Marketing career guide

Modern marketing blends creativity and data-driven insights to build meaningful connections between companies and their audiences. If you've got a knack for knowing what people want and love turning insights into action, this could be the right career path for you.

Discover what jobs in the marketing industry may be available to you, and find out what level of education and skills you'll need to qualify for them.

What jobs can you get in marketing?

You can get a position as a marketer, of course, but the field is much more complex these days. Now, nearly every industry needs marketers, and marketing tech has evolved. Whatever your interest, there's a good chance an organization needs your skills.

Here are some common jobs that may be available to those with a marketing background, with each role's required level of education and skills and salary and job outlook data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS):

Marketing manager

Marketing managers take charge of marketing campaigns, oversee marketing teams, and knit together marketing strategy that covers new areas like social media. This is frequently a leadership role because a comprehensive marketing strategy in the age of the internet requires multiple people to implement and maintain.

• Required level of education: Bachelor's degree
• Key skills: Strategic planning, leadership, knowledge of common marketing and productivity software, strong communication, understanding of business intelligence tools
• Median annual salary (May 2023): $157,620
• Projected employment growth (2023-33): +8%

Market research analyst

Market research analysts study the data to uncover insights about consumer behavior and economic trends to help determine whether products or services will be successful. Most industries need these analysts because data volumes have increased, and the types of data have expanded to include many different sources. They need someone with the expertise to make sense of the data companies have.

• Required level of education: Bachelor's degree
• Key skills: Statistical analysis, business intelligence software, data visualization, communication skills
• Median annual salary (May 2023): $74,680
• Projected employment growth (2023-33): +8%

Public relations specialist

Sometimes, a company or person itself needs marketing for its reputation. This often happens when companies shift mission focus or are up-and-coming. Public relations (PR) specialists create positive press for their clients and maintain their reputations so that more people will want to engage with them.

• Required level of education: Bachelor's degree
• Key skills: Communication and networking, strong written skills, relationship management, critical thinking and problem-solving
• Median annual salary (May 2023): $66,750
• Projected employment growth (2023-33): +6%

Graphic design

Graphic designers create the visual aspect of marketing materials. They may design everything from brochures to websites to social media ads, collaborating with marketing teams to bring content to life. There are many tools companies can use to create visuals themselves, but establishing a strong brand image and maintaining it across so many different types of media still requires a human touch.

• Required level of education: Typically, a bachelor's degree
• Key skills: Knowledge of design and project management software, creative thinking, problem-solving, communication skills
• Median annual salary (May 2023): $58,910
• Projected employment growth (2023-33): +2%