Marketing Leadership salary UK & US 2026
Marketing leaders own brand, pipeline contribution and the marketing budget. A London head of marketing at a software company typically earns £85k–£120k base and a marketing director £105k–£140k; in the US a VP Marketing earns $200k–$260k base and a B2B CMO about $275k at the median, with bonus on top.
Updated 2 November 2026 · Indicative annual ranges, permanent roles at software and tech companiesMarketing Leadership base and OTE, UK vs US
| Role | UK (£) | US ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Head of Marketing | £85–120k base | $160–200k base |
| Marketing Director | £105–140k base | $175–220k base |
| VP Marketing | £130–170k base£155–210k OTE | $200–260k base$240–320k OTE |
| CMO | £140–200k base£170–250k OTE | $250–330k base$300–400k OTE |
Typical pay mix: UK Salary plus 15–30% bonus at VP and CMO; equity common · US About 84/16 base/bonus for B2B CMOs (Pavilion median); equity common
Market notes
Ashdown Group's 2026 London quartiles: head of marketing £85k–£120k, marketing director £105k–£160k, CMO £115k–£195k. Robert Half's Greater London bands are slightly lower (head of marketing £74k–£100k, marketing director £96k–£123k) because they span all sectors.
Market notes
Pavilion reports a B2B CMO median base of $275k and OTE of $327.5k. Founderpath's US SaaS medians are lower (VP Marketing $157.5k, CMO $132k) because they include early-stage companies. Robert Half's San Jose marketing director band is $144k–$217k. The BLS median for all marketing managers is $166,790 (May 2025).
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Sources for these ranges
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025-05
- Marketing Salary Guide 2026 · Ashdown Group · 2026-09
- Head of Marketing salary, Greater London · Robert Half · 2026
- Marketing Director salary, London · Robert Half · 2026
- Marketing Director salary, San Jose, CA · Robert Half · 2026
- VP Marketing salary benchmarks (US SaaS) · Founderpath · 2026-09
- Chief Marketing Officer salary benchmarks (US SaaS) · Founderpath · 2026-09
- B2B CMO Compensation in 2024 · Pavilion · 2024-05
Marketing Leadership pay FAQs
In 2026 a Head of Marketing in the UK typically earns £85–120k base, according to the TRG GTM Salary Guide 2026. London pays at the top of the range; company stage and deal size move it most.
In 2026 a Head of Marketing in the US typically earns $160–200k base. The San Francisco Bay Area and New York pay at the top of the range.
Indicative 2026 ranges for a CMO: UK £140–200k base · £170–250k OTE; US $250–330k base · $300–400k OTE. Senior packages often add equity, which isn't included here.
Typical pay mix: UK Salary plus 15–30% bonus at VP and CMO; equity common; US About 84/16 base/bonus for B2B CMOs (Pavilion median); equity common.