You're in the middle of a long lecture when you let out an earth-shaking sneeze. Everyone laughs - except the annoyed student in front of you who hands you a tissue. Can you really tell whether that tissue is made by Kleenex or just some bargain brand?
What's our point? Many people splurge on name-brand products, even when less expensive products are almost identical. If that fascinates you, maybe you should consider a marketing career.
Are you wondering if marketing is a good major? In this article, we'll review some of the top, well-paid jobs in the marketing field to help you decide.
Why you should choose marketing as your major
You're most likely surrounded by brand-name products, from your Apple iPhone to your Nike sneakers. All those companies use marketing professionals to heighten their brand.
Some of the top reasons a degree in marketing might be right up your alley include:
- Everyone needs marketers. If you're good at marketing, your skill set should always be in demand.
- You can work in any industry. With a marketing degree, you can work in tech, fashion, sporting equipment, vehicles, or any other field.
- Marketing is getting more and more digital. If you're addicted to surfing the web and social media, a marketing degree can help you make money from it.
7 top marketing jobs
Now, let's see what you might do with your marketing degree. In the next few sections, we'll go over seven of the best marketing jobs you can get.
Digital community manager
If you're a whiz at building online engagement, you might enjoy being a digital community manager. Digital community managers write content and engage with consumers to build online communities.
You'll likely need a bachelor's degree in marketing or a related field if you want this career. You might also need real-world experience as a social media manager, content creator, or similar role. On average, digital community managers make around $57,000 a year, which might be higher or lower based on experience and location.
More and more companies are focusing on their online presence, so the already huge demand for this job should grow in the future.
SEO specialist
The higher a business website ranks in the search engine results pages (SERPs) for Google or other search engines, the more attention and sales it generates.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of increasing a webpage's visibility online. SEO specialists study keywords, improve web content, and build backlinks to increase website traffic.
To get hired as an SEO specialist, you'll likely need a bachelor's degree in marketing or a related field, but SEO trends and search engine algorithms are ever-evolving.
SEO specialists need to constantly up their game to keep up with the latest trends. Some jobs may also require certifications in SEO or digital marketing or work experience in a field like webpage analytics.
On average, SEO specialists bring home a little over $58,000 a year - of course, experienced workers can earn much more. Demand for SEO specialists should grow as businesses compete to stay ahead of changing search engine algorithms.
Content marketing manager
A content marketing manager monitors copywriters and other content creators closely and measures performance metrics like page views, click-through rate (CTR), comments, shares, and bounce rates.
You'll need a bachelor's degree in marketing or a related field. You may also need experience creating and editing content. It also doesn't hurt to have project management chops and a solid understanding of social media.
On average, content marketing managers make around $75,000 a year, but many make well over six figures. You might thrive in this high-paying, growing career if you have great leadership skills.
Social media marketing specialist
If you check your Instagram every 10 minutes, why not get paid for it? Social media marketing specialists create content for and manage social media marketing campaigns.
In this position, you might develop content calendars, create graphic designs and videos for posts, and respond to questions on social media.
You'll generally need a bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, or a related field. Certain companies may also require social media marketing or digital marketing certifications and experience managing social media.
The average pay for this job is around $50,000 a year, but that can jump to around $70,000. Social media isn't going anywhere. Many smaller businesses use their social media pages as their main company website. The need for social media specialists is likely to keep growing in the future.
Account manager
If you're good with customers, try your hand at being an account manager. Account managers build and maintain customer relationships. Unlike sales management - whose main goal is to make sales - good account managers are hyper-focused on customer satisfaction.
They respond to customer questions and help clients find the services they need. Account managers are the main point of contact between a brand and its clients.
Most account managers have marketing degrees or business administration degrees. Some also have certifications or experience in marketing or customer service. The average pay for an account manager is around $73,000 a year, but the highest-paid account managers can make around $120,000.
There's always demand for skilled account managers to help businesses keep their best customers.
Brand manager
Brand managers oversee the creation and execution of a brand's marketing strategy. Their main goals are to increase brand visibility and carve out a larger market share.
Brand managers make sure a brand's marketing channels are consistent, from social media and television advertising to product packaging. They also analyze market research to fine-tune the company's marketing approach.
You'll need a bachelor's degree in marketing, business, or a related field, an expert understanding of consumer behavior, and experience in marketing or product management. You may also need specific certifications.
The average pay for a brand manager is around $74,000 a year, but top earners make well over $100,000. Demand for brand managers is likely to continue to increase over time.
Data analyst
Data analysts aggregate and study huge swaths of information to find insights a company can use. In addition to a marketing degree, most data analysts need a bachelor's degree or coursework in a field like statistics or computer science.
Analysts may also need technical certifications for things like programming, data analysis, and data science. On average, data analysts make around $70,000 a year, but experienced ones can make more than $100,000.
The demand for data analysts is extremely high and likely will be for a long time. Companies are continuously creating new systems to capture more and more data. They need analysts to make sense of it.
Is a marketing major worth it?
The real question is: Does marketing interest you? There is a lot of in-demand, high-paying jobs for marketing graduates. While you might be able to get entry-level marketing jobs without a degree, most full-time, higher-level (i.e., higher-salary) ones require a college degree.
A marketing degree can be a solid investment for anyone looking to find internships, switch jobs into a marketing role, or learn marketing fundamentals to get paid more. Marketing degrees can also be great for entrepreneurship. Perfecting their marketing skills can help new business owners reach target audiences.
Here's the bottom line: Opportunities are there for marketing students. Now, how badly do you want them?
What are popular schools for marketing?
Different schools manage marketing majors differently. Some colleges have a dedicated marketing school, but many others consider a marketing degree part of their general business school.
Here are some popular marketing programs (based on the percentage of total degrees awarded by the school):
- Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL
- Florida International University in Miami, FL
- University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL
- University of South Carolina - Columbia in Columbia, SC
- Ohio State University in Columbus, OH
Quickly and easily compare the best marketing schools with College Rover
We get it - choosing the right college is exciting, fun, and scary. Higher learning can be a huge investment, and you want to end up somewhere you enjoy and on a career path you're passionate about.
College Rover can help you find the best college for you. Our platform helps you search for colleges that meet your needs and pricing requirements. You can even compare colleges based on other factors that matter to you.
