Forget the mil: Top salaries in adland are shrinking

March 13, 2026 12:06

Leaving the building: Top salaries are facing big downward pressure (Midjourney)

Top executives in Australia’s advertising industry are facing a squeeze like never before as consolidation, shrinking remits and AI spell the demise of once-envied leadership salaries.

Recruiters in Australia’s creative industries warn that oversupply and top-end saturation have devalued executive pay, leaving million-dollar salaries for only a select few.

Lea Walker, a former talent lead for Bear Meets Eagle on Fire and now owner of recruitment consultancy Ms Walker, said the squeeze at the top level was like nothing she has seen in 10 years.

“It’s a shrinking business model, and that’s just what happens when you merge multiple networks: you only need one leadership team,” she told Mumbrella.

Lea Walker: “It’s a shrinking business model. You only need one leadership team.”

“I’ve seen more leaders in c-suite roles either looking for work or staying put somewhere that isn’t ideal because the jobs market is so tight than I’ve seen in a decade. The thing is, the industry is a triangle structure, and once you reach the top, it’s harder to move.”

Ryan Kelly, of the Melbourne recruitment firm Creative Natives, said: “It’s been a long time since we’ve seen salaries over a million. Supply and demand is completely out of whack, yet many executives don’t seem to realise it. What I’m seeing is that people on salaries over $300,000 have to demonstrate clear proof of their value.”

Previously, a c-suite leader in adland overseeing an agency or network could easily step into a role paying around $750,000. Now, an agency managing director may start on $300,000–$400,000, and even more senior leaders are often not looking at much more.

At the same time, organisations are trimming top leadership roles in favour of leaner managerial structures, shifting responsibilities that were traditionally executive-level into middle management.

Margin erosion is a key driver of these changes, with global holding companies — including the likes of Dentsu and WPP — making significant cuts to improve shrinking profitability.

“At the top and bottom ends, people have felt the slowdown hardest, which has squeezed the middle,” said Nick Williams of Williams International Partners. “If an organisation wants to reduce costs by $800,000, it’s easier to cut very senior people than multiple people on $100,000.”

“Technology, automation and in housing have driven down agency headcount, which impacts fees and margins,” he continued.

Nick Williams: “We’re in the ‘slowdown phase’ of the economic cycle.”

“Many job losses are the cause of structural changes to the industry and won’t return. But part of it is because we’re in the ‘slowdown phase’ of the economic cycle. Large parts of the economy, such as cars, retail, fashion, and even banking, are struggling, and so their marketing spend is down. But that will change.”

Meanwhile, as Walker points out, the scale of responsibility at a local leadership has also shrunk significantly. “At the very top level in creative agencies and networks, the scale of an executive’s remit has shrunk.

“While in the past they may have overseen several brands and hundreds of employees, many are now managing a single entity with around 80 people. That, of course, has an impact on value.”

Anecdotally, Australian adland leaders have spoken to Mumbrella of receiving a glut of CVs from senior peers, many of whom are expecting salaries that are unattainable in the current climate.

Others have spoken of a growing sense of anxiety among leaders about their career futures, paying mortgages, and meeting other financial commitments.

Creativity: an investment, not a cost

Amidst all this, all three recruiters agreed on one thing: exceptional creative talent will always command high value. Indeed, in some agencies, the salaries of creative leaders even outstrip those of the c-suite.

This trend is reflected in recent numbers from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA). The average total salary of agency top earners — defined as those in the upper 25% of earners, not necessarily executives — was $248,000.

The highest-paying agencies for top earners in the data were Ogilvy Australia and Howatson and Co, both averaging $298,000, while media agencies paid significantly less.

While generalist talent with 15–20 years’ experience may struggle amid the current market, top creative talent continues to thrive.

Salaries for outstanding creatives range from $300,000 to $700,000 for those with strong, award-winning portfolios. However, there are and will continue to be, relatively few positions available at this level, making top-tier roles highly competitive.

Ryan Kelly: “Creative strategy remains invaluable”

“Original, creative ideas will be highly sought after,” said Kelly. “Parts of production can be automated, but creative strategy remains invaluable. It would be advantageous for people to examine their skills and where they need to evolve.”

According to Williams, Australia still has a small pool of agencies he describes as “beacons of creativity”, notably the independent agency Special Group.

“These are the ones that stand out as employer brands,” he said. “Companies either see creative talent as a cost to control, or as an investment in their source of competitive advantage. And those agencies are the ones that are flourishing.”

Walker concurred that while only a small fraction of talent will rise to the top, those who do will be highly sought after.

She added that this trend will only be amplified as consumers become increasingly disillusioned with increasing deluge of formulaic content and AI slop.

“The cream of talent will rise to the top and become incredibly valuable, because people will seek higher-quality, curated work,” she said.

“The top 10% of talent will become very valuable, but your average performers are going to struggle. I will always advocate for creative talent, because without a pool of high-calibre talent, there is no industry. It’s the industry’s superpower. And we are resilient.”