For those seeking a challenging career that incorporates creativity and innovation, a job in marketing may be the perfect fit. Specialists and managers in the marketing industry carefully examine marketing trends and determine the best way to get their organization’s unique message to the public — whether prospective customers are consumers or other businesses.
Marketing can be a stimulating, rewarding career for those who are willing to work hard and have a wide-ranging skill set. Aspiring marketers can develop the specialized skills the field requires through coursework in the online Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Marketing program from Florida Institute of Technology.
What Is the Marketing Industry? A Career in Communication
Marketing can be a challenging career choice, with a variety of options ranging from entry-level to chief executive positions. Marketing professionals are responsible for developing communication tools that help consumers — whether individuals, nonprofits or other businesses — understand what service or product a particular organization has to offer to the marketplace.
Communication is the primary tool of marketing industry workers. Having excellent written and verbal skills as well as being a superior creative problem solver are critical attributes for marketing professionals. Marketing careers require being able to “think outside of the box” and deal with large sets of complex — and sometimes disparate — marketing industry data.
Having a creative mind is critical, as developing new ideas and solutions to get products and services to market is a primary challenge of many marketing positions. Marketing also involves being able to work with people in all different fields and quickly understand their technical expertise and how it impacts the ultimate impressions of the consumer.
The Future of Careers in Marketing Management: Job Outlook and Salary Potential
Rising competition in the marketplace and changes in technology are reshaping the marketing profession. Accessing consumers can now be an instant process, and successful marketers need to leverage this rapid-fire engagement.
With business operations, economic conditions, technology and marketing methods changing so quickly, demand is high for expert marketers with the skill to navigate disruption. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that employment of marketing managers will increase by 8% between 2023 and 2033, resulting in 36,600 upper-level marketing job openings per year. This job growth rate is substantially faster than the national average for all occupations.
Further, marketing manager jobs can pay quite well, commensurate with the skill, experience and education level of the professional, as well as the outsized impact effective marketing can have on an organization’s bottom line. BLS reports that the median annual salary for marketing managers was $161,030 in 2024, with the top 10% of earners making upwards of $239,200.
BLS also offers data on marketing professionals who work in the related roles of advertising manager and promotions manager. At $126,960, the 2024 median yearly salary for these professionals is slightly lower than those considered to be marketing managers, but the top 10% still earned over $239,200 annually.
Education and Career Options in Marketing
Careers in marketing exist in an array of environments including the technical, finance, insurance, professional and scientific industries. A bachelor’s degree with experience will suffice to begin a career in marketing across many of these industries. Ascending the ranks of marketing positions requires experience and a proven track record of strategic success, as well as a master’s degree in some instances.
For instance, earning an MBA in marketing can open doors to advanced positions, both due to the boost in competitive edge the qualification affords as well as the skill- and knowledge-development the program of study provides. Additionally, some employers prefer to hire candidates with master’s degrees for top positions, according to BLS.
Marketing professionals have a variety of responsibilities and job duties they are responsible for on a regular basis, depending on their specific role. Ultimately, a marketing professional is responsible for increasing the recognition of their product, service or brand in the marketplace. To do so, marketing personnel may do everything from conducting research to designing promotions for a new service to creating a pathway to communicate with global businesses. The options vary widely, as do the products and services that marketing experts can promote.
What It Takes to Succeed in Marketing
Becoming a marketing expert requires a range of expertise. For technologically savvy professionals who can communicate well verbally and in writing, synthesize large amounts of information from a variety of sources, and possess a creative streak, a job in the marketing industry may be the perfect fit.
Excellent interpersonal skills are also critical. Marketing jobs require collaboration with colleagues, executives, departmental leaders and even management of other companies. Marketers may also spend substantial time working in the community and networking with other professionals in the industry. Marketing roles may also require flexibility to attend special events.
Making the Choice to Pursue a Marketing Management Career
As a career choice, specializing in marketing can provide a lifetime of opportunities to work with a constant variety of people on myriad projects. With positive projected job growth, advancements in technology and methodology to leverage, and a competitive salary range, marketing management can be a career path filled with personal and professional rewards.
Many positions in marketing are available to candidates with a variety of professional and educational backgrounds. However, competition for high-level management positions can be fierce. The advanced, industry-specific expertise, modern technological skills and foundational business acumen gained through the MBA in Marketing online program from Florida Tech can provide the edge job seekers need to land the most desirable, engaging and lucrative positions marketing has to offer.
Learn more about Florida Tech’s online MBA in Marketing program.
