Job Description - Marketing Manager:
A marketing manager formulates a firm's marketing strategy. With the assistance of a marketing or sales team, a marketing manager estimates demand for and identifies markets for the company's or organization's products and services. A marketing manager and his or her team also set prices with an eye toward maximizing profits, increasing market share and keeping customers happy.
Employment Facts - Marketing Manager:
There were 167,000 marketing managers employed in 2006.
Educational Requirements - Marketing Manager:
To work as a marketing manager one must usually have either a bachelor's degree or a master's degree in business with a concentration in marketing.
Other Requirements - Marketing Manager:
Most employers prefer to hire job candidates who have strong computer skills. In addition, employers value those with strong and persuasive communications skills, both in writing and orally.
Advancement Opportunities - Marketing Manager:
Marketing managers are generally promoted to these positions after working in related fields.
Job Outlook - Marketing Manager:
The job outlook for marketing managers is good. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that this field will see faster than average growth for all occupations through 2016. The job outlook is expected to be even better for marketing managers in scientific, professional, and related services, for example computer systems design and related services. It is, however, not expected to be as good in manufacturing. Job growth for marketing managers in that industry is expected to decline.
Earnings - Marketing Manager:
Median annual earnings of marketing managers were $104,400 in 2007.
Use the Salary Wizard at Salary.com to find out how much a marketing manager currently earns in your city.
A Day in a Marketing Manager's Life:
On a typical day a marketing manager's duties might include:
- Formulating, directing and coordinating marketing activities and policies to promote products and services, working with advertising and promotion managers.
- Identifying, developing and evaluating a company's or organization's marketing strategy, based on knowledge of it's objectives, market characteristics, and cost and markup factors.
- Directing the hiring, training, and performance evaluations of marketing and sales staff and overseeing their daily activities.
- Evaluating the financial aspects of product development, such as budgets, expenditures, research and development appropriations, and return-on-investment and profit-loss projections.
- Developing pricing strategies, balancing firm objectives and customer satisfaction.
Sources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, Advertising, Marketing, Promotions, Public Relations, and Sales Managers, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos020.htm (visited February 17, 2009).
Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET Online, Marketing Manager, on the Internet at http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/11-2021.00 (visited February 17, 2009).
Should You Become a Marketing Manager? Take a Quiz to Find Out.
