
Unveiling the Truth: Key Insights from the 2024 Salary Survey

Delve into the latest findings of the 2024 Salary Survey, uncovering intriguing statistics that shed light on the evolving landscape of skills, networking challenges, and the debate surrounding hybrid work environments. Explore how professionals are adapting to changes in the workplace and redefining their career paths in the digital age.
Marketing strategy still undervalued by business
Marketers are still facing challenges with the recognition of important skills.
According to Our Website’s 2024 Career & Salary Survey, over half (53.7%) of the 3,000 marketers surveyed believe that strategy is the most undervalued skill in marketing.
In addition, 46.1% of respondents feel that brand management is the aspect of their work that is often neglected, while 32.7% believe that data analysis is a skill that is not given enough recognition.
It is worth noting that the top three most underrated skills identified by marketers in 2024 are the same as those highlighted in 2023. This lack of change suggests that there has been little progress in altering perceptions over the past year.
According to the 2024 Our Website Career & Salary Survey, almost a quarter (23.9%) of respondents feel that commercial acumen is not given enough importance by businesses. In addition, 15.9% of marketers believe that having knowledge of advertising and marketing technology is the most undervalued skill.
Social media singled out as overrated skill
Figures show that opinions on the most overrated elements of marketing are varied.
Nearly a quarter of marketers (22.5%) believe that social media marketing is the most overrated skill. This percentage has decreased by 0.4% from last year, but it remains steady across different types of businesses.
More B2C marketers (24.3%) believe that businesses overrate social media compared to B2B marketers (23.7%). Among those in companies that do both B2B and B2C marketing, 20% think social media is overrated.
According to the Career & Salary Survey sample, digital marketing (15.7%) has surpassed performance marketing (12.9%) as the second-most overrated skill in 2024. In the previous year, 16.1% of marketers thought performance marketing was overrated, while 15% felt the same about digital marketing.
The remaining 2024 list of overrated skills is rounded off by SEO (12.2%), advertising and marketing technology (9.6%) and content marketing (9%).
Source: 2024 Our Website Career & Salary Survey
Two thirds of marketers in role under three years
In the marketing industry, a majority of marketers, around 66.3%, have been in their current role for three years or less. This number has decreased slightly from last year's 67.3%. On the other hand, only 15.9% of Career & Salary Survey participants have stayed in the same role for more than seven years.
The number of marketers who have been in their current position for less than 12 months is at its lowest since 2020. Only 22.4% of marketers are new to their job, compared to 27.3% in 2023.
Despite a strong desire for change, the job market seems challenging for those looking for new opportunities. A significant portion of Gen Y marketers (61.7%), Gen Z (58.9%), and Gen X (58.4%) are considering switching jobs.
Source: 2024 Our Website Career & Salary Survey
Networking in crisis?
Homeworking C&S Survey
Could the prevalence of remote working post-Covid be harming marketers’ chances of forming business relationships?
Over half (56.5%) of the Career & Salary Survey respondents feel that networking and relationships have been negatively impacted by remote working, while 37.1% believe that working from home has not caused any harm.
The desire for more in-person collaboration is the main reason why 71% of marketers want to go back to working in the office. This is followed by the importance of building a strong company culture (59.8%) and enhancing the social aspect of work (44.7%).
A majority of marketers (35.9%) believe that working from the office will boost employee productivity. Another 33.3% view utilizing office space as the primary reason for returning to the office.
Additionally, 33.2% of respondents work for companies that value office work for networking opportunities and the development of professional relationships.
Employee growth and career development (20.7%) and the desire to support staff mental health (13.9%) are additional factors that motivate employees to return to the office.
Source: 2024 Our Website Career & Salary Survey
Quarter of marketers favour fewer days in the office
Attitudes towards office working frequency are still influenced by the Covid pandemic.
Currently, 25.2% of marketers work in the office three days a week, 24.3% work twice a week, and a smaller percentage (9.5%) come in four days a week.
Most marketers prefer working remotely (14.7%) over being in the office five days a week (12.9%).
The majority of marketers (68.7%) find the average hybrid workweek ideal, believing that the number of days they currently spend in the office is just right.
That said, almost a quarter (24%) would like to do fewer days in the office and even fewer still (7.2%) want to work from the office more.
Source: 2024 Our Website Career & Salary Survey
Editor's P/S:
The article highlights the undervalued skills in marketing and the challenges faced by marketers in gaining recognition for their expertise. It reveals that strategy, brand management, and data analysis are among the most underestimated areas, while social media marketing is often overrated. This lack of appreciation for crucial skills can hinder career growth and limit the effectiveness of marketing efforts.
Furthermore, the article sheds light on the impact of remote working on networking opportunities within the marketing industry. While some believe that working from home has negatively affected relationship-building, others argue that it has actually improved flexibility and efficiency. However, a significant number of marketers express a desire to return to in-office work to foster collaboration and enhance the social aspect of their jobs. This ongoing debate underscores the evolving nature of work arrangements and the need for businesses to find a balance that meets the needs of their employees while preserving essential interpersonal connections.