How much do marketing managers make?

Marketing Manager salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Marketing Managers (SOC 11-2021) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Marketing managers in the US earned a median of $166,790 a year ($80.19 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $123,020 to $216,410.

Median annual pay: $166,790; Mean $177,770
Median hourly pay: $80.19; Mean $85.47
Typical range (10th–90th): $90.3K–$294K; $90,260 to $293,610
US jobs: 395,240; +6.9% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become a marketing manager: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: Massachusetts

Marketing Manager pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$90,260
25th percentile$123,020
Median$166,790
75th percentile$216,410
90th percentile$293,610

Half of all marketing managers earned more than $166,790 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $90,260; the top 10% made over $293,610. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $123,020 to $216,410.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$90,260	$43.39	$7,522
25th	$123,020	$59.15	$10,252
Median (50th)	$166,790	$80.19	$13,899
75th	$216,410	$104.04	$18,034
90th	$293,610	$141.16	$24,468
Mean (average)	$177,770	$85.47	$14,814

Marketing Manager salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for marketing managers by state. Darker tiles pay more. A dash means BLS did not publish a figure.

Highest-paying states

1. Massachusetts $212,020
2. California $193,620
3. Virginia $187,820
4. Colorado $182,730
5. New York $181,200

Lowest-paying states

48. West Virginia $98,750
47. Mississippi $100,940
46. Nevada $107,550
45. Nebraska $110,570
44. Alaska $116,270

Best after cost of living: Massachusetts. Its median of $212,020 is worth about $200,478 at national-average prices.


Alabama	$120,160	42	$135,280	40	$57.77	1,540	0.73
Alaska	$116,270	44	$113,590	45	$55.90	240	0.75
Arizona	$132,220	33	$131,331	42	$63.57	4,870	1.50
Arkansas	$136,520	28	$157,033	18	$65.63	1,860	1.43
California	$193,620	2	$174,874	8	$93.09	54,660	3.00
Colorado	$182,730	4	$177,318	4	$87.85	6,010	2.09
Connecticut	$169,240	10	$163,343	14	$81.36	5,800	3.42
Delaware	—	—	—	—	—	1,060	2.19
District of Columbia	$177,170	7	$161,209	16	$85.18	3,470	4.95
Florida	$142,620	24	$137,912	37	$68.57	24,820	2.50
Georgia	$160,760	17	$166,949	12	$77.29	8,510	1.74
Hawaii	$117,770	43	$107,111	48	$56.62	570	0.91
Idaho	$142,090	25	$148,795	24	$68.31	1,320	1.54
Illinois	$162,860	14	$162,928	15	$78.30	21,140	3.47
Indiana	$136,260	29	$146,000	26	$65.51	3,350	1.05
Iowa	$131,120	35	$149,404	23	$63.04	2,210	1.42
Kansas	$154,510	18	$171,548	10	$74.28	1,570	1.09
Kentucky	$128,930	37	$143,003	31	$61.98	1,930	0.97
Louisiana	$120,650	41	$136,781	39	$58.01	940	0.48
Maine	$135,380	30	$139,495	36	$65.09	1,320	2.06
Maryland	$154,160	19	$146,876	25	$74.11	6,510	2.35
Massachusetts	$212,020	1	$200,478	1	$101.93	14,270	3.92
Michigan	$138,510	27	$143,956	28	$66.59	6,620	1.50
Minnesota	$173,300	8	$175,723	5	$83.32	8,500	2.88
Mississippi	$100,940	47	$116,086	44	$48.53	770	0.66
Missouri	$130,550	36	$143,751	29	$62.76	6,550	2.23
Montana	$165,580	12	$174,948	7	$79.61	—	—
Nebraska	$110,570	45	$122,715	43	$53.16	1,910	1.87
Nevada	$107,550	46	$107,573	47	$51.71	3,430	2.21
New Hampshire	$143,280	23	$137,551	38	$68.89	1,460	2.13
New Jersey	$180,040	6	$165,470	13	$86.56	13,510	3.15
New Mexico	$122,980	40	$133,367	41	$59.13	800	0.92
New York	$181,200	5	$167,901	11	$87.12	54,000	5.57
North Carolina	$165,480	13	$175,434	6	$79.56	10,790	2.18
North Dakota	$125,580	39	$141,166	35	$60.38	180	0.41
Ohio	$132,330	32	$142,637	32	$63.62	10,620	1.91
Oklahoma	$126,920	38	$144,485	27	$61.02	1,420	0.83
Oregon	$161,560	16	$156,307	19	$77.67	4,960	2.52
Pennsylvania	$150,810	20	$154,563	20	$72.51	13,840	2.28
Rhode Island	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
South Carolina	$143,290	22	$152,844	21	$68.89	3,760	1.63
South Dakota	$167,750	11	$189,364	2	$80.65	220	0.49
Tennessee	$131,990	34	$143,670	30	$63.46	7,730	2.36
Texas	$147,880	21	$152,364	22	$71.10	44,680	3.17
Utah	$139,830	26	$141,437	34	$67.23	6,100	3.52
Vermont	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Virginia	$187,820	3	$185,769	3	$90.30	6,890	1.68
Washington	$172,270	9	$160,980	17	$82.82	8,880	2.50
West Virginia	$98,750	48	$110,339	46	$47.48	300	0.43
Wisconsin	$133,600	31	$141,984	33	$64.23	4,890	1.66
Wyoming	$161,580	15	$174,321	9	$77.68	100	0.36

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure (3 states). State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for marketing managers

332 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$231,370	$209,531	7,300
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$220,480	$190,705	11,170
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$213,910	$197,578	11,940
Billings, MT	$212,760	$227,488	160
Trenton-Princeton, NJ	$208,440	$202,016	1,250
Topeka, KS	$205,310	$231,153	190
Boulder, CO	$199,570	$189,702	630
Worcester, MA	$199,280	$194,376	590
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$192,840	$171,317	54,730
Greeley, CO	$190,410	$190,075	100

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	54,730	$192,840	$171,317
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	18,550	$171,900	$151,366
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	17,400	$165,340	$159,602
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	16,320	$155,460	$150,800
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	11,940	$213,910	$197,578
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	11,170	$220,480	$190,705
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	8,930	$153,030	$155,157
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	8,900	$181,260	$166,471
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	8,270	$166,310	$162,168
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	7,530	$135,870	$119,022

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves marketing manager pay: employers and settings

Industry has a big effect on marketing manager pay. Software publishers pay a median of $206,400 and computer systems design firms $194,300. In both, marketers sell technical products to other businesses. Corporate headquarters (management of companies) pay $172,580 and advertising and PR agencies $168,420. Consulting firms pay a bit less, at $158,610. Public employers pay less again: local government pays $122,200 and state government $104,170.

Location matters too. Massachusetts leads with a median of $212,020, followed by California at $193,620, and Virginia at $187,820, and Massachusetts stays first after cost of living ($200,478 adjusted). The lowest-paying states are Nevada at $107,550, Mississippi at $100,940, and West Virginia at $98,750.

Across the field, pay runs from $90,260, the 10th percentile, to $293,610, the 90th. Those percentiles show how pay is spread across all marketing managers, not what you earn at a given number of years. Private employers, which hold nearly all of these jobs, pay a median of $167,480.

Where marketing managers work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Management of Companies and Enterprises	13.3%	$172,580
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	7.3%	$158,610
Computer Systems Design and Related Services	6.5%	$194,300
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services	3.7%	$168,420
Software Publishers	3.3%	$206,400
Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only)	2.6%	$169,950

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	388,320	$167,480
Federal government (incl. Postal Service)	170	$151,590
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	2,990	$104,170
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	3,760	$122,200

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

Marketing Manager pay over time

Median annual pay, 2015–2025

$167K $129K

2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $128,750 in 2015 to $166,790 in 2025, up 30% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $174,044 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay fell 4% over the period.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What marketing managers do

A marketing manager decides who a company should sell to, what to say to them and how to reach them, then runs the team and budget that make it happen. That covers sizing up demand for a product, studying competitors, setting prices, choosing channels such as search ads, email, events or retail promotions, and measuring what each dollar of spending brings back in sales.

Marketing managers work in almost every industry. The largest groups are in corporate headquarters, consulting firms, software and IT companies, advertising agencies, and banks and lenders. Titles vary: marketing director, brand manager, product marketing manager and growth or demand-generation manager are all common versions of the job. Day to day, they work with sales, product development, finance, public relations and outside agencies, and they report results to executives. Most work full time, usually in an office, and some put in more than 40 hours a week, especially around product launches and deadlines.

A typical day

Set the marketing plan and budget for a product line, region or the whole company
Commission customer research and turn the findings into target segments and messages
Work with product and finance teams on pricing, packaging and launch dates
Approve ad campaigns, emails, website pages and event plans before they go out
Track leads, sales and return on ad spend in dashboards, and move money to what works
Hire, coach and review marketing staff, and manage agencies and freelancers
Present results and forecasts to executives and sales leaders

Also called: marketing director, product manager, bd director (business development director), bd manager (business development manager), brand manager, market development executive, market development manager, marketing communications manager.

How to become a marketing manager

Full guide

Most marketing managers have a bachelor's degree in marketing, business or communications and at least 5 years of experience in marketing, sales, advertising or market research before moving into management. No license is required.

Typical time: About 9 years (4-year degree plus 5 or more years of experience); Fastest: About 6 years (4-year degree plus a few years of experience at a small company)
Minimum education: Bachelor's degree, usually in marketing, business administration or communications
License: Not licensed (certification optional)
Typical training cost: $41.9K–$76.5K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a marketing manager: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: About 9 years (4-year degree plus 5 or more years of experience); Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $41.9K–$76.5K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $166,790; $115,810 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 25–46%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($115,810 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in less than a year after training ends (about 9 years (4-year degree plus 5 or more years of experience) in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for marketing managers

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +6.9%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 421,600; 450,800 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 34,000; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: 5.3%; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects marketing manager jobs to grow 6.9% from 2025 to 2035, from 421,600 to 450,800, which is about twice the 3.5% average for all occupations. Around 34,000 openings are expected each year, counting both new jobs and replacements for managers who retire or change roles. Companies keep needing people to defend and grow market share, set prices and find new ways to reach buyers. The related advertising and promotions manager job is projected to shrink 4%, partly because AI tools speed up making and testing digital ads.

Related careers and their pay

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Marketing Manager salary FAQ

How much do marketing managers make an hour?

The median hourly wage for marketing managers was $80.19 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $43.39 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $141.16. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays marketing managers the most?

Massachusetts has the highest median pay for marketing managers, $212,020 a year, followed by California ($193,620) and Virginia ($187,820). After adjusting for each state's price level, Massachusetts comes out ahead at about $200,478 in national-average dollars.

Do marketing managers make $200,000 a year?

Some do: based on the BLS percentiles, between 25% and 50% of marketing managers earn more than $200,000 a year. The median is $166,790, and the top 10% earn more than $293,610. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

What is the difference between a marketing manager and a product manager?

A product manager decides what a product should do, sets its feature priorities and works with engineers to build it. A marketing manager decides how to position, price and promote it, and runs the campaigns that bring in customers. Product marketing managers sit between the two, turning product features into messages for sales and customers. O*NET lists product manager among the job titles reported by marketing managers.

What does a marketing director do differently?

A marketing director usually oversees several marketing managers or the whole department, owns the annual budget and answers to the chief marketing officer or chief executive. The work shifts from running campaigns to setting strategy, hiring and allocating money across channels. In smaller companies, "marketing manager" and "marketing director" may be the same job with a different title.

Which industries pay marketing managers the most?

In our data, software publishers have the highest median ($206,400), followed by computer systems design firms ($194,300). Corporate headquarters pay $172,580 and banks and other lenders pay $169,950. Ad agencies are close behind at $168,420. Government agencies employ few marketing managers and pay less.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 11-2021
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (11-2021.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
Marketing Managers (11-2021.00), O*NET OnLine · checked October 28, 2026
Marketing Management Certification, American Marketing Association · checked October 28, 2026
AACSB-Accredited Schools, AACSB International · checked October 28, 2026
Free Google Ads training and certification, Google Skillshop · checked October 28, 2026
Content Marketing Certification, American Marketing Association · checked October 28, 2026
Digital Marketing Certification, American Marketing Association · checked October 28, 2026
Professional certifications for Skillshop Google Ads/GMP/GA, Google Skillshop Help · checked October 28, 2026

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