When it comes to marketing careers in 2025, the landscape is shifting fast. Salaries still matter (of course they do), but our latest conversations with the marketing community (backed up by data from our 2025/26 Salary & Industry Trends Report) show that pay isn’t always the top priority anymore.
More and more marketers are telling us they’d trade a pay rise for genuine flexibility. Whether that’s remote working, hybrid models, or the freedom to manage hours around life’s demands, flexibility is now seen as the real deal-breaker when choosing a role.
Why flexibility comes first
Marketing is a creative, high-energy profession. But with that comes pressure, tight deadlines, and often a demand to be “always on.” Flexibility helps people balance that load, giving them breathing space to deliver their best work without burning out.
It’s not just about working from home either. For many, it’s about:
Core hours with wiggle room mean being able to start later, finish earlier, or compress hours.
Hybrid setups mean office time for collaboration, home time for focus.
Life balance means being trusted to manage outputs, not just time spent at a desk.
If you’re exploring your next move, you can browse our latest flexible and hybrid marketing jobs to see what’s out there.
Security still matters… but it’s not enough
Interestingly, job security ranked lower than expected in our survey. After a turbulent few years, you might think stability would be king. Instead, only a small percentage of marketers told us they felt truly secure in their current roles.
That hasn’t stopped people moving though. For many, the idea of staying somewhere just for security, without the flexibility they value, simply isn’t worth it.
What this means for employers
If you’re hiring in 2025, offering flexibility isn’t a “nice to have” anymore. It’s often the deciding factor. We’ve seen businesses lose great candidates at the final hurdle because hybrid or flexible options weren’t on the table.
The good news? Employers who do embrace flexibility tend to see:
Higher attraction rates (more applications from stronger candidates).
Improved retention (loyalty from employees who feel trusted).
Stronger performance (because people work better when they’re trusted to manage their time).
If you’re an employer looking to attract and retain talent, learn more about how we partner with clients on our employers page.
Our take at Kin Collective
At Kin, we’re passionate about helping businesses and marketers find the right fit, and right now, that means understanding this shift. Pay will always be important, but flexibility is what makes offers stand out in 2025.
So, if you’re a candidate weighing up your next career step, don’t be afraid to ask about flexibility upfront. You can also register with us today to explore roles that fit your lifestyle.
And if you’re an employer looking to attract the best marketers? Make sure flexibility is part of the conversation.
If you’d like to explore more insights from our 2025/26 Marketing Salary & Industry Trends Report, get in touch with us at info@kin-collective.co.uk.
//
Blog image: Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash