Marketing Managers: Job Description
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 Do Marketing Managers Do?
Typical 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.
What Marketing Managers Need to Know
Successful marketing managers rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Marketing Managers Jobs
Common job titles for this role include:
- Account Supervisor
- Brand Manager
- Business Developer
- Business Development Director
- Business Development Manager
- Category Manager
- Channel Manager
- Commercial Director
Employment and Demand
There are roughly 271,208 marketing managers working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -4.4% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Marketing Managers Make?
| 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 |
Pay can vary substantially 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 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for marketing managers shift depending on where you work. The following regions pay the most:
| 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 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Marketing Managers
| 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 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of marketing managers are found across 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.
Tech Stack
- 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)
The Day-to-Day Environment
Daily working conditions for marketing managers is shaped by 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
How to Become Marketing Managers
Entry-level marketing managers positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
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)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Aspiring marketing managers often complete programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
6 programs across 2 majors
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced 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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