Salary data
Brand Manager Salary (May 2025 BLS Data)
The median annual pay for marketing managers in the US is $166,790, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025); the top 10% earn more than $293,610. Brand managers are counted with marketing managers in BLS data. This page shows that group's pay range and state medians, and how the brand management ladder decides where you land in it.
Key takeaways
- The US Bureau of Labor Statistics counts brand managers with marketing managers, so its pay figures cover a wide range of levels.
- Brand manager pay depends most on the rung of the brand ladder, from assistant brand manager to senior brand manager and brand director.
- At large consumer goods companies brand manager is a mid-career title, so the lower half of the marketing manager range is a fair guide.
- State medians vary widely with cost of living and where consumer brands are headquartered.
- A pay range in the job posting is a better guide for a specific role than any government average.
How much does a brand manager make?
The median annual pay for marketing managers in the US is $166,790. The middle half earn between $123,020 and $216,410, and the top 10% earn more than $293,610. About 395,240 people work in this occupation.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Occupation 11-2021.
The pay range for marketing managers
Read the range, not only the median. Half of everyone in the group earns between the 25th and 75th percentile.
| Pay level | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $90,260 |
| 25th percentile | $123,020 |
| Median | $166,790 |
| 75th percentile | $216,410 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $293,610 |
| Mean (average) | $177,770 |
US, all industries. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.
Which BLS figure covers brand manager roles?
BLS counts brand managers with marketing managers (11-2021). The catch is that brand manager means different things in different places. At consumer goods companies it’s a rung on a set ladder: assistant brand manager, brand manager, senior brand manager, then director. A brand manager there is often mid-career, so the lower half of this range is a fair read. At a smaller company, the brand manager may run all of brand marketing, which pushes pay toward the middle or above.
What affects brand manager pay?
Level and scope move pay more than anything else. After that:
- The ladder: assistant brand manager pays well below brand manager, and senior brand manager above it.
- Category: large consumer goods, beauty and spirits companies have formal bands; startups vary more.
- P&L ownership: brand managers who own a brand’s profit and loss tend to be paid more than those running campaigns only.
- City: consumer goods headquarters cluster in a few metros, and pay tracks those markets.
Associate, senior and brand director pay
BLS doesn’t publish separate figures for each rung of the brand ladder, but you can use the percentiles above to place each one.
| Title | Where it usually sits in the marketing managers range |
|---|---|
| Assistant or associate brand manager | Around or below the 25th percentile; often the first role after an MBA or a few years in marketing |
| Brand manager | Between the 25th percentile and the median at large consumer goods companies; higher when it’s the top brand role |
| Senior brand manager | Around the median to the 75th percentile |
| Brand director or head of brand | The 75th percentile and above |
| Brand marketing manager | Same as brand manager; the title is more common outside consumer goods |
These are rough placements to help you read the table, not figures. Postings with a stated range, and recruiters, will give you the band for a specific job.
Brand manager salary by state
The median for marketing managers varies a lot by state, mostly with the cost of living and where the employers are. The table runs from highest to lowest.
| State | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $212,020 |
| California | $193,620 |
| Virginia | $187,820 |
| Colorado | $182,730 |
| New York | $181,200 |
| New Jersey | $180,040 |
| District of Columbia | $177,170 |
| Minnesota | $173,300 |
| Washington | $172,270 |
| Connecticut | $169,240 |
| South Dakota | $167,750 |
| Montana | $165,580 |
| North Carolina | $165,480 |
| Illinois | $162,860 |
| Wyoming | $161,580 |
| Oregon | $161,560 |
| Georgia | $160,760 |
| Kansas | $154,510 |
| Maryland | $154,160 |
| Pennsylvania | $150,810 |
| Texas | $147,880 |
| South Carolina | $143,290 |
| New Hampshire | $143,280 |
| Florida | $142,620 |
| Idaho | $142,090 |
| Utah | $139,830 |
| Michigan | $138,510 |
| Arkansas | $136,520 |
| Indiana | $136,260 |
| Maine | $135,380 |
| Wisconsin | $133,600 |
| Ohio | $132,330 |
| Arizona | $132,220 |
| Tennessee | $131,990 |
| Iowa | $131,120 |
| Missouri | $130,550 |
| Kentucky | $128,930 |
| Oklahoma | $126,920 |
| North Dakota | $125,580 |
| New Mexico | $122,980 |
| Louisiana | $120,650 |
| Alabama | $120,160 |
| Hawaii | $117,770 |
| Alaska | $116,270 |
| Nebraska | $110,570 |
| Nevada | $107,550 |
| Mississippi | $100,940 |
| West Virginia | $98,750 |
Highest first. States BLS doesn't publish a median for are left out. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.
How to use this in a salary negotiation
Use the range to anchor, not to argue. Find where the role sits: an entry-level coordinator belongs near the 25th percentile, a senior lead running a team and budget near the 75th or above. Then check the posting, since a growing number of states require employers to publish a pay range. If the posting’s range and the BLS range disagree, the posting wins: it’s the budget for this job. The BLS figure is still useful when there’s no range at all, or when you’re asked for your number first. Our salary negotiation guide covers what to say and when. Plenty of people dread this part. A range you can point to turns it into a calm, practical exchange, so write your number down now and say it aloud once or twice in your own words.
FAQ
Is brand manager an entry-level job?
Not usually. At companies with a brand ladder, people start as assistant or associate brand managers and reach brand manager after a few years. At smaller companies the title can mean the most senior brand role.
Why is the BLS range so wide for brand managers?
Because the group includes all marketing managers, up to VPs. Brand managers usually sit in the lower half to the middle of it, depending on the company.
How much does an associate brand manager make?
BLS doesn’t count associate brand managers separately. They’re the entry rung of the ladder, so their pay usually sits at or below the 25th percentile of the marketing managers range shown above.
What’s the next step up from brand manager?
Senior brand manager, then brand or marketing director. Our guide to becoming a brand manager covers the path.