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Career overview · SOC 11-2021

Marketing Managers

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.

Also called: Account Supervisor · Brand Manager · Business Development Director · Business Development Manager · Commercial Lines Manager · Market Development Executive

Median pay (national)
$161,030
$81,900–$239,200+ (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
384,980
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+6.6%
~34,300 openings/yr
Typical entry
Bachelor's degree

What the numbers say

Refit analysis ·Pay for marketing managers shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $239,200+ versus $81,900 at the bottom 10% — 2.9x. The median of $161,030 leaves roughly 49% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +6.6% from 2024 to 2034 — faster than the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 34,300 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 51 states with released data, Massachusetts pays the most for this role (median $192,480, +20% vs the national median), while Guam sits lowest at $60,320 — a 219% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Atlassian JIRA, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint as in-demand technologies for this role.

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Top skills employers ask for

Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.

  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Speaking
  • Critical Thinking
  • Active Learning
  • Monitoring
  • Writing
  • Learning Strategies
  • Mathematics
  • Science

What they actually do

Core O*NET tasks for this role.

  • 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.
  • Develop pricing strategies, balancing firm objectives and customer satisfaction.
  • Direct the hiring, training, or performance evaluations of marketing or sales staff and oversee their daily activities.
  • Evaluate the financial aspects of product development, such as budgets, expenditures, research and development appropriations, or return-on-investment and profit-loss projections.
  • Compile lists describing product or service offerings.
  • Use sales forecasting or strategic planning to ensure the sale and profitability of products, lines, or services, analyzing business developments and monitoring market trends.
  • Coordinate or participate in promotional activities or trade shows, working with developers, advertisers, or production managers, to market products or services.
  • Initiate market research studies, or analyze their findings.
  • Negotiate contracts with vendors or distributors to manage product distribution, establishing distribution networks or developing distribution strategies.

Tools & technology

  • Atlassian JIRA
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Salesforce software
  • Structured query language SQL
  • Adobe After Effects
  • Adobe Creative Cloud software
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe InDesign
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Amazon Redshift
  • Amazon Web Services AWS software
  • Apache Cassandra
  • Apache Hadoop
  • Apache Hive

Knowledge areas

  • Sales and Marketing
  • English Language
  • Administration and Management
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Communications and Media
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Mathematics
  • Design