The Creative Store New Zealand Salary Survey 2025

The Creative Store’s 2025 salary review is a guide on how the industry is performing – a gauge on the New Zealand market. Figures are based on candidates’ current salaries and their skills. This combined with The Creative Store’s client salary expectations gives an overall market expectation.

The Creative Store reports its findings below.

Changes and salary trends in the industry we have noted during 2024 / 2025:

• Clients have lowered their freelancer budgets; therefore, senior freelance roles have been far and few between.

• More request for freelancers with blended skills, e.g. Design & Marketing or Design & Copywriting, Motion & Graphic Design.

• Direct client / inhouse freelance requests increased during the past 12 months.

• We have seen an increase in freelance Content Creator requests.

• Less immediacy for freelancers – clients have more lead time in their requirements.

• Clients requesting freelancers to be working onsite.

• There has been a rise in freelancers who have social software requirements and CRM’s.

• The amount of freelance intermediate roles/lower rates have increased more than in previous years, due to the recessional market.

• In the second half of 2024, requests for developers picked up.

Rising demands

The demand for freelance and contract creative professionals over permanent has risen, allowing businesses to scale teams up or down quickly based on project needs. This approach minimizes long-term financial commitments while maintaining flexibility.

Hybrid roles are still the preference for candidates; however clients are less amenable and want face to face time.

We have had a reduction in remote roles for permanent/contract opportunities – client requirements have been for fully inhouse.

Digital design roles have had an increase in request for experience with Figma, Squarespace, After Effects, or Premiere Pro.

Restructures and redundancies

2024 was the year of restructures and redundancies, making it a very tough market for senior candidates due to the quantity of talent available.

Candidates have had to reduce their salary expectations during 2024. Salaries in the creative sector, particularly for mid-to-senior roles, have flattened out slightly as businesses focus on cost control amidst economic challenges.

There has been a noticeable slowdown in hiring for senior-level creative positions. Many companies are opting to promote from within or restructure teams to spread leadership responsibilities, reducing the need for additional high-cost hires.

We had a large range of clients reach out to us around their expectations, business goals, and how they should present themselves.

Marketing/digital marketing roles have been tight throughout the year, with roles at this level being highly competitive.

More movement at an intermediate level with candidates moving overseas/going on their OE and the roles needing to be backfilled.

There has been a resurgence in PR/media agency roles and social/content roles are leaning move heavily on video – TikTok and Reels. Client service roles remain competitive – new university graduates are choosing social and marketing roles over client service, which slows down the pipeline.

We have seen success with taking client-side candidates into agency roles, agencies should be more open to these transferable skills.

Employers are increasingly seeking candidates with diverse skill sets, such as combining copywriting with SEO expertise or content creation with social media strategy. This reflects a push for efficiency and versatility in every hire.

Junior-level hiring has remained somewhat stable or slightly increased as companies focus on cost-effective talent. Investing in early-career professionals ensures a pipeline of future talent while managing immediate budget constraints.

Companies are increasingly prioritising cultural fit over technical skills in creative roles. Employers recognise that while skills can be developed, aligning with the team’s values and dynamics is crucial for long-term success.

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