Media professionals are leading the charge for salary increases in the year ahead, but they’re also among the most dissatisfied with their current pay and workplace culture, according to the Hays FY25/26 Salary Guide.
Released today, the annual guide, based on a survey of more than 12,000 professionals and hiring managers, shows that 31 per cent of media employers intend to offer transformational salary increases of 20 per cent or more in FY26.
That places media at the top of all industries for pay intentions, ahead of legal (14 per cent), construction (12 per cent), and IT (9 per cent).
But despite the bullish salary outlook, dissatisfaction runs deep. Seventy per cent of media professionals say they’re dissatisfied with their current situation, and 76 per cent believe they are underpaid relative to their responsibilities.
Marketing and PR pros also frustrated, and ready to move
Sales, marketing and public relations professionals are also feeling the pinch. Hays found they are among the most likely to be job hunting in the year ahead, driven by dissatisfaction with organisational culture and a lack of work-life balance.
Only 14 per cent of professionals in these fields see a clear path for advancement within their current employer, fuelling attrition risk.
“When organisations invest in their people, we see stronger employee satisfaction and loyalty,” said Matthew Dickason, CEO APAC at Hays. “However, when salaries fall short of expectations, there’s a real risk of losing talent.”
Pay rises don’t always equal satisfaction
Interestingly, Hays’ data suggests that even large salary increases don’t guarantee satisfaction. While a 20 per cent+ raise delivers the highest satisfaction rate (82 per cent), many still feel underpaid, 39 per cent even after such an increase.
Raises of less than 2.5 per cent brought as little satisfaction as no raise at all, reinforcing that expectations matter just as much as dollars.
What employers should do next
To retain top talent in media and marketing, Hays recommends that employers:
• Build structured development programs and internal mobility pathways
• Be transparent with salary benchmarks and progression timelines
• Align cultural expectations with flexible work and wellbeing initiatives
The full Hays FY25/26 Salary Guide is available now and includes detailed industry salary benchmarks, hiring trends, and commentary across 25 sectors.
Download the full report here.
Top image: Matthew Dickason, CEO APAC, Hays