2026 Association for Accounting Marketing Biennial Compensation Survey Report

Association for Accounting Marketing

2026 Biennial Compensation Survey Report Says:

Professionals Can Break New Ground

Insights on M&A Impacts, Benefit Evolution & Emerging Careers

 

May 20, 2026 — The Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM) has released the results of its 2026 Biennial Compensation Survey this week.

Survey data reveals that marketers, business development and other practice growth professionals have more career opportunities when they can deliver strategic skills and oversee emerging applications of AI and other technologies. Team restructuring due to M&A integration and new approaches to offshoring are fueling a greater need to demonstrate business value.

Key Insights:

• Salary increases are advancing faster among strategic team leaders and technology specialists compared to more traditional marketing, creative and growth roles. Conversely, there has been a demand for coordinators and administrators to manage firm logistics and internal communications.
• New hires and promotions have slowed in the past 24 months. Team restructuring after M&A is leading to mostly larger teams and new roles, but some respondents noted that roles were not replaced after attrition and some team sizes decreased after M&A or AI investment.
• Just 81% of respondents reported a medical benefit at their firm. Those with medical benefits reported a variety of options, indicating cost-conscious exploration as health care premiums rise.
• Offshoring of marketing and growth roles showed up in this survey for the first time, which appears to be among large and major firms of $50 million to $200+ million in revenues with multiple offices.
• Mid-sized firms ($10 million to $50 million) indicated more opportunities for equity at the manager level and above. They also offered the most unique and varied benefits.

Overall, more respondents reported formalized salary structures for each member of the team. Small firms, the smallest sample, reported traditional roles of marketing directors, managers and coordinators with no outsourcing cited.

The full report offers low, mid and high salary averages for 75 different titles in accounting marketing, creative roles and business development, from entry level to executive leadership. More than 154 respondents from 35 U.S. states and Puerto Rico weighed in on their experiences with M&A, technology shifts, promotions, new hires, unique perks and benefits.

For the first time this year, respondents at any level in their career could choose to take the survey just for themselves, which allowed for more detailed analysis. Senior level leaders could also report on their team, which provided a snapshot of team organization and new hires.

To help you benchmark your own career and plan ahead for team members, the full report provides resources for calculating competitive salaries by region or city.

Takeaways for your career at a small, mid-sized, large or major firm are addressed in the report to support team momentum and career advancement at all levels of marketing and business development.   

The AAM Biennial Compensation Survey is the only survey that measures the evolution of accounting marketing and business development careers, compensation and benefits since 2010. Seeking pulse points and leading indicators of this specialized field, the report delivers analysis and recommendations to advance the profession.

The Association for Accounting Marketing 2026 Biennial Compensation Survey is a collaboration between AAM and Ingenuity Marketing Group, LLC, dedicated to providing valuable data on marketing and business development professional compensation and benefits within the public accounting and advisory services industry.

About AAM

The Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM) was formed to advance the career development of growth professionals in the accounting and advisory profession through professional development, thought leadership, and a vibrant community of peers. Founded in 1989, the association has more than 1,000 members comprising marketing professionals, business developers, CPAs, consultants, service providers, partners and firm administrators. AAM is dedicated to helping its members become valued practitioners and executive leaders.