Taligence and Aspen Technology Labs report finds live marketing vacancies up 9% year-over-year, with strong senior hiring and rising advertised salaries.

NEW YORK, Nov. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. marketing job market regained momentum in the third quarter, with live vacancies rising 9.0% year-over-year and 3.9% from the end of Q2, according to the latest U.S. Marketing Jobs Report from Taligence, produced in collaboration with Aspen Technology Labs.

The report analyzed 83,916 active, full-time, in-house marketing job listings during Q3, down 1.9% from the previous quarter. However, demand recovered from an early July low, with quarter-end vacancies reaching their highest level since early May. Senior hiring continued to outperform the broader market, while entry-level opportunities showed early signs of improvement.

Key Findings

1. Overall hiring regained momentum. There were 36,832 live marketing vacancies at September 28, up 9.0% year-over-year and 3.9% quarter-over-quarter. Employers posted 53,126 new jobs during Q3, broadly unchanged from Q2 (-0.1%).
2. Demand for senior marketers remained strong. Director-level and above vacancies rose 15.5% year-over-year to 5,167 at quarter-end. Group Director, Senior Director, and VP positions grew 28.4%, while C-suite vacancies fell 14.3%.
3. Entry-level opportunities showed signs of recovery. Associate and entry-level marketing vacancies increased 10.2% quarter-over-quarter, although they remained 2.5% below their level a year earlier.
4. Advertised salaries and pay transparency increased. The median advertised marketing salary reached $97,500, up 14.0% year-over-year. Some 57.3% of vacancies disclosed compensation, compared with 53.9% a year earlier.
5. Growth and Product Marketing led annual demand. Growth Marketing vacancies rose 20.2% year-over-year, followed by Product Marketing (+18.0%) and Brand Marketing (+17.5%). Product Marketing had the highest median advertised salary at $163,998.
6. New York and San Francisco led major city growth. New York recorded 3,546 live vacancies, up 22.0% year-over-year. San Francisco grew 24.7%, the fastest annual increase among the top 10 cities, while Atlanta led quarterly growth at 12.5%.

"The AI-driven marketing jobs apocalypse is now about two years late," said Michael Wright, CEO of Taligence. "Instead, the market showed considerable resilience in Q3, with live vacancies ending September 9% higher than a year ago. That recovery looks different depending on where you are. Hiring remains concentrated in established marketing hubs, while changes across regional markets show that geography remains the biggest influence on the opportunities available to marketers."

"Marketing hiring picked back up in Q3. Live in-house marketing vacancies ended September up 9.0% year-over-year, well ahead of the 5.7% growth we're seeing across U.S. job postings overall," said Michael Woodrow, President of Aspen Technology Labs. "Senior roles grew even faster, with Director-level and above listings up 15.5%. The more interesting signal is at the entry level. Entry-level vacancies rose 10.2% from the end of Q2, after a steep seasonal drop last quarter. They're still 2.5% below last year, so it's too early to call a turnaround, but it's an encouraging sign that employers are adding junior marketing roles again."

The full report examines hiring trends by seniority, marketing discipline and geography, alongside advertised salaries, salary transparency and job posting duration. The analysis uses job data collected by Aspen Technology Labs directly from employer career sites and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

Read the full Q3 2026 report: https://www.taligence.com/job-reports/u-s-marketing-jobs-report-q3-2026

About Taligence LLC

Taligence is an executive search and talent intelligence firm specializing in senior marketing leadership hires. Through proprietary research and data-driven insights, Taligence helps companies and candidates navigate an increasingly complex talent market. Learn more at www.taligence.com.

About Aspen Technology Labs, Inc.

Aspen Technology Labs is a global leader in web data management services and labor market intelligence. Its JobMarketPulse platform powers real-time hiring insights for organizations worldwide. Learn more at www.AspenTechLabs.com.

Media Contacts:

Taligence LLC
Melody Liu
melody@taligence.com

Aspen Technology Labs, Inc.
Lana Shumyn
lana.s@aspentechlabs.com

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SOURCE Taligence LLC