Are Starter Marketing Jobs Truly Disappearing?

The anxious read in the news is that starting roles for marketers are being eliminated as AI picks up the work once done by new college grads and entry level workers. The data tells a more complicated story. Entry-level roles are now seven times more likely to call for senior-level skills like judgment, creativity and leadership. PWC reports postings with those requirements have grown 35% since 2019. As AI takes over the routine, the distinctly human work moves to the front of the job description.

Interestingly, requesting a higher level of skills is not exactly the problem as entry level workers with the hands-on skills in AI and the aptitude are likely more seasoned at the skill-set needed. The problem is in the years of experience attributed to that necessary skill set may not be realistic and sets up real challenges for both employers and newby marketers.

For a marketing leader thinking about talent the implication is that capabilities that used to mark someone as senior are now the ones holding their value while routine or rote skills continue to depreciate. The ladder did not lose a rung. The whole thing moved up, and the people who invested early in judgment, discernment and leadership are standing where the market is heading.

Source: PwC, June 2026