Sydney, Australia – 10th February 2026 – Aquent, a global workforce solutions company, has released its 2026 Australian Salary Guide focused on marketing, design, and technology professionals, offering a data-driven view of remuneration trends from the past year, as well as insights into the current labour market.
While the broader market focuses on artificial intelligence, the Aquent 2026 Australian Salary Guide reveals a counter-intuitive boom in “human-centric” roles, with salaries for Account Management and Strategy professionals significantly outperforming the industry average.
The salary guide analyses over 5,400 real-time salaries and identifies a distinct trend: as automation starts to handle routine production tasks, agencies and brands are placing a premium on the people who manage relationships and steer business strategy.
Monique Richards, Managing Director of Aquent in Australia, adds: “The market is placing a higher premium on the skills that machines cannot replicate: empathy, complex problem-solving, and strategic foresight. The surge in salaries for Account Management and Strategy roles signals that Australian businesses aren't just investing in technology; they are aggressively competing for the human talent required to translate that technology into commercial value and client trust”.
Key Findings for Agency & Marketing Leaders:
- The “Relationship” Premium: While the industry average for salary growth is 3.1%, the Account Management and Strategy sector recorded a robust 4.7% average increase. This sector is defying the stagnation seen elsewhere, underscoring the irreplaceable value of client trust and complex problem-solving.
- Junior Talent Wars: In a surprising twist, specific junior-to-mid-level roles saw massive year-on-year gains, contradicting the broader trend of entry-level stagnation.
- Account Executives: Salaries jumped by 20.0%.
- Strategists: Salaries surged by 15.0%.
- Senior Account Directors: Saw solid growth of 7.4%.
- Delivery is Critical: The need for safe hands to deliver work efficiently has also driven demand in Production and Studio Management, which rose by 3.7%, driven by the need for experienced managers to oversee complex workflows.
Insight: Human Skills in an AI World
Aquent’s data suggests that the market is correcting itself. As 90% of jobs become exposed to AI augmentation, the “human in the loop” has become more valuable, not less.
“Labour market changes are driven by augmentation, not replacement“, Monique Richards, Aquent’s Managing Director in Australia, notes. “This has increased the demand for ‘human skills' such as critical thinking, communication, and leadership.” The sharp rise in Strategy and Account Service salaries indicates that hiring managers are aggressively competing for talent that can translate AI capability into commercial client value.
Recommendations for Hiring Managers
To secure top talent in these resilient sectors, Aquent advises:
- Review Retention for Client Leaders: With salaries for Senior Strategists (+7.1%) and Senior Account Directors (+7.4%) rising fast, managers should proactively review the remuneration packages of key client-facing staff to prevent poaching.
- Value ‘Soft' Skills as Core Competencies: When hiring, prioritise communication and strategic oversight as technical necessities. The guide emphasises that success in 2026 relies on “balancing investment in technology with sustained investment in people.”
- Prepare for Higher Entry Costs: The 20% spike in Account Executive salaries suggests a shortage of new talent entering the agency world. Budgets for junior hires must be adjusted upward to attract the next generation of client leaders.
About the Data
The Aquent 2026 Australian Salary Guide analysed 5,404 salaries on 17th December 2025, using real-time data from Aquent’s “Compare My Salary” tool and the Economic Research Institute.
Aquent's comprehensive Salary Guide is a resource for job seekers and employers alike. Further explore the data by accessing Aquent's 2026 Australian Salary Guide here.
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About the Aquent 2026 Australian Salary Guide:
The Aquent 2026 Australian Salary Guide is a comprehensive resource for hiring leaders in the marketing, design, and technology sectors, analysing 5,404 real-time salaries to provide statistical data on remuneration trends. Beyond listing base salaries for over 100 roles, the guide examines the “contradictory forces” of the current labour market, where workforce shortages persist despite stagnant wage growth. The guide explores the impact of AI augmentation, the narrowing gender pay gap, and the rise of hybrid “skill stacks” over traditional job titles. It combines quantitative data from Aquent’s real-time “Compare My Salary” tool and the Economic Research Institute with strategic recommendations to help organisations balance technology investments with employee development.
About Aquent:
Aquent is the leading global work solutions company specialising in marketing, design and technology. We partner with businesses to deliver the talent, technology, and resources they need to excel. From bespoke recruitment solutions and building scalable, on-demand teams, to creative strategy and project management, we’re making the future of work better for everyone. Learn more at aquent.com.au