Generally speaking, salespeople are still paid more than their counterparts in Marketing. There is no clear evidence to suggest why this is the case, however, it has always been so. Perhaps it is just the simple fact that historically, a salesperson’s performance was directly correlated to annual company financial performance targets. Added to that, there are inherently different behavioural traits between the two professions, and salespeople are conditioned to negotiate harder on matters of reward.

Another probable cause for pay disparity could be explained by the gender split of the roles, and the gender pay gap. Sales is still dominated by male employees and men are paid more on average (up to 6%), whilst Marketing is overwhelmingly populated by women and they are still paid less on average (as much as 19%). The correlation between the gender makeup of each function, and the pay gap between genders, goes some way to explain the overall difference in pay between both functions.

This male / female split, and the pay gap between genders, remains of high interest to employers who strive to achieve quotas and balance the delicate equation. Whilst the gender gap still exists in 2021, it is exciting news to report that according to our FMCG Sales & Marketing Salary Guide, the gap has closed somewhat since 2018, most notably in the Sales population. Indeed, more women are joining the Sales community at the entry-level, and remain in Sales at senior levels, than ever before.

Conversely though, in Marketing there is an obvious dearth of male talent joining at junior levels. Currently, only one in 10 Marketing Assistants is male, a frustration to employers in the search of gender-balanced teams. The loss of the male marketeer from the population is more notable than ever, yet the reason is not known. This is further evidence of a real need for the FMCG Industry and the Marketing Society to get back on the podium in the education sector and promote Marketing as a career.

Be it sales or marketing, to see what your counterparts are earning and how you match up, download the latest 2021 FMCG Sales and Marketing Salary Guide https://www.simmance.co.uk/salary-guide/

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