What Does a Marketing Manager Do?

Marketing managers are expected to contribute a great deal to the effectiveness of a company. They identify products and markets, suggest sales strategies and approaches, and measure the results of all of the efforts. They're also responsible for all efforts of the marketing department and staff.

Approximately 218,300 marketing managers were employed in the U.S. in 2016. About a quarter of them worked in professional, technical, and scientific services.

Marketing Manager Duties & Responsibilities

The responsibilities of marketing managers can depend on the mediums in which they work, but some common duties include:

• Research and evaluate new product opportunities, demand for potential products, and customer needs and insights.
• Execute marketing strategy and the execution of plans for existing products.
• Serve as a partner to finance and product development in determining the viability of potential markets before the production of a product.
• Work with product development teams to manage new product development.
• Manage launch campaigns for new products.
• Manage distribution channels for products.
• Ensure effective, branded marketing communications, including the company website, print communication, and advertising.
• Manage media and marketing staff and external PR agencies.

Overall, marketing managers analyze the effectiveness of all a company's marketing efforts and sales campaigns.

Marketing Manager Salary

The most highly paid marketing managers work in professional, technical, and scientific services.

• Median Annual Salary: $134,290 ($64.56/hour)
• Top 10% Annual Salary: More than $208,000 ($100.00/hour)
• Bottom 10% Annual Salary: Less than $69,840 ($33.58/hour)

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018

Education, Training & Certification

Those looking for a career as a marketing manager should ideally have a college degree and some considerable experience.

• Education: At a minimum, you should have a Bachelor's Degree in marketing or a related field. A master's degree in business or marketing is preferred.
• Experience: The value of experience can't be overstated. This is often a work-your-way up position. Ideally, you'll have 10 years or more of progressively more responsible positions in marketing, preferably in a similar industry if not within your own firm. You should have experience supervising and managing a professional marketing staff.

Marketing Manager Skills & Competencies

These are the most important qualifications of a marketing manager.

• Communication skills: You should be a strong, effective communicator, and exhibit effectiveness in holding conversations with customers, customer evangelism, and customer-focused product development and outreach.
• Leadership skills: You should possess the ability to coordinate the efforts of a large team of diverse, creative employees in an environment of constant change.
• Digital skills: You should be well versed in internet advertising and media. Those with digital experience have the best employment prospects. A social media strategy with a demonstrated track record on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets that are significant in company outreach can be invaluable.
• Perception: You should have a demonstrated ability to see the big picture so you can provide useful advice and input across the company.

Job Outlook

Along with advertising and promotions managers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates job growth in this field of about 10% from 2016 through 2026. This is faster than the average of all other occupations.

Work Environment

You'll be working in tandem with top executives, often in the most comfortable surroundings a firm has to offer. Travel isn't uncommon, however, to meet with clients and attend media events. Looming deadlines and internal pressures can be stressful.

Work Schedule

Most marketing managers work full-time. You can usually count on having weekends and holidays off, but some additional hours can be required when a problem arises or the company is facing a particular challenge.

Comparing Similar Jobs

Some similar jobs and their median annual pay include: 

• Art director: $92,780
• Financial manager: $127,990
• Market research analyst: $63,120

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018