Salaries for sales and marketing professionals see growth through negotiation and incentives

In the 2023 survey, the median salary was 5 760 euros for sales-oriented roles, 4 000 euros for marketing-oriented roles, and 6 110 euros for professionals involved in both sales and marketing.

Sales and marketing professionals want to negotiate salaries themselves – and it pays off

A significant majority (64%) of respondents expressed a preference for negotiating their salaries individually rather than relying on workplace-specific local negotiations or collective agreements. This preference was especially distinct among sales professionals and male respondents.

The positive trajectory of salaries was above average in forestry and food industries, where sales and marketing professionals typically operate outside the scope of collective agreements. Considering that the general increase in salaries was around 3.5% in 2023, this result underscores the positive impact of individual salary negotiations on the salary growth of sales and marketing professionals.

The positive salary development was above average especially in the forestry and food industries. Professionals of sales and marketing working in these industries are largely not covered by collective agreements. Considering that the general increase in salaries in 2023 was around 3.5%, this points to individual salary negotiations positively impacting sales and marketing professionals’ salary development.

– I want to clarify that individual salary negotiations don’t mean negotiating alone. As a professional organization, we play a vital role in enhancing salaries within our sector. We offer our members personalized support and expert guidance on salary negotiations and employment contracts, explains Marko Hovinmäki, Chairman of MMA. Among survey respondents, MMA members reported the highest satisfaction levels with their salaries.

Only 13% of respondents indicated a preference for salary negotiations at union or central organization level. However, the most common reason (66%) cited for salary increases in 2023 was general increases.

Incentives drive salary growth

In 2023, salaries in the female-dominated marketing sector saw a 4% increase from the previous year, surpassing the 2% increase in the male-dominated sales sector. Incentives, such as commissions or bonuses, common in sales positions, contribute significantly to one’s earnings. Conversely, fixed salaries are more prevalent among women and in marketing roles.

There has been a notable shift among marketing professionals, with the percentage receiving solely fixed salaries dropping by 9 points from the previous year. Conversely, the proportion of marketers receiving bonuses in addition to a fixed salary rose from 30% to 39%.

– We emphasized the importance of incentivizing marketers last year, and we’re now making progress in the right direction. However, despite over 80% of marketers holding higher education degrees, they still earn 1 000 euros less per month compared to the other respondents. This is a significant concern that needs to be addressed, emphasizes Hovinmäki.

Despite the wide range of skills demanded by marketing roles, it appears that earnings continue to lag behind those in sales positions. This salary gap persists throughout the respondents’ careers.

Open discussions about salaries in the workplace can help address inequalities

When excluding obvious explanatory variables such as area of residence, years of work experience, job level, and sales focus, data from the MMA survey indicate that being male increases earnings by approximately 800 euros. However, there seems to be a slight narrowing of the pay gap compared to the previous year’s survey, where the gender gap was 1 000 euros.

– While there have been improvements in the earnings of female respondents and marketers, there’s still significant work to be done to achieve pay equality. We can further address these inequalities by fostering more transparency about salaries in the workplace, suggests Hovinmäki.

It’s noteworthy that the majority (76%) of sales and marketing professionals lack transparency regarding salaries in their workplace. However, there is hope, as discussions about salaries are already part of everyday work life in more than a tenth (11%) of workplaces.