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Whether you’re a creative individual with a desire to innovate or a logical individual with an eye for details, marketing can be a fulfilling career path for you.
Marketing is a line of work that encompasses a variety of job specialties and serves nearly every industry. It plays a vital role in a business’s success, and there’s always a demand for passionate professionals looking to turn their interests into a rewarding career.
To help you determine if a marketing career is right for you and your professional goals, let’s take a look at some of the top-paying marketing jobs and how to get started in them.
Executive Creative Director—$137,779
An executive creative director leads the creative team and is ultimately responsible for the creative vision of a company. They often work closely with other executives to ensure that the company’s creative vision is accurately represented in all forms of branding, marketing, and advertising.
How to Become an Executive Creative Director
Most companies look for creative directors that have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in graphic design, marketing, or communications. In addition to having a degree, most creative directors at the executive level will have 5-10 years in creative roles and leadership positions.
Digital Marketing Director—$148,648
Digital marketing directors are often in charge of a company’s online presence. They create digital marketing campaigns, review analytics, and develop strategies for optimizing online advertisements and content.
How to Become a Digital Marketing Director
Many digital marketing directors have a bachelor’s degree in marketing or digital marketing, and some have a master’s degree in digital marketing or an MBA with a focus in marketing. To get to a director-level position, digital marketers would need to have extensive experience in content marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and analytics.
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Product Marketing Director—$173,500
When a company needs help creating effective strategies for launching a new product or increasing the sales of an existing product, they turn to their product marketing director. These directors closely follow market trends and customer feedback to make sure their company’s products resonate with their target audiences.
How to Become a Product Marketing Director
Most product marketing directors have a bachelor’s degree in marketing or an MBA with a focus in marketing. In addition to a degree, most companies look for candidates with a background in product marketing and strong project management skills.
Vice President of Marketing—$201,080
A vice president of marketing is in charge of overseeing the marketing team, monitoring marketing strategies, and managing the marketing budget. In general, they make sure a company's marketing goals are aligned at every level of the organization.
How to Become a Vice President of Marketing
Most companies require their VP of marketing to have an MBA with a focus in marketing or business leadership. This is a senior leadership role, so it requires several years of experience in marketing, business leadership, and financial management.
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)—$224,612
CMOs are at the highest level of an organization’s marketing team. They oversee marketing and advertising, develop a company’s core marketing strategy, and work with other leaders to establish company goals.
How to Become a CMO
Nearly every company requires its CMO to have a master’s degree and a proven track record of operating a successful business. Not only do they need to have extensive marketing knowledge, but they also need years of experience in running complex business operations and leading large teams.
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How to Get Started In Marketing—Education, Skills, and Entry-Level Jobs
Almost every long-term marketing job requires applicants to have a formal education and earn a degree. Many job roles require at least a bachelor’s degree, but certain senior-level and executive-level roles require a master’s degree.
While there are several different degrees that could help you get started in marketing, some of the most common degrees include:
- Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in Marketing
- Bachelor of Business Administration
- Bachelor of Science in Communications
- Master of Business Administration (MBA)
- Master of Science in Marketing
- Master of Science in Data Analytics
In addition to earning a degree, there are a variety of skills that can help you get started in a marketing career. Some of these skills include digital marketing, social media marketing, and content marketing. Due to recent advancements in social media and technology, there’s a growing need for professionals equipped with online marketing skills.
Read our related article to learn more about what a content marketer does and how to get started as one.
Entry-Level Marketing Jobs
By earning a degree and gaining specialized skills, graduates are well-equipped to kickstart their careers in marketing. Just like many other careers, marketing careers begin with entry-level positions.
Some of the most common entry-level marketing jobs are:
- Content writer
- Marketing coordinator
- Social media marketing assistant
- Market research assistant
- Sales and marketing associate
- Digital media specialist
Entry-level marketing jobs can vary greatly both in salary and type of work. Some entry-level jobs are part-time and pay anywhere from $15-$40 per hour. Other entry-level jobs are full-time and offer salaries ranging from $35,000-$84,000.
Where you work, the level of responsibility you have, and what your specialization is all play a significant role in what your salary could be. This not only applies to entry-level jobs, but it applies to entire career paths as well.
Many entry-level marketing jobs offer remote positions. Read our related article to discover 10 tips for working from home.
Kickstart Your Marketing Career With REDC
Knowing how to get started in a marketing career can be difficult, and we’re here to help.
The Regional Economic Development Center at Yavapai College offers the courses and resources you need to kickstart your career in marketing. From self-paced online courses to local networking events and job fairs, preparing yourself for a fulfilling career has never been easier.
Take advantage of our vast course catalogue and free career resources today to see how we can help you achieve your professional goals.