The marketing manager is a linchpin of the marketing team. This pro works behind the scenes orchestrating many, if not all, facets of an organization’s marketing efforts.
projected job growth
Nationally: 7%
Washington state: 56%
Average Salary
Nationally: $141,490
Washington state: $154,630
Source: O*NET OnLine
In this role, you’re often in charge of coming up with marketing strategy, managing staff and budgets, and collaborating across the team to execute marketing plans. At an agency or a midsize or large company, you might specialize in one area or channel, like email marketing or social media. At a smaller company, you might be more of a generalist, a Jack or Jill of all trades, and handle them all.
Whether you’re a specialist or generalist, though, you need two key traits to succeed: storytelling skills and technical aptitude, noted Jennifer Wong, head of marketing at Convoy.
“Marketers in general should be good storytellers, able to create emotion and connection to a brand,” Wong said. “And with the role of technology today, marketing efforts have become more complex. You have to engage offline and online; you need to be able to leverage new technologies.”
The Washington Market Is Hot, Hot, Hot
While demand for marketing managers is strong nationally, with a projected growth of 7% over the next decade, demand in Washington state is estimated to be more than eight times that — at 56% — according to the O*NET career website.
“I definitely see growing opportunities, especially in Washington state, because of all the new companies that are blooming every single day,” Wong said. “And now that marketing is becoming more measureable with technology, there’s a definite justification behind it. It’s not necessarily seen as an expense for a company anymore; it’s seen as a revenue driver.”
Becoming a Marketing Manager
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