Is an MBA in Marketing Worth It?

If you’re a marketing professional who wants to take on a management role, a master of business administration (MBA) degree in marketing can open doors to leadership opportunities.

An MBA covers broad business topics and helps prepare students to lead in their fields, and many programs offer specializations in marketing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects fast growth and high salaries for marketing managers over the next decade, and an MBA in marketing can help you hone key, fast-growing skills to excel in that lucrative field.

Whether you’re a business professional who wants to add key marketing skills to your repertoire or a marketing expert who wants to break into leadership positions, read on to learn how an MBA in marketing could boost your career.

An MBA with a specialization in marketing isn’t the same as a specialized master’s degree in marketing — and which one you choose may depend on your personal career goals.

A number of business schools offer master’s of science in marketing or related programs separate from their MBA programs. These tend to be geared toward younger professionals and often bring a heavy focus on digital marketing strategies and best practices.

An MBA with a specialization in marketing, on the other hand, will focus on a number of key business skills. That might include accounting, finance, management, and other important areas for leaders. An MBA in marketing will also cover leadership within the advertising and marketing industry.

An MBA in marketing isn’t necessarily overall “better” or “worse” than a specialized master’s in marketing. Your personal and career goals will ultimately be the deciding factor as to which degree you pursue. If you’re a young professional looking to polish your marketing skills and stand out in the field, a master’s in marketing might be better for you. If you want to gain a variety of business skills and become a marketing leader, an MBA could be the right call.

While there are differences between the two degrees, they also have a number of similarities: both can be offered in part-time formats for working professionals or in accelerated formats to finish faster than the typical two years a master’s degree takes. Both can lead to a return on your investment via increased earnings. Both are respected and can help advance your career.

An MBA in marketing can be expensive, but can land you a high return on your investment.

Growth from an MBA in marketing isn’t limited to just earnings. You can also make connections and learn valuable skills as part of an accredited MBA program.

MBAs can be an expensive endeavor. An average MBA program costs roughly $63,000, although that figure can be much higher at a private, full-time program.

Though pricey, that cost can translate into higher earnings. MBA graduates may see a market increase in salary compared to graduates with a bachelor’s degree alone — and higher earnings compared with other types of graduate business degree holders.

One caveat with that data is that MBA graduates tend to have more years of work experience under their belt compared to bachelor’s or other master’s degree graduates. Still, MBAs tend to result in cumulative extra earnings well in excess of bachelor’s degrees and lead to a positive long-tern return on investment, though women still see less return than men do.

Leadership positions within the marketing industry are growing and tend to pay well. The BLS notes that overall employment of marketing managers is projected to grow 6% over the next decade, and those professionals made a median annual wage of $157,620 as of May 2023.

MBA programs focus on skills beyond just that of your field. An MBA in marketing will include broad business instruction in high-demand areas like finance, accounting, and even information technology and human resources.

Those skills can translate to leadership positions and career advancement. MBA graduates regularly land jobs in management. The skills covered by an MBA in marketing, like digital marketing and content strategy, can help you stand out from other applicants within the field and move up the ladder at your company.

Networking is one of the high values of an MBA program that’s hard to quantify.

MBA programs tend to be modeled in close-knit cohorts and attract students from all walks of life. You’ll likely meet other marketing professionals, as well as students from a number of different fields and backgrounds. MBA programs offer unique opportunities to work across industries and backgrounds and make lifelong connections.

MBA programs are increasingly adopting high-demand skills like cybersecurity, business analytics, and artificial intelligence into their curriculum as demand from students and employers alike is on the rise.

Those skills will complement other important fields covered within MBA programs like accounting, leadership, entrepreneurship, information systems, and human resources. MBA in marketing programs also tend to hone in on digital marketing and social media skills, which are critical in the field today.

The variety of skills taught in an MBA program can also help you change careers. Companies across the board need marketing professionals, and an MBA in marketing can equip you with key skills that can translate across industries.

If you’re looking for a career change, an MBA in marketing can lead to managerial roles across industries. Management professionals on the whole are set for rapid growth over the next decade: The BLS projects roughly 1.1 million openings a year in management occupations, with a median annual wage of more than $116,000.

An MBA in marketing can unlock careers in the booming field of management or help you move up in the marketing field. One key draw of an MBA program is flexibility. You’ll study a number of different fields and gain skills and connections that can enable you to head into a number of managerial positions and leadership roles across industries.

An MBA in marketing doesn’t mean you’ll have to work in management. Like a master’s in marketing, it can also lead to more specialized senior roles within the field of marketing. Whether you want to work in promotions, advertising, communications, or another marketing-related field, an MBA in marketing and a master’s in marketing can both help you get those jobs.

These tables expand on some of the possible jobs you can pursue with a master’s in marketing or a specialized marketing MBA. Keep in mind there is significant overlap between the jobs you can pursue with each degree, and many leadership roles also have work experience requirements. An MBA is geared more toward mid-career professionals, whereas a master’s in marketing will generally include professionals with less work experience.

An MBA in marketing generally has broader applications than a specialized master’s in marketing. A master’s in marketing, however, doesn’t prevent you from landing management roles within the field. Work experience in addition to an advanced degree is key to landing any leadership position.