Brand-side marketing roles 62% more likely to offer higher pay: Kraftshala

Marketing and advertising agencies continued to be the largest hiring engine for entry-level digital marketing roles in 2025, accounting for nearly 70% of all fresher-level hiring, even as brands adopted a more selective approach focused on deeper skills and ownership, according to a report by ed-tech platform Kraftshala.

As per the Digital Marketing Hiring Trend Report 2025, while agencies drove hiring volumes, brand-side roles were 62% more likely to offer higher cost-to-company (CTC) packages, reflecting expectations around stronger analytical ability, cross-functional collaboration and direct business impact.

Geographically, Delhi-NCR (30%), Bengaluru (27%) and Mumbai (18%) together accounted for over 75% of all entry-level roles, continuing a hiring concentration seen over the past few years. At the same time, cities such as Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Kolkata and Chandigarh showed increasing participation, pointing to a gradual broadening of India’s digital marketing hiring footprint beyond the top three metros.

Workplace flexibility remained limited for early-career professionals, with 91.5% of roles in 2025 being in-office or hybrid. Employers continued to emphasise in-person collaboration, faster learning cycles and hands-on problem-solving for entry-level talent.

In terms of role demand, growth marketing, e-commerce and D2C roles, along with programmatic advertising, account management and brand marketing, emerged as some of the most sought-after and better-paying entry-level opportunities.

Looking ahead to 2026, Varun Satia, founder and CEO of Kraftshala, said recruiters remain active but increasingly deliberate. “As we move into 2026, there is real opportunity for candidates who are willing to build strong fundamentals and apply them thoughtfully. Recruiters are actively hiring, but they’re being selective about the kind of talent they bring in,” he said.

The report also highlighted rising expectations around AI proficiency. Shivaprasad Nair, managing director at Assembly Global, said the ability to use AI tools is now a baseline requirement for entry-level marketers. “AI is basic hygiene today. What differentiates candidates is learning agility—the ability to apply tools thoughtfully, interpret data and adapt as workflows evolve,” he said.