Our first ever Salary Survey should give you the opportunity to reflect upon your working life, and, potentially, whether you earn enough for what you do.
But while being financially rewarded is extremely important, the reality is that most of us spend a high proportion of our waking hours at work. For the majority, no matter what you earn, money will only go some way towards happiness at work. True job satisfaction, and, in fact, success comes from being passionate about what you do.
And there are plenty of passionate B2B marketers out there, for good reason. Those who love B2B do so because of the intellectual challenges it presents. To succeed in B2B you have to be smart; it’s not about reaching as many people as possible, it’s about engaging exactly the right people at the right time. This complexity is also why we need to shout about why it’s such a fantastic sector and capture the attention of those who will lead B2B to new heights in the future.
While there is cause for celebration, the Salary Survey should also provide both B2B marketers and their employers with some food for thought. Though B2B does well in terms of gender representation – 55 per cent of marketing heads are female – there remains a considerable gender pay gap. Even if we acknowledge this is an issue that goes a lot further than just B2B, it’s unacceptable. How is it possible that female board-level marketers earn, on average, £25,000 less than their male counterparts?
The fact marketers move on average every three years may well also be a reflection of the wider working world; staying with a company for life is more and more unusual. But a third of those who plan to change roles in the next 12 months say they want to do so because of lack of opportunities for career progression, while another third plan to move because of poor management. B2B marketing leaders should give this some thought.
There is plenty of cause for optimism though. There are clear dividends for marketers who are prepared to work hard, not just in terms of earning potential, but also in terms of increasing job satisfaction. And we know marketers are an ambitious bunch who are prepared to go above and beyond: our research shows marketers work, on average, 20 per cent more hours per week than their contract demands.
It’s thanks to these committed and passionate people that B2B marketing will continue to thrive in the years to come. But it’s also important to remember that the industry’s future success relies on the talented individuals who are joining the industry now. They need to feel they are able to make a difference, and they need to be rewarded and recognised for doing so.
B2B Marketing’s Salary Survey 2016-17 is a groundbreaking piece of research, placing B2B marketing salaries under the spotlight. The report compares salaries according to job role, gender and industry, and examines the B2B job market. The report is available for free to premium members, and can be purchased by non-members.
