By Aijaz Alam
How much do marketing managers make?
The median annual wage for US marketing managers was $166,790 in May 2025, or $80.19 an hour, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey (OEWS, marketing managers only). The lowest-paid 10% earned under $90,260 and the top 10% over $293,610. BLS projects advertising, promotions and marketing manager jobs to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 36,300 openings a year.
- $166,790Median annual wage, US marketing managersBLS OEWS, May 2025
- $80.19Median hourly wageBLS OEWS, May 2025
- 454,800Advertising, promotions and marketing manager jobs, 2025BLS Employment Projections; 421,600 are marketing managers
- 6%Projected job growth, advertising, promotions and marketing managers, 2025 to 2035BLS projections; 7% for marketing managers alone, 3% for all occupations
- 36,300Projected openings each year, advertising, promotions and marketing managersBLS, average over 2025-2035
The numbers
The full breakdown
Marketing manager pay in the US, May 2025
| Measure | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earned less than | $90,260 | $43.39 |
| 25th percentile | $123,020 | $59.15 |
| Median | $166,790 | $80.19 |
| 75th percentile | $216,410 | $104.04 |
| Highest 10% earned more than | $293,610 | $141.16 |
| Mean (average) | $177,770 | $85.47 |
Marketing managers (SOC 11-2021). BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: wage and salary workers only, 395,240 employed. For comparison, the median for all US workers was $50,980.
Marketing manager jobs and outlook, 2025 to 2035
| Measure | Number |
|---|---|
| Advertising, promotions and marketing manager jobs, 2025 | 454,800 |
| Marketing manager jobs, 2025 | 421,600 |
| Advertising and promotions manager jobs, 2025 | 33,200 |
| Projected marketing manager jobs, 2035 | 450,800 |
| Projected growth, advertising, promotions and marketing managers | 6% |
| Projected growth, marketing managers | 7% |
| Projected growth, advertising and promotions managers | -4% |
| Projected openings each year, all three | 36,300 |
| Projected growth, all occupations | 3% |
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, as shown in the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Projections, not measured values. Openings include new jobs plus replacing workers who change occupations or retire.
Where marketing managers work, and median pay there
| Industry | Share of marketing manager jobs, 2025 | Median annual wage, May 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 23% | $170,050 |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 12% | $172,580 |
| Finance and insurance | 10% | $172,350 |
| Information | 10% | $192,600 |
| Wholesale trade | 10% | $165,630 |
The largest employers listed by BLS in the Occupational Outlook Handbook; the rest work across many other industries.
States with the highest median pay for marketing managers, May 2025
| State | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Top 10 of the 50 states and DC in the BLS OEWS profile. The national median is $166,790.
States with the most marketing managers, May 2025
| State | Employment | Relative standard error |
|---|---|---|
| California | 54,660 | 2.0% |
| New York | 54,000 | 3.4% |
| Texas | 44,680 | 2.7% |
| Florida | 24,820 | 3.9% |
| Illinois | 21,140 | 3.2% |
| Massachusetts | 14,270 | 7.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 13,840 | 5.6% |
| New Jersey | 13,510 | 3.0% |
| North Carolina | 10,790 | 3.5% |
| Ohio | 10,620 | 6.3% |
OEWS wage and salary employment (395,240 nationally). Rounded by BLS.
Marketing managers compared with other well-paid jobs, median pay May 2025
| Occupation | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Marketing managers | $166,790 |
| Lawyers | $159,670 |
| Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations and sales managers | $155,780 |
| Software developers, quality assurance analysts and testers | $134,040 |
| Advertising and promotions managers | $133,660 |
| Information security analysts | $129,180 |
| Web developers and digital designers | $99,520 |
| All workers | $50,980 |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook and OEWS, May 2025. Marketing managers is the OEWS median for SOC 11-2021 alone; the OOH Quick Facts median for advertising, promotions and marketing managers together is $165,780. Software developers and web developers are the OOH group medians.
Over time
Marketing manager pay and employment, May 2021 to May 2025
| Year | Median annual wage | Median hourly wage | Mean annual wage | Employment (OEWS) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $135,030 | $64.92 | $153,440 | 278,690 |
| May 2022 | $140,040 | $67.33 | $158,280 | 328,570 |
| May 2023 | $157,620 | $75.78 | $166,410 | 368,940 |
| May 2025 | $166,790 | $80.19 | $177,770 | 395,240 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, national estimates each May. May 2024 is not shown: BLS no longer has an HTML page or profile for that year, and its download file could not be read. Wages are in current dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
Why sources differ
Same question, different answers
| Number | When | Who measured | Why it differs |
|---|---|---|---|
| $166,790 | May 2025 | BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics | Median for marketing managers alone (SOC 11-2021), wage and salary workers. |
| $165,780 | May 2025 | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Quick Facts | Median for advertising, promotions and marketing managers together; the lower-paid advertising and promotions managers pull it down. |
| $177,770 | May 2025 | BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics | Mean annual wage, pulled above the median by high earners. |
| 395,240 | May 2025 | BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics | Marketing managers on employer payrolls; the group its pay figures describe. |
| 421,600 | 2025 | BLS Employment Projections | Marketing manager jobs as counted by the projections program, a different count from the wage survey; 454,800 with advertising and promotions managers. |
BLS publishes several pay and job numbers for this work, and each answers a different question. The $166,790 median comes from the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for marketing managers alone (SOC 11-2021) in May 2025. The Occupational Outlook Handbook's Quick Facts box shows $165,780 because it covers advertising, promotions and marketing managers together, and advertising and promotions managers earn less, with a median of $133,660. The mean, $177,770, sits above the median because a smaller group of very high earners pulls the average up. Job counts differ too. The wage survey counts 395,240 marketing managers in May 2025, wage and salary workers only, while the Employment Projections program counts 421,600 marketing manager jobs in 2025, and 454,800 once advertising and promotions managers are added. For the typical pay of a US marketing manager, quote the OEWS median with its month and year, and quote the projections as projections.
What it means
How to use these numbers
Half of US marketing managers earned more than $166,790 in May 2025 and half earned less, more than three times the $50,980 median for all workers. The spread is wide: the bottom tenth earned under $90,260 and the top tenth over $293,610, so seniority, industry and location matter more than the national figure.
Location and industry are the levers the data shows. The median was $212,020 in Massachusetts and $193,620 in California, and marketing managers in the information industry earned a median $192,600. The biggest job markets are also among the best paid: California and New York each have about 54,000 marketing managers and both are in the top five states for pay.
The job is growing as well. BLS projects marketing manager jobs to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, while advertising and promotions manager jobs shrink 4%, and it expects about 36,300 openings a year across the two, many of them to replace people who retire or change careers. If you are hiring one, budget against the state and industry medians, not the national one.
Method and sources
How it was measured
Method
- Publisher
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS, May 2025) for pay, and the Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 projections) for jobs and outlook
- Sample
- OEWS surveys employers about the jobs and wages of their employees; self-employed workers are not covered. The OOH job counts and projections come from the BLS Employment Projections program.
- Definition
- Marketing managers (SOC 11-2021) plan, direct or coordinate marketing policies and programs. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers earned more and half earned less.
- Released
- OEWS May 2025 estimates and the 2025-35 OOH edition, both in 2026
- Checked at source
- 31 October 2026: OOH advertising, promotions and marketing managers page, OEWS profiles on data.bls.gov (national, states) and the OEWS pages for May 2021 to May 2023
- Next release
- BLS updates OEWS wages and the OOH once a year
- Last changed
- 31 Oct 2026
- Data files
- CSV · JSON (stable links)
Sources
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, US Bureau of Labor Statistics Official data
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FAQ
More questions people ask
How much do marketing managers make an hour?
The median was $80.19 an hour in May 2025. The lowest 10% earned less than $43.39 and the highest 10% more than $141.16 (BLS OEWS).
Which state pays marketing managers the most?
Massachusetts, with a median of $212,020 in May 2025, followed by California ($193,620) and Virginia ($187,820).
Which industries pay marketing managers the most?
Among the largest employers, the information industry, with a median of $192,600 in May 2025. Professional, scientific and technical services employ the most marketing managers (23%), at a median of $170,050.
Do marketing managers earn more than advertising managers?
Yes. The May 2025 median was $166,790 for marketing managers and $133,660 for advertising and promotions managers, and BLS projects marketing manager jobs to grow 7% to 2035 while advertising and promotions manager jobs fall 4%.
Every number on this page was checked at its original source (US Bureau of Labor Statistics). Free to cite with a link to this page.