7 |
| Senior / Staff | $160K – $250K | $220K | 11 |
| Product Designer / Founding | $130K – $200K | $187K | 7 |
Product Design commands the highest IC salaries of any function we place. Senior and Staff designers cleared $220K median — closing the gap with PM comp. Founding Designer roles held strong at seed and Series A, often scoped like a senior IC with the added weight of building from zero. If you're pricing out a Founding Designer at early stage, $130K–$200K is where the market sits.
Product Management
$250K
Median · 7 placements
| ROLE | RANGE | MEDIAN | PLACEMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| VP of Product | $320K – $320K | $320K | 1 |
| Director / Principal PM | $260K – $350K | $305K | 2 |
| Senior PM | $185K – $250K | $222K | 4 |
PM hiring skewed senior across the board. Roles with explicit AI scope sat at the top of their ranges — one Senior PM, AI placement reached $250K at Series A. Companies aren't hiring PMs to manage backlogs. They want product leaders who can set direction.
Executive
$330K
Median · 12 placements
| FUNCTION | RANGE | MEDIAN | PLACEMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial (CMO, CRO, CGO) | $265K – $475K | $400K | 6 |
| Creative (CCO, VP Creative) | $225K – $450K | $300K | 6 |
Executive placements are sourced through Executive People, our dedicated executive search practice. Salaries reflect base only — equity and bonus vary significantly by stage and funding. For executive-level benchmarking, reach out to hello@executivepeopleinc.com.
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