How to Become a Marketing Manager

Businesses can’t grow without marketing teams, and those teams need strong leadership to operate efficiently. That’s where marketing managers come in. They’re essential members in every company and organization, ensuring marketing efforts stay focused, strategic, and successful. 

As a marketing manager, you’ll help shape a business’s presence in the market while maintaining its brand competitive. You’ll develop campaigns that resonate with target audiences, driving brand awareness and revenue.  

If you’re interested in this career path, check out our step-by-step guide on how to become a marketing manager.

Marketing managers wear many hats, balancing creative direction with strategic planning to support a company’s growth. Their day-to-day responsibilities center on promoting products, connecting with target audiences, and ensuring campaigns deliver results. Some of their main tasks include:

The following steps can help you build the key skills and experience you need to become a marketing manager and succeed in the role:

Most marketing manager roles require at least a bachelor’s degree in marketing or a related field, such as advertising, business, or communications. 

In a marketing program, you’ll likely take courses in topics such as marketing research, consumer behavior, sales analytics, and social media marketing. 

Some programs also offer internship opportunities, which can be key for professional development and networking. Others offer concentrations, like sales or digital marketing, that let you tailor your education to your interests and goals.

Employers prefer professionals with a solid blend of interpersonal and technical skills. 

You can make a lasting impression if you demonstrate leadership, adaptability, creativity, and organization, all which are key to lead teams and collaborate across departments effectively.

When it comes to hard skills, employers often look for candidates with experience in digital marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), data interpretation, and paid advertising. 

Marketing evolves quickly, so it’s important to keep up with new technologies and trends as they develop.

A master’s degree isn’t required to become a marketing manager. However, a master’s degree in marketing or business administration (MBA) can help you move into managerial roles faster. 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), some employers prefer candidates with a master’s degree because of the leadership and business training these programs provide.

A master’s degree can also set you apart when applying for competitive positions.

Marketing managers typically have several years of work experience before they transition into a management position.  

You might begin your career in entry-level positions, like a communications or marketing coordinator. After a few years, you can aim for mid-level positions like marketing specialist and campaign strategist. 

At this point in your career, you should try to find ways to lead marketing projects, whether that be managing social media campaigns, creating email marketing initiatives, or overseeing influencer partnerships. 

Demonstrating leadership at every experience level will be key to stepping into a management role later on.

A marketing portfolio is key to showing off your professional achievements and setting you apart from other candidates. 

Think of your portfolio as a visual resume that highlights your strategy, creativity, and results. Your portfolio may include:

Additionally, try to include testimonies from former clients and peers to highlight experiences of how it’s like working with you. These can help you prove a track record of effective collaboration and client satisfaction. 

Once you’ve gained experience leading projects, mentoring colleagues, and collaborating across departments, you’re ready to start applying for marketing manager positions.

Start by searching for open positions on job-search sites and browsing the career pages of companies you’re interested in. Also, don’t forget to network. Consider attending industry events and joining professional marketing associations like the American Marketing Association and the Association of International Product Marketing and Management.  

You should also consider connecting with other marketing professionals and recruiters through LinkedIn. This can help you engage with like-minded professionals, schedule informational interviews, or find potential mentors. 

Becoming a marketing manager typically takes at least seven years, although the journey can take up to nine years — depending on your education and overall career path. 

This timeline includes four years earning a bachelor’s degree and 3-5 years of hands-on experience in roles like marketing coordinator or brand specialist.

If you choose to earn a master’s degree in either marketing or business administration (MBA), this could add a year or two to your timeline.

Marketing managers tend to earn high salaries. According to the BLS, the median annual salary for marketing managers was nearly $160,000 per year as of May 2024. However, wages vary widely depending on the industry, years of experience, and location. 

For example, those in the manufacturing industry earn a little over $168,000, while those in wholesale trade earn around $158,000.