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: BD Director (Business Development Director), BD Manager (Business Development Manager), Brand Manager, Business Developer, Category Manager, Channel Manager
Median pay
$166,790
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$90,260 – $293,610
People employed
395,240
Holland code
ECI
Enterprising · Conventional · Investigative
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Do you want to lead or coordinate other people’s work?
- 2.Are you OK working more than 40 hours a week?
- 3.Are you comfortable sitting at a desk most of the day?
- 4.Do you want the same hours every week?
- 5.Do you want a lot of freedom to make your own decisions?
- 6.Do you want a job with little physical risk?
- 7.Do you work well under tight deadlines?
The hard parts
- Tight deadlines are common
Marketing Managers pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (47 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What marketing managers do
- 01Formulate, direct, or coordinate marketing activities or policies to promote products or services, working with advertising or promotion managers.
- 02Use sales forecasting or strategic planning to ensure the sale and profitability of products, lines, or services, analyzing business developments and monitoring market trends.
- 03Identify, develop, or evaluate marketing strategy, based on knowledge of establishment objectives, market characteristics, and cost and markup factors.
- 04Direct the hiring, training, or performance evaluations of marketing or sales staff and oversee their daily activities.
- 05Evaluate the financial aspects of product development, such as budgets, expenditures, research and development appropriations, or return-on-investment and profit-loss projections.
- 06Develop pricing strategies, balancing firm objectives and customer satisfaction.
Skills that matter most
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Reading Comprehension
- Monitoring
Knowledge
- Sales and Marketing
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Communications and Media
- Administration and Management
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Achievement Orientation
- Social Orientation
- Adaptability
- Innovation
Education and first steps
O*NET has no education survey data for this job.
How people get started
- Usually needs a bachelor's degree (O*NET Job Zone 4).
- Related work experience: over 1 year, up to and including 2 years.
- On-the-job training: none or short demonstration.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from marketing managers
- Purchasing Managers85% · −11%
- Financial Managers80% · 0%
- Compensation and Benefits Managers79% · −11%
- Human Resources Managers78% · −10%
- Chief Executives77% · +28%
Change into marketing managers
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Public Relations Specialists91% · $74,750
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists90% · $78,760
- Search Marketing Strategists90% · $78,760
- Fundraisers89% · $72,550
- Online Merchants88% · $83,050
Majors that lead here
- Consumer Merchandising/Retailing Management
- Apparel and Textile Marketing Management
- Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management
- Marketing/Marketing Management, General
- Marketing Research
- International Marketing
- Digital Marketing
- Marketing, Other
- Hospitality and Recreation Marketing Operations
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.