What Is the Average Marketing Manager Salary in the US?

Marketing managers help companies drive sales and brand awareness, determine brand and marketing strategies, and work to oversee a team to complete projects. In this leadership position, you’ll report to senior leadership and lead a team of marketing professionals to accomplish company objectives. 

Explore the role as a marketing manager and the earning potential based on factors including location, education level, past experience, and the industry you work in. 

What is a marketing manager?

As a marketing manager, you will oversee marketing activities such as conducting market research, designing ad campaigns, and coordinating with other marketing department members. Depending on your team, you could fill a more generalized role and specialize in marketing activities such as:

• Social media marketing

• Content marketing

• Digital marketing

• Brand marketing

You'll help identify the markets your organization should target, using analytical skills to monitor campaigns and assess emerging trends.

Average marketing manager salary

According to various sources, the average marketing manager’s salary in the United States ranges from $76,646 to $156,580. The exact data breaks down as follows [2, 3, 4, 5]:

Factors that affect salary

In addition to your geographic location and your experience in marketing, your highest level of education and the industry you choose are all factors that will change how much salary you can expect to make on average. Take a closer look at each of these variables to better understand what you might expect to earn as a marketing manager. 

Education level

Hiring managers typically require marketing managers to hold at least a bachelor’s degree. Zippia reports that 75 percent of marketing managers hold a bachelor’s, 13 percent have a master’s, 7 percent with an associate's, and 5 percent hold a high school diploma or other degrees [6]. Zippia also offers insight into how the average marketing manager’s salary changes based on education [3]:

• Associate degree: $93,090

• Bachelor’s degree: $108,463

• Master’s degree: $122,943

Experience

The number of years you’ve worked in marketing may also influence your salary as a marketing manager. According to Glassdoor, the number of years of experience can impact average salary [4]:

• 0–1: $69,001

• 1–3: $75,653 

• 4–6: $84,941 

• 7–9: $90,522 

• 10–14 years: $95,815 

• 15 or more years: $99,151 

Location

Geographically, the average salary of a marketing manager can vary widely, from the highest-paying state of California, where you could make $113,956, to the lowest-paying state of Alabama, where salaries average $69,937, per data from Zippia [3]. Here are the five highest-paying states for a marketing manager as follows:

• California: $113,956

• Washington: $107,931

• Connecticut: $106,726

• New Jersey: $106,432

• New York: $105,368

Zippia also reports the highest-paying cities for marketing managers as follows [3]:

• Menlo Park, CA: $121,407

• Seattle, WA: $108,673

• Englewood, NJ: $106,652

• New York, NY: $105,624

• Boston, MA: $97,407

Discover which states pay the lowest for marketing management, per Zippia [3]:

• Alabama: $69,937

• Oklahoma: $70,275

• Colorado: $70,657

• Mississippi: $72,017

• Florida: $72,140

Industry 

Marketing managers have the opportunity to work in a variety of industries, which can also play a role in the amount of money you earn. Evaluate the average base salary for marketing managers across five high-paying sectors [4]:

• Information technology: $115,402

• Financial services: $125,141

• Pharmaceutical and biotechnology: $107,981

• Insurance: $107,891

• Manufacturing: $103,367 

Highest-paying companies for marketing managers

Overall, across all industries, some of the highest-paying companies for marketing managers and the average base salary for each include the following [4]:

• Meta: $183,000

• NVIDIA: $165,000

• Apple: $164,000

• Cisco Systems: $163,000

• Google: $160,000

• Microsoft: $147,000

• Amazon: $137,000

• Uber: $123,000

Job growth and career outlook

According to the BLS, marketing manager jobs will grow by 8 percent from 2023 to 2033, a faster-than-average rate [2]. One reason this field is growing is the rate at which technology has increased the number of tools available for marketing managers. Companies need professionals who can use new tech to reach their audiences and find ways to connect to new audiences, driving growth. 

Related jobs and career path

In addition to becoming a marketing manager, you may choose a more specialized role, such as a digital marketing manager or a brand marketing manager. Explore the salaries and educational requirements of these similar marketing roles:

1. Digital marketing manager

Average annual US salary: $88,490 [7]

Education requirements: Employers typically look for candidates with a bachelor’s degree. 

As a digital marketing manager, you will create and direct digital marketing efforts. You will lead or work with a team to develop new digital content and drive brand awareness and website traffic. Typically, you'll be responsible for shaping marketing campaigns and advising which digital marketing tools are best for your brand. 

2. Brand marketing manager

Average annual US salary: $109,192 [8]

Education requirements: Brand marketing managers typically need a bachelor’s degree. 

A brand marketing manager helps shape marketing initiatives to drive brand awareness, look for new opportunities, and help determine brand strategy. Another responsibility you will have in this position is to ensure brand integrity and ensure that the branding message is consistent throughout all branding efforts. 

3. Events marketing manager

Average annual US salary: $73,424 [9]

Education requirements: Events marketing managers typically need a bachelor’s degree. 

As an events marketing manager, you will handle all stages of events, from planning through execution. You may set the calendar of events and oversee many events, or you may be assigned events from leadership. In this role, you will work with suppliers, respond to questions, and work with the media and the general public to raise awareness and market the event. 

How do I become a marketing manager?

Becoming a marketing manager requires a combination of education, skills, and experience. You’ll typically need a bachelor’s degree to begin working as a marketing manager. Typical areas of study include business, marketing, communications, or management. After completing your education, you’ll usually need to gain five or more years of experience in other marketing positions, such as marketing coordinator. 

Learn more about marketing with Coursera

The average annual salary for marketing managers will vary based on your education, experience, and location. If you want to learn more about this role, consider earning your Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Professional Certificate on Coursera. This beginner-level, seven-course series will help you learn skills in search engine optimization, display advertising, email marketing, and more. You can complete the course and start working as a marketing coordinator in as little as six months. Upon completion, gain a shareable Professional Certificate to include in your resume, CV, or LinkedIn profile.