Hiring Marketing Managers

What do marketing managers do?

• 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.

Core tasks, O*NET OnLine, 11-2021.00.

What does it take to become one?

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

O*NET Job Zone 4, SVP (7.0 to < 8.0). O*NET OnLine.

Employers commonly list experience with Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint, Salesforce software, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe After Effects for this role.

What do marketing managers get paid?

BLS OEWS, May 2025 publishes a wage for marketing managers in 92 of the metro areas in this build. The median ranges from $105,050 to $231,370 a year depending on the metro, with a midpoint of $140,270. This is what employers pay, place of work, not a single national figure and not what any one person takes home.

BLS OEWS, BLS OEWS, May 2025, SOC 11-2021.

What does hiring one cost?

The same as any role: tier, not location or salary, sets the fee. Across all six tiers the published range is $6,240 to $54,340 per search. For scale, the highest published median for marketing managers in this build is $231,370. A contingency firm hiring at that level would bill roughly $46,274 to $69,411 on the first year salary alone, 20 to 30%.

Frequently asked

How fast can a marketing managers search fill?

23 to 35 days, 2 to 3x faster than a typical contingency search, per the recruiting provider's published figures.

What if the hire does not work out?

A 45-day replacement guarantee, at 50% off a repeat search for the same role.