Greater training advertising and marketing groups are going through mounting strain. Enrollment challenges, rising competitors and increasing digital expectations have elevated the scope and visibility of promoting work — typically with out corresponding will increase in staffing or budgets.
New wage knowledge from a nationwide survey of upper training advertising and marketing professionals gives perception into how these pressures are affecting compensation, work preferences and long-term retention.
Compensation positive aspects, restricted aid
The survey knowledge exhibits modest enchancment in pay for increased ed entrepreneurs. The median wage elevated to $75,000, up from $72,000 the earlier 12 months and three out of 4 respondents reported receiving a wage enhance throughout the previous 12 months.
Regardless of these positive aspects, perceptions of competitiveness stay largely unchanged. Greater than half of respondents (52%) nonetheless say their pay is just not aggressive with different industries. Whereas some enchancment is obvious, the hole between increased training and trade compensation continues to form how entrepreneurs consider their roles.
This implies that whereas establishments are responding to market strain, many will increase could also be incremental slightly than structural.
Retention threat is rising
One of the notable findings within the 2026 report is the dimensions of potential workforce churn. Almost three-quarters of respondents (74%) mentioned they’ve thought-about leaving increased training for one more trade.
Compensation emerged as essentially the most incessantly cited motive for contemplating a transfer, outweighing components resembling workload or administration. This factors to a broader problem for establishments competing for advertising and marketing expertise with private-sector organizations providing increased pay and clearer development paths.
For increased training leaders, the info raises questions on sustainability: if skilled entrepreneurs more and more view increased training as a stepping stone slightly than a long-term profession vacation spot, institutional data and continuity could also be in danger.
Flexibility as a stabilizing issue
Work mannequin preferences proceed to affect retention and satisfaction. Hybrid work is now the commonest association amongst survey respondents, with greater than half presently working in a hybrid setup and an excellent bigger share indicating it as their most popular mannequin.
On the similar time, curiosity in absolutely distant work continues to exceed availability. Whereas distant roles stay comparatively restricted, they’re more and more seen as a significant profit — notably in environments the place wage progress is constrained.
For establishments with restricted funds flexibility, work mannequin choices could symbolize some of the instant levers accessible to enhance retention.
Increasing roles and expectations
The survey additionally highlights the breadth of accountability many increased ed entrepreneurs carry. Respondents reported managing a median of 5 distinct advertising and marketing capabilities inside a single function, with a major share indicating accountability for almost all main advertising and marketing actions.
As roles broaden, compensation expectations typically rise alongside them. With out clearer function definition or further specialization, establishments could wrestle to align efficiency expectations with accessible assets.
Why this knowledge issues
The 2026 wage report represents the second 12 months of an ongoing effort to determine constant, year-over-year benchmarks for increased training advertising and marketing compensation and workforce tendencies. Over time, this knowledge will help establishments higher perceive the place progress is being made and the place structural challenges persist.
The complete findings are revealed within the 2026 Greater Schooling Advertising Wage Report, produced by Concept3D and accessible for obtain.
Obtain the total report back to discover the whole knowledge and year-over-year insights.
