10 Top Highest Paying Marketing Jobs (Study)

The average salary for marketing jobs ranges from $55K to $179K annually.

The highest-paying marketing job is that of a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), with a salary range between $90K and $279K per year.

The lowest highest-paying job is that of a social media manager with a mean salary of $55K per year.

Most popular positions like digital marketing managers, SEO managers, and Data Analysts earn an annual salary between $75K and $99K.

Top High-Paying Marketing Jobs

These are the best-paying jobs in marketing in the US.

1. Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)

Salary Range: $90,000 – $279,000

The average annual salary of a Chief Marketing Officer is $179,000 in the US. It’s the highest-paying job in marketing.

Chief Marketing Managers, or CMOs, are the corporate executive in a business responsible for managing, planning, and optimizing an organization’s marketing activities.

These professionals invest in everything from brand management to market research, distribution channel management, and product marketing.

This makes the role of a CMO a highly versatile option for experts in marketing. However, to thrive in this position, you’ll need to demonstrate not just exceptional marketing skills but phenomenal leadership too.

What Does a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Do?

The role of a CMO is multi-faceted. Chief Marketing Officers take on multiple different roles to ensure a company’s marketing operations are successful and effective at driving 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

As perhaps the most senior role in many businesses for marketing professionals, 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. You may earn either a bachelor’s degree or MBA with a marketing concentration to develop your knowledge of the industry.

Once you’ve earned your credentials, you’ll need to gain plenty of experience in the marketing landscape. Most businesses require their CMOs to have at least 10 years of experience in marketing, with five years of experience in a management position.

Since the marketing landscape is constantly changing and evolving, you must be committed to a lifetime of learning and development.

This could mean earning certifications related to specific marketing tasks, like customer research or SEO.

Many CMOs start in a support role, applying to positions such as “marketing specialist” or “digital marketing manager” before pursuing this leadership role.

You’ll also need to hone your technical skills, showing employers you can utilize crucial tools for marketing, such as SEO, SEM, email, CRM, and social media platforms.

Developing strong leadership and communication skills will also be essential to demonstrate your ability to work at the head of a team.

2. Content Marketing Director

Salary Range: $60,000 – $156,000

The average salary per year for a Content Marketing Director in the US is approximately $102,000 per year, though income can vary based on experience.

As a content marketing director, you’ll be responsible for not only creating content marketing campaigns but also 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 are specialists in the marketing field. They operate in a leadership role, which means they need to be able to guide, motivate, and engage other team members, working with them to achieve marketing goals.

Directors of content marketing consistently liaise with leadership teams, working alongside other marketing specialists to develop marketing strategies. They also oversee other marketing professionals, providing guidance and direction for the full content plan.

As a content marketing director, you may spend some time creating content for multiple channels, including blogs, website content, email copy, and social media campaigns.

However, you’ll be primarily responsible for “directing” the progress of content marketing campaigns. 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 manager
• 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’ll need to develop a deep knowledge of your target audience and how content guides them through different stages of the sales funnel.

Once you’ve developed a clear knowledge of content marketing and your target audience, you must improve your writing skills. This means not only learning how to write engaging scripts and content but also how to optimize the content you produce.

You can hone your writing and keyword research skills, as well as your SEO processes, by starting your own blog or engaging in content marketing courses.

3. Data Scientist / Analyst

Salary Range: $71,000 – $137,000

Otherwise known as a marketing data analyst, or marketing analyst, a data scientist or analyst in the marketing world focuses on using data to drive business results.

Specialists in this landscape can earn an average annual salary of $99,000, with significant opportunities for increased remuneration based on experience and skill sets.

Data scientists and analysts report on important metrics and use data to drive decision-making strategies.

What does a data analyst/ scientist do?

The role of a data analyst can be a highly versatile one. Not every data scientist will focus exclusively on marketing. Some also analyze data related to sales, market trends, and various other business strategies.

As a marketing data analyst, you’ll primarily be responsible for performing research into the performance of various campaigns.

You’ll need to monitor campaign metrics, produce reports, create graphs and presentations, and devise strategies based on what you learn.

You’ll also need to be able to identify trends and opportunities in your market and recommend improvements to campaigns based on KPIs and metrics.

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

As a marketing data analyst, you’ll need to understand not just the marketing landscape but how to work with metrics, KPIs, and various forms of data.

Most companies require their analysts to have at least a bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as marketing or business. You’ll also need to develop significant relevant work experience, showcasing your ability to interpret data and create reports.

You can start by developing your education in both marketing and analytics, focusing on areas like customer and competitor research, data analysis, and data science. You’ll also need to develop a few key soft skills to thrive in this role.

Most hiring managers expect data analysts to be detail-oriented, analytical, and excellent at communicating and collaborating with other professionals.

You may need to start your career with an internship or entry-level role to develop a portfolio of your work.

It’s also helpful to build out your portfolio with your own analytical projects. Examining the performance of your own campaigns and tracking data for your own blog or website can help you to showcase your skills.

The following resources will help you get into Data Analytics.

4. Product Marketing Manager

Salary Range: $65,000 – $136,000

On average, PPMs can earn around $96,000 annually in their role, with opportunities to increase their income with experience.

Product Marketing Managers (PPMs) are individuals responsible for managing the positioning, messaging, and branding behind a product. They take ownership of the creation and distribution of promotional assets for crucial products.

As a product marketing manager, you’ll need both marketing and campaign marketing experience, as well as skills in project management, e-commerce marketing, and excellent communication.

What does a product marketing manager do?

Fundamentally, product marketing managers are responsible for telling engaging stories about a product designed to entice potential customers and increase revenue.

Product marketing managers work with engineers and developers when a product is being prepared for launch, gathering information about the USPs (Unique selling points) of an item and determining how they can be conveyed 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. Essential 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

As a product marketing manager, you’ll need to be an expert not just in your company’s products but in promoting those products to the right audience.

You’ll need to know how to conduct extensive competitor analysis and market research, so you can translate product features into messaging that highlights benefits to customers.

Most product marketing managers will have at least a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing.

However, these professionals must invest in continuous training and education to maintain and optimize their skills.

Most product marketing managers begin their careers working in lower-level marketing positions, such as “product marketing specialist”.

During your time in these roles, you’ll learn more about how to connect campaigns to product benefits and engage, nurture, and convert your target audience.

Memberships with respected professional organizations, such as the American Marketing Association, can enhance career prospects and opportunities.

For instance, you can apply for certification as a product marketing manager or apply for the “Certified Innovation Leader” certificate from the AIPMM.

5. Marketing Director

Salary Range: $53,000 – $154,000

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 $95,000 per year.

Marketing directors are responsible for designing and implementing comprehensive marketing strategies that drive awareness of a company and accelerate growth.

They supervise the marketing department, provide guidance and feedback to teams, and produce ideas for promotional events or activities.

As a marketing director, you’ll need exceptional knowledge of the marketing industry, as well as strong leadership skills, to help guide your team.

What does a marketing director do?

Marketing directors are responsible for ensuring the success of the marketing campaigns and efforts implemented by a business.

They work with high-level executives and other staff members to develop communication strategies that boost brand awareness.

A marketing director also oversees the activities of the marketing teams they guide, working closely with business leaders to ensure crucial objectives are met.

Primarily, marketing directors need to be able to plan and execute effective campaigns for corporate promotion while also monitoring and reporting on performance.

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

Marketing directors need to cultivate many of the same skills as Chief Marketing Officers. They often start by developing their expertise in the marketing world and learning about KPIs, metrics, and strategies that produce business growth.

Most marketing directors have a bachelor’s degree in marketing or a related business field, as well as certifications in areas such as search engine optimization and social media marketing.

You’ll also need extensive experience to thrive in this area, which could mean investing some time into entry-level career opportunities.

As you progress through your career, you’ll need to develop a series of both soft and hard skills.

Marketing directors need exceptional leadership and interpersonal skills and must be able to communicate effectively with all staff members.

6. Brand Marketing Manager

Salary Range: $55,000 – $117,000

As a brand marketing manager, you can earn an average salary of $79,000 per year and may progress to higher-end roles, such as VP of marketing or marketing manager.

Brand marketing managers are responsible for combining the disciplines of marketing and branding to ensure business growth.

Working in this landscape means developing a strategy for setting your company apart from its competitors and building long-lasting customer relationships.

What does a brand marketing manager do?

A brand marketing manager needs to be familiar with various aspects of marketing, from market research to digital marketing, social media marketing, and design.

While you might not create marketing content yourself, you will need to guide teams through the process of creating messages and assets that strengthen your company’s brand equity.

Brand managers are responsible for overseeing all aspects of marketing that connect with a company’s brand.

This means ensuring everything from your tone of voice in marketing materials to the color palettes you use to resonate with your target audience.

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

Becoming a brand marketing manager requires a combination of experience and higher education. You’ll need to be familiar not just with the essentials of marketing but how brand assets work to cultivate and nurture sales opportunities.

Many marketing managers will have a bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, or business, and some will earn an MBA with a concentration in marketing.

As a brand marketing manager, you’ll need to develop skills connected to writing, communications, and strategy development.

The best marketing managers know how to use project management tools to guide and support personnel.

They’re also excellent at using social research tools to ensure a brand’s marketing message can adapt to the changing needs of customers.

You may need to learn how to use technical tools such as social media and monitoring tools, customer relationship management software, and data visualization tools.

7. SEO Manager

Salary Range: $55,000 – $109,000

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, guiding teams and planning comprehensive marketing strategies.

Because SEO is essential to succeeding in today’s online world, SEO managers can earn huge incomes, with an average salary of around $75,000 per year.

What does an SEO manager do?

An SEO Manager’s role is similar in many ways to that of a digital marketing manager. However, the SEO manager has a more technologically driven role, focused on website and social media optimization, content strategy, and negotiating backlinks and other strategies.

As an SEO manager, you’ll be responsible for not just developing and implementing effective campaigns for search engine optimization but also coordinating content, design, PPC, social media, and other marketing activities.

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 website, 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

The first step to becoming an SEO marketing manager is gaining a comprehensive understanding of the workings and algorithms of search engines. You’ll also need to be familiar with the purpose and opportunities SEO offers.

The core focus of SEO is to provide users with an excellent online experience that matches their “intent” when using search engines like Google and Bing.

SEO managers must know how to utilize SEO for technical, on-page, and off-page purposes.

They must also guide their team members on utilizing SEO strategies effectively with data-driven insights and analytics.

Because search engines are constantly changing their algorithms, experts in this industry must consistently further their education with SEO training courses and certifications.

You can also develop your knowledge of SEO by building your own website or blog where you can put your SEO knowledge into action.

8. Digital Marketing Manager

Salary Range: $49,000 – $105,000

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.

Digital marketing managers operate in a leadership role, supervising and guiding other members of a marketing team. However, they’re also responsible for conducting extensive research and presenting reports to business leaders.

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 a variety of different channels, experimenting with email, social media, and other resources.

In this landscape, you’ll be responsible for not only creating powerful marketing campaigns, but analyzing their success and sharing campaign results with business leaders. You may also need to regularly analyze competitors and marketing opportunities.

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:

• Digital marketing manager
• Marketing director
• Vice President Marketing (VP)

The process of becoming a digital marketing manager is quite similar to becoming a digital marketing specialist. To start, you’ll need to gain a broad understanding of the primary digital marketing methodologies companies use in the modern world.

This means gaining a deep understanding of display advertising, SEM, PPC, social media marketing, and email advertising. You’ll also need a strong knowledge of SEO. While there are guides and courses out there which can help you understand the basics of SEO, developing your own website will help you to put your skills to use.

As a digital marketing manager, you’ll also need to understand how different social media and PPC platforms work to drive results from marketing campaigns.

Remember, monitoring and research are crucial to a digital marketing manager’s role. This means you’ll need to master tools like Google Analytics, and other data-driven platforms to help you make marketing decisions.

9. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Manager

Salary Range: $46,000 – $80,000

While SEO and other marketing managers focus on things like content creation to boost organic traffic, PPC managers concentrate on the paid advertising landscape. PPC coordinators support initiatives that help to reduce cost-per-acquisition and increase leads.

As a PPC manager, you can make an average of $58,000 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.

PPC managers maintain and monitor keyword bids, handle audience targeting strategies, and set budgets for paid advertising strategies.

They’re also responsible for guiding other team members throughout the creating of paid campaign copy and assets. 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 professional
• Search engine marketing manager
• PPC manager

The process of becoming a PPC manager is similar to that of becoming a digital marketing manager. You’ll need to learn as much as possible about the digital marketing landscape, and the platforms companies use to accelerate awareness in the online space.

Most PPC managers will have bachelor’s degrees in communication or marketing, as well as certificates related to Google Ad management and Search Engine Marketing. A good way to develop your skills as a PPC manager is to run your own website where you can experiment with different marketing strategies.

Typically, you’ll start your career in an entry-level role, where you’ll focus on things like bid optimization and keyword research. You’ll need a strong understanding of how the Ad campaign platforms like Google Ads work, and how you can optimize copy and content to improve conversions.

You’ll also need to expand your knowledge of keyword and market research, so you can choose the right terms to bid for.

10. Social Media Manager

Salary Range: $37,000 – $83,000

Social media managers are primarily responsible for managing the social media presence of a brand. They work with companies to boost their online presence, and form stronger connections with potential customers.

As social media marketing continues to thrive as one of the best ways to capture, and engage new leads, demand for these specialists is growing.

The average social media manager in the US can earn around $55,000 in this role, and some even specialize in particular fields, like Facebook advertising.

What does a social media manager do?

Social media managers handle the online presence of a company related to social media networks like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and TikTok.

They’re responsible for not only producing social media marketing campaigns, but also guiding the work of other content marketing professionals. Social media marketers need a deep understanding of their target audience to create engaging campaigns.

They may also work with both organic content, and paid advertising on social channels like Facebook and Instagram to increase sales. 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:

• Social media manager
• Marketing manager
• Marketing director

To become a social media manager, you’ll need to learn as much as you can about the social media marketing platforms, how they work, and how you can use them to engage with your target audience.

Every social media platform has its own unique features, as well as a core demographic of specific customers. You’ll need to develop a strong ability to not only manage organic outreach, but also paid and promoted campaigns.

A good way to develop your skills and career opportunities is to build your own social media presence. This will also help you to find new clients as you progress in your career.

You’ll be able to use the campaigns on your own accounts to demonstrate your skills to prospective employers. You’ll also need to develop your leadership skills, and show a strong ability for communicating with both teams and customers.

The data for the above study was collected from Payscale Salary Research.

How to Get Hired In A High Paying Marketing Job

Most of the highest-paying marketing jobs are leadership positions, which require professionals to invest heavily in developing their skills and experience over time. You may need to experiment with some entry-level roles and internships before moving into one of these positions.

Some of the best ways to boost your chances of being hired for a high-paying job in marketing include:

• Investing in your education: Most high-level marketing jobs require professionals to have at least a bachelor’s degree in their field or an MBA. Earning the right certification can help to distinguish you from competing candidates.
• Expanding your knowledge: Earning certifications from courses related to your specific marketing field can also help you to attract employers. Additionally, investing in consistent education helps you to stay ahead of the changing marketing space.
• Gaining experience: Most high-paying marketing jobs require experience. Consider applying for entry-level roles and internships to develop your skills. You can also hone your skills with your own website, blog, or social media presence.

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