What businesses want from marketers: an analysis of 500 vacancies and market trends

The modern marketer: from specialist to versatile professional

The marketer's role has expanded considerably in Russian business. It now includes provider management, analysis and coordination across processes, not just launching and running advertisements.

A study of 500 vacancies showed growing demand for versatile marketers. One person may combine Yandex Direct, SEO, analytics, content marketing and even website administration. This reflects limited SME resources: maintaining several narrowly specialised experts is often unaffordable.

A versatile marketer performs several roles:

• Sets up and manages campaigns;
• Manages providers and internal marketing processes;
• Analyses channels and business metrics;
• Develops and implements marketing strategies.

The specialist becomes central to systematic marketing management. This approach builds an integrated system affecting acquisition, revenue growth and long-term business development.

hh.ru vacancies: trends and employer requirements

In May 2026, 'Marketing, advertising and PR' vacancies represented around 2.8% of all openings on hh.ru, while relevant candidate profiles accounted for 8.1%. Competition was high: the hh competition index was 25.1, with candidates substantially outnumbering vacancies.

Employers offer an average of around ≈US$1,146.65 for marketing roles, while candidates' expectations are approximately 15% lower, around ≈US$965.6. In the Moscow region, pay for specialists with 3-6 years' experience often ranges from ≈US$1,448.39 to ≈US$2,172.59, reflecting differences in the labour market and living costs.

Today's marketing vacancies often demand versatility. A single role frequently combines more than eight functions, reflecting small and medium-sized businesses' need for flexibility. Companies seek people who can cover advertising setup, SEO, analytics and content marketing.

Vacancy analysis shows a clear trend towards versatile marketers able to compete and handle integrated tasks. This raises expectations for skills and experience, reflected in pay and job responsibilities.

Strategy and operations combined in marketing vacancies

Marketing vacancies increasingly combine tasks across different responsibility levels. Employers want strategic planning and market analysis alongside hands-on work such as advertising setup and CMS management. This is becoming a natural, understandable approach for SMEs.

Businesses in this segment have limited resources and can rarely hire a marketing director, SEO analyst and webmaster separately. Instead, they seek a versatile marketer who can switch between strategy and execution.

Today's marketer connects the system by:

• develops and adjusts marketing strategy;
• monitors campaigns and identifies opportunities;
• handles technical advertising configuration;
• coordinates providers and internal processes.

The specialist usually does not need to create every article or banner personally. Their main role is managing the marketing system as a whole. Businesses can save resources while keeping processes flexible and controllable.

Technology and AI's impact on marketing careers

AI has become a key influence on marketing skill requirements. Vacancy analysis shows that job ads mentioning AI skills increased by 16% between January 2025 and January 2026. Integrating intelligent tools into marketing is becoming part of professional expectations.

AI adoption has not reduced marketers' traditional responsibilities. It has added another skill layer: using neural networks and automation effectively. This requires technical literacy and an understanding of limitations, so businesses can avoid errors and integrate the technology appropriately into marketing.

The 2026 trend is to combine broad traditional marketing skills with AI literacy. Knowing the tools is not enough. Marketers must adapt them to specific business needs, using AI for deeper analytics, personalised communications and routine process automation.

AI becomes a competitive advantage without removing marketers' broad responsibilities or strategic role. It complements specialists, enabling more effective, flexible systems where technology supports business growth.