Every year, we conduct an in-depth study to identify the top-paying roles in marketing. Our list includes a variety of positions, providing a clear picture of the salary range marketers can expect across different specialties.
Here are the key learning for this year:
- Compared to last year, there was a 5% increase in the salaries of all jobs.
- The salary range for popular marketing jobs ranges from $58K to $185K annually.
- The highest-paying marketing job is a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), with a yearly salary range between $94K and $284K.
- The lowest-highest-paying job is a social media manager, with a mean yearly salary of $58K.
Top High-Paying Marketing Jobs
- Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) - $185,000
- Content Marketing Director - $104,000
- Data Scientist / Analyst - $101,000
- Product Marketing Manager - $99,000
- Marketing Director - $98,000
- Brand Marketing Manager - $82,000
- SEO Manager - $77,000
- Digital Marketing Manager - $75,000
- Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Manager - $59,000
- Social Media Manager - $58,000
1. Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
- Salary Range: $94,000 - $284,000
- Average Salary: $185,000
The average annual salary of a Chief Marketing Officer in the US is $185,000. It’s the highest-paying job in marketing.
Chief Marketing Managers, or CMOs, are the corporate executives in a business responsible for managing, planning, and optimizing an organization’s marketing activities.
To be successful in this position, you’ll need to demonstrate exceptional marketing skills and leadership.
What Does a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Do?
Chief Marketing Officers take on multiple roles to ensure a company’s marketing operations successfully and effectively drive business results.
The CMO works alongside other senior executives, such as the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) and CFO (Chief Financial Officer), to set goals and develop strategies that drive brand awareness and growth.
As the head of a company’s marketing department, CMOs are responsible for developing and implementing marketing campaigns that increase an organization’s customer base and boost sales.
They work with all parts of the business, from operations and sales to product engineering, to generate revenue. Common tasks include:
- Setting marketing goals and objectives based on data and market analysis
- Researching marketing opportunities, customers, and competitors
- Implementing marketing strategies and guiding marketing teams
- Managing a team of marketing professionals on a day-to-day basis
- Consulting on branding and growth decisions
- Ensuring marketing activities adhere to the budget of the business
- Attending marketing events and conferences
Chief Marketing Office Career Path
The most common career path of a CMO is:
- Chief marketing specialist or manager
- VP of Marketing
- Chief Marketing Officer / Marketing Director
Becoming a CMO takes time and extensive career planning.
The first step is often becoming a specialist or expert in marketing. This means developing a strong education in marketing. To develop your industry knowledge, you may earn either a bachelor’s degree or an MBA with a concentration in marketing.
Once you’ve earned your credentials, you’ll need to gain plenty of marketing experience. Most businesses require their CMOs to have at least 10 years of experience in marketing, with five years of experience in a management position.
Many CMOs start in a support role, like “marketing specialist” or “digital marketing manager,” before pursuing this leadership role.
2. Content Marketing Director
- Salary Range: $67,000 - $159,000
- Average Salary: $104,000
The average annual salary for a Content Marketing Director in the US is approximately $104,000, though income can vary based on experience.
As a content marketing director, you’ll be responsible for creating content marketing campaigns, as well as planning, writing, editing, and promoting content.
You’ll spend a significant amount of time working alongside other marketing specialists to ensure the content produced by your company is driving positive business outcomes.
What does a content marketing director do?
Content Marketing Directors operate in a leadership role, which means they need to be able to guide, motivate, and engage other team members and work with them to achieve marketing goals.
Common responsibilities include:
- Working with partners and influencers on collaboration opportunities
- Creating content marketing strategies for the entire consumer purchasing funnel
- Working with external agencies and internal teams on campaigns
- Analyzing the impact of each campaign
- Conducting extensive research into business opportunities
- Creating SOPs and guidelines for other team members to follow
Content marketing director career plan
The typical career path of a content marketing director is:
- Content marketing specialist
- Content strategist
- Senior content strategist/content marketing director
To become a content marketing director, you’ll first need to establish a strong understanding of content marketing and its value in the business world.
Content marketing is one of the most popular forms of inbound marketing. It involves showcasing thought leadership, demonstrating credibility, and building authority through educational, informative, and entertaining content.
To succeed in content marketing, you must develop a deep knowledge of your target audience and how content guides them through different sales funnel stages.
3. Data Scientist / Analyst
- Salary Range: $72,000 - $141,000
- Average Salary: $101,000
Data Analysts (or marketing data analysts or data scientists) earn an average annual salary of $101,000, with significant opportunities for increased remuneration based on experience and skill sets.
What does a data analyst/ scientist do?
Some common responsibilities of a marketing data analyst include:
- Leading strategy sessions to define metrics and KPIs for measurement
- Conducting reviews of campaigns and creating reports for business leaders
- Leveraging database tools and CRMs to determine new opportunities
- Guide the marketing activities of other promotional professionals
- Utilize analytical tools for keyword and market research
- Conduct competitor analysis to discover gap opportunities
Data analyst career plan
The typical career path for a data analyst is:
- Data analyst
- Senior data analyst
- Data scientist
Most companies require analysts to have a bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as marketing or business. You’ll also need to develop relevant work experience, showcasing your ability to interpret data and create reports.
The following resources will help you get into Data Analytics.
4. Product Marketing Manager
- Salary Range: $68,000 - $139,000
- Average Salary: $99,000
On average, Product Marketing Managers can earn around $99,000 annually, with opportunities to increase their income with experience.
Product Marketing Managers (PPMs) are responsible for managing the positioning, messaging, and branding behind a product.
What does a product marketing manager do?
Product marketing managers work with engineers and developers when a product is being prepared for launch. They gather information about an item's USPs (Unique selling points) and determine how to convey them in marketing materials.
Mostly, product marketing managers focus on the three essential levels of the sales funnel: Awareness, attracting customer attention to products, Engagement, building trust with customers, and conversion and retention. Other responsibilities include:
- Implementing project management strategies for product development and marketing
- Analyzing relevant information and creating reports based on KPIs and metrics
- Collaborating with product designers, developers, and marketing teams
- Creating content and assets for product promotion
- Analyzing and implementing promotion distribution strategies
- Building trust with potential customers through events and campaigns
- Crafting budgets and project plans for product promotion
Product marketing manager career plan
The typical career path for a product marketing manager is:
- Product marketing manager
- Senior product marketing manager
- Product marketing director
5. Marketing Director
- Salary Range: $56,000 - $160,000
- Average Salary: $98,000
The role of marketing director is similar in many ways to that of a Chief Marketing Officer, making it one of the highest-paying jobs in the industry.
The average salary of a Marketing Director in the US is around $98,000 per year.
Marketing directors are responsible for designing and implementing comprehensive marketing strategies that increase a company's awareness and accelerate growth.
They supervise the marketing department, provide team guidance and feedback, and produce ideas for promotional events or activities.
As a marketing director, you’ll need exceptional knowledge of the marketing industry and strong leadership skills to guide your team.
What does a marketing director do?
Some of the core responsibilities of a marketing director include:
- Managing and supervising the activities of the larger marketing team
- Developing long-term brand strategies for an organization
- Approving marketing plans and overseeing marketing campaigns
- Creating market research and campaign budgets
- Working with sales, design, and finance teams on business growth
- Deriving insights from marketing reports to help with decision-making
Marketing director career plan
The typical career path for a marketing director is:
- Marketing director
- VP of Marketing
- Chief Marketing Officer
6. Brand Marketing Manager
- Salary Range: $58,000 - $123,000
- Average Salary: $82,000
As a brand marketing manager, you can earn an average salary of $82,000 per year and may progress to higher-end roles, such as VP of marketing or marketing manager.
Brand marketing managers combine marketing and branding disciplines to ensure business growth.
What does a brand marketing manager do?
A brand marketing manager must be familiar with various marketing aspects, including market research, digital marketing, social media marketing, and design.
While you might not create marketing content yourself, you must guide teams through creating messages and assets that strengthen your company’s brand equity.
As a brand marketing manager, you may be responsible for:
- Conducting market research into competitors and customers
- Analyzing data and reports for trends, insights, and information
- Advising and guiding teams on branding and marketing strategies
- Communicating with marketing teams to ensure brand consistency
- Managing projects throughout various stages of development
- Managing budgets to support branding and marketing efforts
Brand marketing manager career plan
The typical career path for a brand marketing manager is:
- Brand Marketing Manager
- Marketing director
- Vice President of Marketing
7. SEO Manager
- Salary Range: $53,000 - $112,000
- Average Salary: $77,000
SEO Managers are specialists in the marketing world, focused specifically on the landscape of search engine optimization. They work with other marketing teams and business leaders to improve a company’s visibility on the search result pages.
SEO Managers combine the skills of an SEO specialist, expert, or professional with leadership abilities. They guide teams and plan comprehensive marketing strategies.
Because SEO is essential to succeeding in today’s online world, SEO managers can earn good incomes, with an average salary of around $77,000 per year.
What does an SEO manager do?
An SEO Manager’s role is similar to that of a digital marketing manager. However, the SEO manager is more technologically driven and focused on website and social media optimization and content strategy.
Key responsibilities of an SEO manager include:
- Auditing and analyzing websites for SEO optimization
- Negotiating backlinks and working on off-page SEO
- Implementing technical SEO strategies based on crucial metrics
- Keyword research and on-page SEO optimization
- Market analysis of competitors and customers
- Creating social media and email content
- Guiding marketing teams with SEO best practices
SEO manager career plan
The most common career path for an SEO manager is:
- SEO Marketing manager
- SEO Director
- Marketing Director
To start a career in SEO, use the following resources:
8. Digital Marketing Manager
- Salary Range: $51,000 - $109,000
- Average Salary: $75,000
The role of a digital marketing manager is quite a broad one in the marketing world. It involves experimenting with all forms of digital marketing, from PPC campaigns and SEO to social media and email marketing managers.
As a digital marketing manager, you can earn an average salary of $75,000 per year.
What does a digital marketing manager do?
Digital marketing managers are responsible for designing, optimizing, and executing marketing strategies to promote brands, products, and services. They operate across various channels and experiment with email, social media, and other resources.
Key responsibilities include:
- Planning digital marketing campaigns for SEO/SEM, social media, and more
- Maintaining a social presence across all digital channels
- Guiding and directing other members of the marketing team
- Conducting extensive competitor and consumer research
- Measuring and reporting on the performance of marketing campaigns
- Optimizing the strategy to improve results
Digital marketing manager career plan
The standard career path of a digital marketing manager is as follows:
- Digital marketing manager
- Marketing director
- Vice President of Marketing (VP)
Becoming a digital marketing manager is similar to becoming a digital marketing specialist. This means a deep understanding of display advertising, SEM, PPC, social media marketing, and email advertising. You’ll also need a strong knowledge of SEO.
Use the resources below to learn more:
9. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Manager
- Salary Range: $46,000 - $87,000
- Average Salary: $59,000
While SEO and other marketing managers focus on things like content creation to boost organic traffic, PPC managers concentrate on paid advertising.
As a PPC manager, you can make an average of $59,000 per year, though some roles will offer bonuses based on performance.
What does a PPC marketing manager do?
Sometimes referred to as “Search Engine Advertising” managers, PPC managers are responsible for implementing powerful pay-per-click advertising strategies. They need to manage and review campaigns associated with Google Ads, Bing, and other platforms.
Core responsibilities include:
- Monitoring, reviewing, and analyzing PPC campaigns
- Tracking campaign performance and making optimization suggestions
- Creating campaign strategies and guiding other teams
- Managing network placements on Google ads and other platforms
- Creating bidding budgets and strategies for campaigns
- Keyword research and competitor/consumer analysis
PPC marketing manager career plan
The typical career path for a PPC manager is:
- PPC Specialist
- Search engine marketing manager
- PPC manager
10. Social Media Manager
- Salary Range: $39,000 - $86,000
- Average Salary: $58,000
Social media managers are primarily responsible for managing a brand's presence. The average social media manager in the US can earn around $58,000 in this role, and some even specialize in particular fields, like Facebook advertising.
What does a social media manager do?
Social media managers manage a company's online presence on social media networks such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and TikTok.
Common responsibilities include:
- Creating and implementing social media content strategies
- Overseeing profile growth and monitoring brand reputation
- Responding to messages from customers
- Optimizing social profiles with paid and organic campaigns
- Reporting on crucial metrics
- Conducting competitor and customer research
Social media manager career plan
The career path for most social media managers is as follows:
- Social media manager
- Marketing Manager
- Marketing Director
The data for the above study was collected from Payscale Salary Research.
