Who You Could Hire for Top Ad Exec Money

By Digiday • February 20, 2013 •

Even in digital where talent is scarce and competition for it is fierce, those at the top of the agency game often earn significantly more than those on the rungs below them. WPP’s chief digital officer Mark Read, for example, earned over $2 million in 2011 according to company filings.

With that in mind, Digiday decided to examine exactly what that kind of money could buy at the agency level if it wasn’t being spent on holding company execs. Based on our reporting and research by The Creative Group, this is the digital talent we estimate $2 million a year could pay for.

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5 chief digital officers
At major traditional agencies, chief digital officers can earn upwards of $350,000. You could hire five of them for $2 million a year.

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12 interactive creative directors
In digital, creative directors pull in around $160,000 on average. At that rate, $2 million a year would pay for 12 of them.

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18 digital strategists
Digital strategists command around $110,000, so $2 million a year would buy 18.

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50 junior media buyers
Entry-level digital media buying positions start at around $40,000 at major media agencies. At that rate, $2 million a year would pay for 50 of them.

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30 social media specialists
$2 million a year would afford 30 social media specialists at around $65,000 each.

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20 UX designers
Mid-level user experience people earn salaries upwards of $100,000. Based on that figure, $2 million would pay 22 for 12 months.