A nationwide 2026 salary survey of higher‑education marketing professionals finds modest median pay gains but mounting retention risk: median salary rose to $75,000 from $72,000 and 75% reported raises, yet 52% still view pay as uncompetitive and 74% have considered leaving for other industries. Hybrid work is now the dominant arrangement and remains a major retention lever. The data suggests that institutions face structural challenges in attracting and holding experienced marketing talent, with implications for enrollment management, brand strategy and digital recruitment operations at a time when marketing capacity is tightly linked to student pipelines.