Entry-level hiring jumps in A&M by 43%

India’s advertising and marketing (A&M) job market saw a sharp uptick in hiring activity in June and July 2025, with job postings rising 21% year-on-year, according to data received from Naukri. The growth was led by demand for freshers and early-career professionals, with a continued push for digital-first talent across the industry.

Entry-level hiring (0-3 years experience) jumped 43% YoY, while mid-level roles (4-7 years) grew 18%. In contrast, hiring for senior professionals (13-16 years) fell 12%, pointing to selective leadership hiring during the two-month period.

Roles in Sales & Business Development (+43%), Human Resources (+30%), and Marketing & Communication (+27%) saw the most significant rise. In contrast, engineering roles within the A&M sector remained flat, with only a 2% YoY increase.

Naukri pointed to a strong growth across UX, design and content-related profiles in the last two months. “Sales & Business Development, Marketing & Communication, UX & Design, and Human Resources were among the roles that experienced the highest demand over the past year,” said a Naukri spokesperson.

Job openings in the 0-3 LPA salary range grew by 44.6%, indicating aggressive hiring at junior levels. Even the upper end of the pay scale saw movement; openings with 20+ LPA salaries were up 12% YoY.

Among metros and emerging hubs, Hyderabad recorded the biggest growth at +40% YoY, followed by Pune (+19%), Chennai (+16%), and Delhi NCR (+12%). Hiring in Mumbai and Bengaluru remained steady but less aggressive compared to these fast-growing centres.

Insights from Grafton Recruitment India highlight the impact of rising digital spends, which have increased by 30% in 2025 so far. The firm estimates that over 1.5 million jobs in the digital media space were created by the end of July, up from just 40,000 at the start of the year.

“Brands are investing heavily in digital channels, driven by evolving consumer behaviour and AI-led personalisation,” said Maya Nair, Executive Director, Grafton Recruitment India. “Roles like SEO specialists, visual designers, content creators, and brand managers are seeing the highest demand.”

E-commerce and FMCG sectors are leading digital hiring as they double down on AI to build personalised, targeted ad campaigns. Quick commerce players, in particular, are leaning on first-party data to build in-app ads that drive direct consumer engagement and conversions.

“With Q-commerce and D2C ecosystems scaling fast, we’re seeing brands shift from traditional media to more trackable, performance-led formats,” Nair added.

With sustained investment in digital channels and entry-level talent, the advertising and marketing job market is expected to stay stable in the coming months, particularly in junior and digital-first roles.