What does it cost to hire marketing staff in a UK SME post-Budget

When you employ someone full-time in the UK, the headline salary is only the start. On top of that come National Insurance, pension contributions, training, recruitment, equipment and ongoing employment overheads – all of which have recently risen. Some relevant data points:

• Employer National Insurance: as of April 2025 this has increased to 15% on earnings above the threshold.
• Pension auto-enrolment: minimum employer contributions are typically 3% of salary.
• Additional overheads: per guidance for small businesses, hiring someone at the UK average salary (recently ~£27,600) can cost around £62,890 in the first year when you factor in recruitment, training, NI, pension, equipment, and onboarding.
• Typical marketing roles: salary bands for marketing professionals vary depending on seniority. For example, a “Marketing executive/digital marketing executive” might be in the region of £27.6k–£31.1k, while more senior marketing roles fetch higher salaries.

In short, in a small business environment – especially with only limited marketing need or seasonal demand (like in gardening, nature content, or small-scale digital outreach) – the full cost of a “permanent” hire can quickly surpass what the salary alone would suggest.

Moreover, after the Budget 2025: higher employer NI and other likely wage-related pressures (minimum wage, living cost increases, etc.) will squeeze SME budgets further.

What about hiring a marketing consultant?

Using a consultant – or engaging someone part-time or on retainer – offers a different cost structure, often considerably leaner and more flexible. Some standard market rates (2025 UK) for consultants broadly show:

• For general consultants: around £50–£100 per hour (often for junior or less specialised work).
• For mid-level/focused marketing consultants: more in the region of £100–£200 per hour.
• Day-rate estimations sometimes given as £300–£600/day for marketing specialists.
• Some agencies or consultants offer retainer or package-based pricing, which can be more predictable and sometimes cost-effective compared to multiple full-time salaries.

Importantly – when you hire a consultant:

• You avoid employer NI, pension auto-enrolment, holiday pay, sick pay, office space/equipment, benefits, training and many of the fixed overheads.
• You pay only for time or output needed; if marketing needs fluctuate (as is common for SMEs with project-based campaigns), this avoids paying for idle capacity.
• You gain flexibility: you can scale up or down depending on seasonal demand, campaigns, or cashflow, which is often critical for SMEs.

A Simplified Comparison

Here’s how this might play out for a small SME, comparing two scenarios:

Given those rough calculations: unless your marketing needs are constant and high-volume – or you need someone embedded full-time – using a consultant or part-time marketing support is often more cost-effective for SMEs, especially post-Budget with increased employer costs.

What this means for SMEs (especially small, flexible brands)

• Better cashflow control & flexibility: Engaging a consultant means only paying when you need marketing work; good for seasonal campaigns (e.g. for a gardening brand: spring planting, autumn clean-up, summer content bursts).
• Lower risk: No long-term payroll commitment; easier to scale down if business slows, without complex HR liabilities.
• Access to expertise: A consultant may bring broader experience, up-to-date skills (e.g. digital marketing, social media content, SEO) – which is often hard for small SMEs to recruit for at full-time cost.
• Focus on core business: As you transition from corporate world to sustainability/gardening content, working with a consultant frees you to focus on your domain (gardening, content strategy, sustainability), not HR or admin overhead.
• Suitability to your background: Given your 25 years’ marketing experience and your new brand, a consultant could complement your strategic insight – giving hands-on execution while you steer brand vision, content direction, and partnerships.

When a full-time hire might still make sense

There are cases where in-house hiring could be justifiable:

• If you expect high-frequency or continuous marketing output (e.g. daily content, constant social media management, frequent campaigns) – so that a consultant’s limited hours wouldn’t suffice.
• If you want someone deeply embedded in your brand, culture and long-term strategy (not just project-based campaigns).
• If you have consistent cashflow and the budget to absorb fixed costs (NI, pension, benefits) – and you value having full control over scheduling, priorities and internal collaboration.

Even then, it’s worth doing a rigorous cost-benefit analysis – factoring in all overheads (not just salary) and comparing to consultant/agency options.