Salaries for marketing professionals to remain steady in 2012

Salaries for direct and interactive marketing professionals will remain consistent compared with last year, said Wendy Weber, president of direct marketing recruitment firm Crandall Associates.

Weber described last year's salaries as “just a year of compensation” after the depths of the recession struck in 2008-2009. This year, she said, is just a continuation of last year's “recovery mode.”

Although salaries, by and large, haven't skyrocketed, there is some good news for marketing employees and employers, she said.

“It's been a very robust hiring market,” Weber said of the beginning of 2012. “We've noticed this year is off to a very strong start. Many of the clients we're working with are hiring for positions.”

This hiring trend is “delightfully different” from 2011, Weber said. This year, a plateau was expected, but there wasn't one.

“There's been an upward trend over the last several years,” she said of hiring patters. “The most surprising part about this year being so robust is that it's not the first year out of the bleakest part of the job market.”

A corporate creative director with seven or more years of experience can expect to make $92,900-$131-600 per year, while a creative director at an advertising agency with more than seven years of experience can expect to make $121,900-$164,300 per year. A director of integrated direct marketing with seven or more years of experience can expect to make $111,000-$128,200 each year.

Crandall Associates conducts this research through discussions with employers at various companies across the country. Those reported salaries are then crossed-checked by interviewing employees themselves. The research involved interviews, not mail surveys, to ensure a more accurate measurement across all agencies, Weber said.

Crandall Associates recruits solely for direct marketing jobs with salaries of $50,000-$500,000 per year.