# Marketing 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. This page shows what US marketing managers earn, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2025 wage survey: the median, the spread from the bottom 10% to the top 10%, and the median in each state.

Canonical: https://knowtheroom.ai/career-salaries/marketing-manager/  
Published by the Know the Room team (https://knowtheroom.ai/authors/know-the-room-team/). Updated 2026-10-24.

## Key takeaways

- Marketing manager is one of the few marketing titles that maps directly onto a BLS occupation, marketing managers (11-2021).
- The BLS marketing managers group also covers directors, heads of marketing and VPs, which is why the top of its pay range runs high.
- Level and scope move marketing manager pay the most, followed by industry, city and company stage.
- People new to the marketing manager title usually sit toward the lower part of the BLS range, while leaders with a team and budget sit near the 75th percentile or above.
- When a job posting lists a pay range, use it over the BLS figure, because it's the budget for that specific job.

## How much does a marketing 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)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/), 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)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/), May 2025.

## What is the average marketing manager salary?

BLS publishes both a mean (average) and a median for marketing managers, shown in the pay range table on this page. The mean is higher than the median because a smaller group of very high earners, mostly senior leaders, pulls it up, so the median is the better guide to a typical salary.

## What is the starting salary for a marketing manager?

BLS doesn't publish pay by years of experience, so there's no official starting salary for marketing managers. People new to the title usually start toward the lower part of the range, around the 25th percentile or below, and move up as their scope grows. Most reach the title after a few years as a specialist or coordinator; our guide on [how to become a marketing manager](/career-guides/how-to-become-a-marketing-manager/) covers the path. Starting near the lower part of the range is normal for a first manager title, and it tends to move once you own a budget or a team.

## Which BLS figure covers marketing manager roles?

Marketing manager is one of the few titles that maps straight onto a BLS occupation. The group, marketing managers (11-2021), covers people who plan and run marketing programs and usually manage a team or a budget. It also includes directors, heads of marketing and VPs, because BLS publishes occupations, not job titles. That's why the top of the range runs so high: it's carrying the senior people too.

## What affects marketing manager pay?

Level and scope move pay more than anything else. After that:

- **Scope:** a manager who owns a channel earns less than one who owns the plan, the budget and the people.
- **Industry:** software, finance and pharmaceuticals tend to pay more than retail, nonprofits and agencies.
- **City:** big coastal metros pay more, though remote roles increasingly pay a national band.
- **Company stage:** startups often trade base pay for equity; large companies pay more in base and bonus.

## Marketing 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. Source: [U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/), May 2025.

## Salaries for other marketing manager titles

Specialized marketing manager titles have their own salary pages, though most map to the same or a nearby BLS group.

| Title | Nearest BLS group | Salary page |
|---|---|---|
| Digital marketing manager | Marketing specialists, or marketing managers for senior roles | [Digital marketing salary](/career-salaries/digital-marketing/) |
| Product marketing manager | Marketing managers | [Product marketing manager salary](/career-salaries/product-marketing-manager/) |
| Brand manager | Marketing managers | [Brand manager salary](/career-salaries/brand-manager/) |
| Senior marketing manager or marketing director | Marketing managers | [Marketing director salary](/career-salaries/marketing-director/) |
| Content marketing manager | Marketing specialists | [Content strategist salary](/career-salaries/content-strategist/) |
| Social media manager | Marketing specialists | [Social media manager salary](/career-salaries/social-media-manager/) |
| Advertising or promotions manager | Advertising and promotions managers | [Advertising manager salary](/career-salaries/advertising-manager/) |

For every marketing role side by side, see [marketing salaries](/career-salaries/).

## 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](https://www.cooley.com/news/insight/2026/2026-07-06-show-me-the-money-or-the-wage-range-new-state-pay-transparency-laws) 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. Bringing up pay can feel awkward, but a number backed by public data is a normal, professional thing to discuss, and hiring managers expect the conversation. Put it in your own words and your own tone, say it once, then give them room to respond. Our [salary negotiation guide](/guides/salary-negotiation/) covers what to say and when. Before your first call, write down your number and where it sits in the range above, so it's ready when the question comes.

## FAQ

### Is marketing manager a well-paid job?

Yes, by US standards. Marketing managers are one of the best-paid groups in marketing, well above specialist and coordinator roles. The table above shows how wide the range is, so where you land depends mostly on scope and seniority.

### Does the [BLS figure](https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_tec.htm) include bonuses?

Only some of them. BLS wage figures include base pay and some incentive pay such as commissions, but leave out year-end bonuses, equity and benefits. Total pay for senior marketing roles is often noticeably higher than the BLS number.

### How much do marketing managers make per hour or per month?

BLS reports this group as annual pay. For a rough hourly figure, divide the annual figure by 2,080 (40 hours a week for 52 weeks); for a monthly one, divide by 12. Most marketing manager jobs are salaried rather than hourly.

### How do marketing managers move into the top 10%?

Usually by taking on more: a bigger budget, a larger team, a P&L, or a move to a director or VP title. The top of this group is mostly senior leaders, so a manager title alone rarely gets you there.

## More on Marketing manager

- [Marketing manager](https://knowtheroom.ai/career-guides/how-to-become-a-marketing-manager.md)
- [Marketing manager job description](https://knowtheroom.ai/career-guides/marketing-manager-job-description.md)
- [Marketing manager interview questions](https://knowtheroom.ai/interview-questions/marketing-manager.md)
- [Marketing manager cover letter](https://knowtheroom.ai/cover-letters/marketing-manager.md)
- [Marketing manager resume](https://knowtheroom.ai/career-guides/marketing-manager-resume.md)
- [Marketing manager jobs](https://knowtheroom.ai/career-guides/marketing-manager-jobs.md)