AI could wipe out ‘traditional’ entry level marketing jobs by 2030

A fifth of marketing leaders have already eliminated roles due to AI automation, according to Gartner. 

By Molly Innes 30 Sep 2026 1:51 pm

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While artificial intelligence is impacting all rungs of the career ladder, it poses a particularly difficult challenge for entry-level marketers attempting to build careers in an increasingly AI-powered world. 

Given automation impacts tasks typically performed by juniors, new research from Gartner predicts AI will “allow the majority of high-performing marketing teams to eliminate the traditional bottom rungs of the corporate ladder” by 2030. 

Almost a fifth (18%) of the 1,300 marketing leaders surveyed have already eliminated early stage marketing roles due to automation. 

However, AI also posing opportunities, as 16% report having created new roles in the face of technological advancement. 

CMOs are being urged to assess junior marketers’ strategic and critical thinking skills when hiring, as expectations on staff change from demonstrating executional skills.

“The key is to evaluate how they think, not what they know,” write researchers Kristina LaRocca-Cerron and Lacretia Marsh. 

Three quarters of CMOs grappling with AI skills gap

Looking at how entry-level marketers develop skills, the research suggests that while communication, empathy, conflict management and relationship building previously developed over time thanks to exposure to senior leaders, marketers now “must build those skills early” to get ahead. 

The issue of implementing AI into marketing teams is causing concern for leaders. 

Most (66.5%) of the 2,350 respondents to Marketing Week’s 2026 Career & Salary Survey have identified an AI skills gap within their team over the past 12 months. In fact, possession of an effective AI skillset is a bigger concern for marketers than data and analytics capability (44.2%) or an understanding of martech (31.1%).

According to the data, fear over the AI skills gap grows with seniority. Some 73.5% of CMOs and marketing directors have concerns about a lack of AI capability within their team, a figure which drops to 68.5% of senior managers and 58.8% of junior managers.