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The 2026 Robert Half Canada Salary Guide outlines the impact that digital innovation continues to have on the marketing industry, revealing an increasing demand for martech employees.

According to the survey, which gathered responses from 204 marketing and creative managers last month, roles tied to martech, particularly those involving AI-driven analytics and marketing automation, are commanding salary premiums.

The data shows that marketing analytics specialists, valued for their ability to provide data-driven business insights, won the highest year-over-year salary gains at 4.1%.

Digital marketers, important for executing complex, personalized campaigns and measuring ROI, saw 2.3% salary increases. Salaries went up 1.6% across the board in the marketing and creative sector over the past year, according to the survey.

Though 69% of industry leaders said they worry about keeping pace with compensation expectations next year, 52% said they are willing to increase salaries for candidates with specialized skills or certifications above other factors during negotiations. Meanwhile, 85% agreed with the view that professionals with specialized skills are paid more than peers without them in the same role.

According to the survey, the skills most in demand rank in as: marketing automation, digital marketing strategy, email marketing, marketing research and analytics AI and machine learning.

And, while salary remains a top consideration, nearly half of marketing and creative professionals said they would switch jobs for better work-life balance, even without a pay increase.

The data shows that 99% of marketing and creative departments plan to participate in a major digital transformation initiative in the next two years.