Marketing Managers: Career Profile
Plan, direct, or coordinate marketing policies and programs, such as determining the demand for products and services offered by a firm and its competitors, and identify potential customers. Develop pricing strategies with the goal of maximizing the firm's profits or share of the market while ensuring the firm's customers are satisfied. Oversee product development or monitor trends that indicate the need for new products and services.
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What Tasks Do Marketing Managers Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of marketing managers include:
- Identify, develop, or evaluate marketing strategy, based on knowledge of establishment objectives, market characteristics, and cost and markup factors.
- Formulate, direct, or coordinate marketing activities or policies to promote products or services, working with advertising or promotion managers.
- Evaluate the financial aspects of product development, such as budgets, expenditures, research and development appropriations, or return-on-investment and profit-loss projections.
- Develop pricing strategies, balancing firm objectives and customer satisfaction.
- Compile lists describing product or service offerings.
- Direct the hiring, training, or performance evaluations of marketing or sales staff and oversee their daily activities.
- Consult with product development personnel on product specifications, such as design, color, or packaging.
- Use sales forecasting or strategic planning to ensure the sale and profitability of products, lines, or services, analyzing business developments and monitoring market trends.
Skills and Knowledge
Successful marketing managers rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Related Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Account Supervisor
- Brand Manager
- Business Developer
- Business Development Director
- Business Development Manager
- Category Manager
- Channel Manager
- Commercial Director
How Many Marketing Managers Are There?
There are about 271,208 marketing managers working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -4.4% over the projection horizon.
Marketing Managers Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $90,143 |
| Hourly median | $43.34 |
| 10th percentile | $57,604 |
| 25th percentile | $73,874 |
| 75th percentile | $106,412 |
| 90th percentile | $122,681 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Marketing Managers Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $192,480 |
| California | $178,160 |
| Virginia | $177,250 |
| Colorado | $173,390 |
| New Jersey | $173,310 |
| New York | $172,590 |
| Rhode Island | $171,250 |
| Washington | $168,800 |
| District of Columbia | $168,080 |
| Minnesota | $167,250 |
| Georgia | $159,180 |
| Connecticut | $158,410 |
| North Carolina | $156,650 |
| Oregon | $155,640 |
| Illinois | $154,480 |
| Maryland | $154,080 |
| New Hampshire | $153,020 |
| Vermont | $151,010 |
| South Dakota | $145,390 |
| Pennsylvania | $142,000 |
| Kansas | $141,250 |
| Texas | $140,620 |
| Arizona | $135,920 |
| Michigan | $135,610 |
| Utah | $135,190 |
| Ohio | $132,660 |
| Montana | $132,180 |
| Wisconsin | $131,110 |
| Indiana | $130,730 |
| Florida | $130,490 |
| Tennessee | $130,260 |
| Iowa | $128,150 |
| Arkansas | $127,320 |
| Oklahoma | $126,150 |
| South Carolina | $124,000 |
| Kentucky | $123,480 |
| North Dakota | $123,460 |
| Hawaii | $121,160 |
| New Mexico | $118,460 |
| Idaho | $114,410 |
| Alabama | $112,960 |
| Missouri | $112,250 |
| Alaska | $110,560 |
| West Virginia | $110,150 |
| Nebraska | $108,200 |
| Louisiana | $103,080 |
| Nevada | $103,020 |
| Mississippi | $91,030 |
| Puerto Rico | $86,420 |
| Virgin Islands | $83,750 |
| Guam | $60,320 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Compensation for marketing managers shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $170,854 | 19.9% | 1.20 |
| Middle Atlantic | $164,771 | 22.2% | 1.66 |
| New England | $163,357 | 6.9% | 1.48 |
| Rocky Mountains | $149,012 | 3.8% | 1.12 |
| Great Lakes | $143,538 | 11.4% | 0.99 |
| Southeast | $141,730 | 17.4% | 0.78 |
| Southwest | $139,557 | 13.0% | 1.17 |
| Plains States | $139,287 | 5.2% | 0.90 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $228,580 | 7,590 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $212,520 | 12,820 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $200,010 | 11,440 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | NJ | $199,950 | 1,240 |
| Worcester, MA | MA | $176,500 | 650 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $176,240 | 9,480 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | CO | $176,100 | 4,210 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $175,560 | 49,750 |
Top Industries Employing Marketing Managers
Most marketing managers work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 97,200 | $165,080 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 50,050 | $169,840 |
| Wholesale Trade | 40,030 | $158,120 |
| Information | 39,700 | $178,130 |
| Finance and Insurance | 36,620 | $167,610 |
| Manufacturing | 30,150 | $168,210 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 17,030 | $135,030 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 12,370 | $117,020 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Software Marketing Managers Use
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Video creation and editing software: Adobe After Effects (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Redshift (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Web Services AWS software (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Apache Cassandra (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Apache Hadoop (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Apache Hive (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Apple macOS (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of marketing managers reflects the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
Education and Training
Typical marketing managers positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Purchasing Managers (Primary-Long)
- Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products (Supplemental)
- Logisticians (Supplemental)
- Project Management Specialists (Supplemental)
- Management Analysts (Supplemental)
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Search Marketing Strategists (Primary-Short)
- Online Merchants (Primary-Long)
Where to Study
Students preparing for marketing managers typically earn programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
6 programs across 2 majors
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
2 programs across 2 majors
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
References
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 11-2021.00 (Marketing Managers).
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