A bachelor's degree and experience in marketing is required to be a marketing director. Marketing directors lead campaigns to sell products and services. They may be required to work with a team of colleagues and their client, and may also need to analyze data to determine the best marketing strategies to use.
Essential Information
Marketing directors use their leadership skills, industry contacts and understanding of consumer behavior to help sell products and services. They might work for many types of employers, including marketing departments of large companies as well as marketing and advertising firms. Marketing directors need expertise in analyzing research and developing marketing strategies in collaboration with clients and colleagues. These professionals often have a bachelor's degree and years of experience.
| Required Education | Bachelor's degree in marketing or related field |
| Other Requirements | Several years of experience in the field |
| Median Salary (2020) | $142,170 (for all marketing managers)* |
| Projected Job Growth (2019-2029) | 7% growth (for all marketing managers)* |
Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Job Description
Marketing managers work to promote the services or products of their clients. They work for marketing or advertising firms, schools, nonprofit organizations or within the in-house marketing departments of large companies. These professionals conceive and analyze marketing strategies, brainstorm ways to direct business toward their clients, oversee market research and stay on top of products and services that are or will be in demand. They also might help clients price their goods or services.
Workplace Environment
Overtime and longer-than-average hours might be part of this career path. As such, marketing directors might work in high-stress environments and be under pressure to complete projects under strict deadlines.
Job Requirements
According to O*Net, the majority of professional marketing managers surveyed, including marketing directors, have a bachelor's degree. Coursework is business-intensive and introduces students to concepts in business law, ethics, finance and statistics. Advanced courses might explore consumer behavior, international marketing, communications and market research. Students also might participate in group projects in which they develop plans and implement a marketing campaign.
Advanced Degree Programs
Students also might consider earning a Master of Science in Marketing or a Master of Business Administration in Marketing. Variations on these degrees, like a Master of Science in Integrated Marketing, are available as well. These programs provide students with an advanced marketing and business education and culminate in a written thesis or project.
Career Information
Aspiring marketing directors generally start out in an entry-level position in marketing. Duties might include compiling product descriptions, assisting more experienced employees with product promotions and executing marketing services. As new hires gain experience, they might be promoted to more challenging roles, such as account manager, where they manage one or more client accounts.
Career Outlook and Salary
The BLS reports that job opportunities for marketing managers, who share some of the same duties as marketing directors, are expected to grow by 7% between 2019 and 2029. This is faster than average compared to all other occupations. The BLS indicated in May 2020 that marketing managers earned $142,170 as a median annual wage.
Marketing directors need a bachelor's degree and several years of experience in marketing. They may need to work closely with their clients and colleagues, so good people skills are essential, along with the ability to analyze data from research. The job growth for marketing directors is expected to be above the average rate for all occupations from 2019-2029
