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.
- Median pay
- $166,790
- Doing it now
- 421,600
- By 2035
- Up 6.9%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
a year
across the country
34,000 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Develop pricing strategies, balancing firm objectives and customer satisfaction.
- Identify, develop, or evaluate marketing strategy, based on knowledge of establishment objectives, market characteristics, and cost and markup factors.
- Evaluate the financial aspects of product development, such as budgets, expenditures, research and development appropriations, or return-on-investment and profit-loss projections.
- Direct the hiring, training, or performance evaluations of marketing or sales staff and oversee their daily activities.
- Negotiate contracts with vendors or distributors to manage product distribution, establishing distribution networks or developing distribution strategies.
- Consult with product development personnel on product specifications, such as design, color, or packaging.
- Compile lists describing product or service offerings.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- MarketingSee 864 colleges that teach it
- Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing OperationsSee 93 colleges that teach it
- Apparel and TextilesSee 94 colleges that teach it
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and AdministrationSee 81 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Leading and persuading
Organised and precise
Analytical and curious
Careers like this one
- Fundraising Managers$125,470
- Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents$78,660
- Sales Managers$148,270
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products$72,080
- Advertising and Promotions Managers$133,660
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel$69,990
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $166,790 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.