Career guide
Marketing Job Titles: The Marketing Hierarchy by Level and Area
Marketing titles follow a ladder of about six levels: coordinator or assistant, specialist, manager, senior manager or director, VP, and CMO. Within each level the title names the area, such as brand, social media, content, SEO or product marketing. Titles vary a lot between companies, so judge a role by what it owns, not what it's called.
Key takeaways
- Marketing job titles follow a ladder of about six levels: coordinator or assistant, specialist, manager, senior manager or director, VP, and CMO.
- Entry-level marketing job titles include marketing coordinator, marketing assistant, marketing associate, assistant brand manager and social media coordinator.
- The same marketing title can mean different levels at different companies, so read the scope, team size and reporting line before the title.
- Pay in marketing tracks level more than area, and the move from specialist to manager is usually the biggest single step.
- When searching for marketing jobs, search several title variants for the same work, because companies name identical roles differently.
What is the marketing hierarchy?
The marketing hierarchy runs from entry-level coordinators at the bottom to the chief marketing officer at the top. Each step up means owning more: first tasks, then a channel or program, then a team, then a budget, then the whole function.
| Level | Common titles | What you own | Typically reports to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Entry level | Marketing coordinator, marketing assistant, marketing associate | Tasks: scheduling, assets, reports, admin | Manager |
| 2. Specialist | Marketing specialist, SEO specialist, social media specialist, email specialist | A piece of a channel, executed well | Manager |
| 3. Manager | Marketing manager, brand manager, social media manager, content marketing manager | A channel, program or product line, and its results | Senior manager or director |
| 4. Senior manager / director | Senior marketing manager, marketing director, director of brand, head of content | An area of marketing, a budget and a team | VP or CMO |
| 5. VP | VP of marketing, VP of brand, VP of growth | Several areas, the plan across them and the senior team | CMO or CEO |
| 6. C-level | Chief marketing officer (CMO), chief brand officer, chief growth officer | The whole marketing function and its effect on growth | CEO |
Small companies compress this. A startup’s first “head of marketing” may be a manager-level generalist, and a five-person team may have a director with no managers below. Large companies add steps, such as “senior specialist”, “associate manager” and “senior director”.
What are the entry-level marketing job titles?
Entry-level titles are coordinator, assistant, associate and junior specialist. They mean roughly the same thing: you execute work that someone else plans.
- Marketing coordinator keeps campaigns on schedule and supports the whole team. See the marketing coordinator job description.
- Marketing assistant is similar, often with more admin.
- Marketing associate is used at some companies for the same level, and at others for a step above coordinator.
- Assistant brand manager is the entry point at consumer goods companies.
- Social media coordinator, content coordinator, PR coordinator are entry roles tied to one area.
More on each in entry-level marketing jobs.
What are the marketing job titles by area?
Every area of marketing has its own version of the ladder. The table shows common titles at the main levels.
| Area | Entry and specialist | Manager | Director and above |
|---|---|---|---|
| General marketing | Marketing coordinator, marketing specialist | Marketing manager | Marketing director, VP of marketing, CMO |
| Brand | Assistant brand manager, associate brand manager | Brand manager | Brand director, VP of brand, chief brand officer |
| Social media | Social media coordinator, community manager | Social media manager | Head of social, director of social media |
| Content | Content writer, content coordinator | Content marketing manager, content strategist | Head of content, director of content |
| SEO and search | SEO specialist | SEO manager | Head of SEO, director of search |
| Paid and performance | Paid search specialist, paid social specialist | Digital marketing manager, performance marketing manager | Head of performance, VP of growth |
| Email and lifecycle | Email specialist, CRM coordinator | Lifecycle marketing manager, CRM manager | Director of lifecycle, director of retention |
| Product marketing | Product marketing associate | Product marketing manager (PMM) | Director of product marketing, VP of product marketing |
| PR and communications | PR coordinator, communications specialist | PR manager, communications manager | Director of communications, VP of communications |
| Analytics | Marketing analyst | Marketing analytics manager | Head of marketing science, director of marketing analytics |
| Creative | Junior designer, junior copywriter | Senior designer, senior copywriter, art director | Associate creative director, creative director, executive creative director |
| Marketing operations | Marketing operations specialist | Marketing operations manager | Director of marketing operations |
| Demand generation (B2B) | Demand generation specialist | Demand generation manager | Director of demand generation |
What’s the difference between a marketing manager and a marketing director?
A marketing manager runs programs; a marketing director decides what the programs should be. The manager owns a channel or campaign and its results. The director owns a broader area, sets its plan and budget, and manages managers.
In practice, the jump to director is mostly about hiring, budgeting and planning a year ahead. See how to become a marketing director and the marketing manager job description for each role in detail.
What does “head of” mean in a marketing title?
“Head of” means the most senior person for that area, whatever their level. At a startup, a head of marketing might be a manager-level first hire. At a large company, a head of social might be a director running a team of ten.
Read the posting for scope: team size, budget, who they report to and which metrics they own. Those tell you the real level better than the title, and they’re fair questions to ask a recruiter on the first call.
Do marketing job titles mean the same thing everywhere?
No. Titles are inconsistent between companies, industries and countries, so if your title undersells what you actually do, you’re in good company and can say so on your resume. A few common mismatches:
- "Marketing manager" can be a solo generalist at a small company or a narrow channel specialist at a large one.
- "Brand manager" at a consumer goods company is a commercial role with profit responsibility; at a tech company it may mean visual identity and creative.
- "Associate" is entry level at some companies and a step above coordinator at others.
- "VP" at a bank or agency can sit lower in the hierarchy than VP at a tech company.
When you compare roles, or pay, compare what the job owns. When you apply, mirror the posting’s language on your resume so a recruiter can see the match; our marketing resume guide shows how.
Which job titles should you search for?
Search by the work you want, using several titles for it, because companies name the same job differently. Set alerts for each variant:
| If you want to | Search these titles |
|---|---|
| Run campaigns at entry level | Marketing coordinator, marketing assistant, marketing associate, campaign coordinator |
| Do social media | Social media coordinator, social media specialist, community manager, content and social manager |
| Work on brands | Assistant brand manager, associate brand manager, brand marketing coordinator |
| Do paid ads | Paid media specialist, PPC specialist, paid social specialist, performance marketing specialist |
| Do email and CRM | Email marketing specialist, CRM specialist, lifecycle marketing coordinator |
| Lead a small team | Marketing manager, head of marketing, senior marketing manager |
The same titles are the keywords recruiters search for, so use the ones that fit your experience on your resume too. Marketing resume keywords has lists by role.
How do titles affect marketing pay?
Pay tracks level more than area. A move from specialist to manager is usually the biggest single step, and director and VP steps add more.
We keep figures on the salary pages, which use US government data: compare marketing specialist, marketing manager, marketing director and CMO pay, or see all of them on the marketing salaries hub.
FAQ
What is the lowest marketing job title?
Marketing assistant or marketing coordinator, depending on the company. Interns sit below them but aren’t usually counted in the hierarchy.
Is a marketing specialist higher than a marketing coordinator?
Usually, yes. A coordinator supports the team across many tasks; a specialist has a defined skill and channel. Some companies use the titles for the same level, so check the posting.
Is senior marketing manager the same as marketing director?
No, though they’re close. A senior manager usually still runs programs, sometimes with a small team. A director typically owns a broader area, a budget and the managers in it.
What’s the highest marketing job title?
Chief marketing officer (CMO). Some companies use chief brand officer, chief growth officer or chief customer officer for a similar role. See how to become a CMO.
What is a fractional CMO?
A senior marketer who works as a part-time CMO for one or more companies, usually smaller ones that don’t need a full-time executive. Our guide to the fractional CMO role explains how it works.
What job titles can you get with an integrated marketing communications degree?
Common first titles are marketing coordinator, communications coordinator, PR coordinator, social media coordinator and content coordinator. The degree doesn’t limit you to one track; your projects and internships decide which of these you’re strongest for. What can you do with a marketing degree? goes through the options.
What are the main roles in marketing?
Most marketing roles fall into a few families: brand, product marketing, content and social, performance and growth, CRM and email, communications and PR, and analytics and operations. Types of marketing explains each family and the jobs in it.