The BLS median pay for marketing managers was $161,030 in May 2024 and $166,790 in May 2025, the latest figure. The May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) data did not come out in April 2026: BLS published it on Friday, May 15, 2026, about six weeks later than usual because the October to November 2025 federal shutdown delayed survey processing. The next edition (May 2026 data) has no scheduled date yet; OEWS normally lands in late March or early April.
Every figure below comes straight from the BLS OEWS national, state, metro and industry files, the BLS 2025-35 Employment Projections, and the BLS employer cost survey. Private salary sites appear only in one labeled comparison table.
BLS marketing managers median pay: May 2024 vs May 2025
Marketing managers are SOC code 11-2021. Here is the full OEWS wage distribution for both years, read from the May 2024 national file and the May 2025 national file.
| Marketing managers (11-2021) | May 2024 (prior year) | May 2025 (latest) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $161,030 | $166,790 | +$5,760 (+3.6%) |
| Median hourly wage | $77.42 | $80.19 | +$2.77 |
| Mean annual wage | $171,520 | $177,770 | +$6,250 |
| 10th percentile | $81,900 | $90,260 | +$8,360 |
| 25th percentile | $111,210 | $123,020 | +$11,810 |
| 75th percentile | $211,080 | $216,410 | +$5,330 |
| 90th percentile | $239,200 or more (not published) | $293,610 | Not comparable |
| Employment (wage and salary jobs) | 384,980 | 395,240 | +10,260 |
Two traps catch people quoting the May 2024 number:
- The 90th percentile was capped in 2024. The May 2024 file shows “#” for the 90th percentile, which its field notes define as a wage of $239,200 a year or more. So “the top 10% earned more than $239,200” is a reporting ceiling, not a measured value. Do not subtract it from the 2025 figure of $293,610.
- The $159,660 you see on some sites is a different group. The Occupational Outlook Handbook “Median Pay” box combines advertising, promotions and marketing managers. That combined median was $159,660 for 2024 on the June 2026 version of the OOH page and is $165,780 for 2025 on the current page. Marketing managers alone are $161,030 and $166,790.
The 3.6% median rise sits above the 3.0% rise for all occupations ($49,500 to $50,980) over the same two files. BLS itself warns in its OEWS FAQ that the survey “is less useful for looking at changes over time,” because each estimate pools six semiannual panels collected over three years. Treat year-over-year changes as approximate.
May 2025 OEWS pay for six marketing occupations
These are the six SOC codes that cover most in-house and agency marketing jobs. Figures are national, all industries, wage and salary workers, from oesm25nat.zip.
| Occupation (SOC) | Jobs | Median | Hourly median | Mean | 10th pct | 25th pct | 75th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing managers (11-2021) | 395,240 | $166,790 | $80.19 | $177,770 | $90,260 | $123,020 | $216,410 | $293,610 |
| Public relations managers (11-2032) | 74,850 | $146,910 | $70.63 | $164,760 | $82,410 | $106,580 | $204,520 | $284,990 |
| Advertising and promotions managers (11-2011) | 21,470 | $133,660 | $64.26 | $154,280 | $63,300 | $91,370 | $201,050 | $286,240 |
| Market research analysts and marketing specialists (13-1161) | 899,580 | $78,760 | $37.87 | $89,490 | $43,390 | $58,350 | $108,310 | $155,480 |
| Public relations specialists (27-3031) | 283,380 | $74,750 | $35.94 | $84,120 | $44,110 | $56,260 | $100,370 | $135,150 |
| Graphic designers (27-1024) | 197,830 | $62,960 | $30.27 | $70,560 | $39,520 | $49,040 | $81,830 | $104,910 |
| All occupations (00-0000) | 155,495,730 | $50,980 | $24.51 | $69,770 | $31,200 | $37,590 | $80,520 | $128,560 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025 national file. Jobs exclude the self-employed.
What the spread tells you: a marketing manager at the 90th percentile earns 3.3 times one at the 10th ($293,610 vs $90,260), and specialists show a 3.6x spread ($155,480 vs $43,390). One national “average” hides most of the decision. Note that 13-1161 is a single BLS code covering digital marketers, SEO and email specialists, marketing analysts and market researchers alike; OEWS does not split it further.
If you are mapping these codes to an org chart, our breakdown of what a marketing function does shows which roles sit at which company size, and the advertising manager guide goes deeper on the 11-2011 numbers by metro.
May 2024 BLS marketing pay (prior year figures)
Use these when a report, contract or grant cites “May 2024” data, which was the current release from April 2, 2025 until May 15, 2026.
| Occupation (SOC) | Jobs, May 2024 | Median, May 2024 | Hourly median, May 2024 | 10th pct | 90th pct | Median, May 2025 | Median change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing managers (11-2021) | 384,980 | $161,030 | $77.42 | $81,900 | $239,200 or more | $166,790 | +3.6% |
| Public relations managers (11-2032) | 76,060 | $138,520 | $66.60 | $78,880 | $239,200 or more | $146,910 | +6.1% |
| Advertising and promotions managers (11-2011) | 21,100 | $126,960 | $61.04 | $63,000 | $239,200 or more | $133,660 | +5.3% |
| Market research analysts and marketing specialists (13-1161) | 861,140 | $76,950 | $37.00 | $42,070 | $144,610 | $78,760 | +2.4% |
| Public relations specialists (27-3031) | 280,590 | $69,780 | $33.55 | $40,750 | $129,480 | $74,750 | +7.1% |
| Graphic designers (27-1024) | 214,260 | $61,300 | $29.47 | $37,600 | $103,030 | $62,960 | +2.7% |
| All occupations | 154,187,380 | $49,500 | $23.80 | $29,990 | $125,720 | $50,980 | +3.0% |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2024 and May 2025 national files. Median change is our arithmetic on two separate survey estimates.
BLS OEWS May 2025 release date, and when May 2026 data comes out
If you searched for an April 2026 release date, you were following the normal pattern. The OEWS FAQ says estimates “are generally released in late March or early April.” In 2026 BLS broke that pattern. The BLS May 2026 release calendar listed “Occupational Employment and Wages, Annual 2025” for May 15 at 10:00 a.m. ET, and the news release (USDL-26-0725) went out that day.
The reason is printed in a box at the top of the release: “Because of the lapse in federal appropriations from October 1 through November 12, 2025, additional collection and processing time were required for the May 2025 OEWS survey panel once appropriations resumed.” BLS added that the response rate stayed in the normal range and no methodology changes were needed.
| Data reference period | National release date | Release number |
|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | Thursday, March 31, 2022 | USDL-22-0556 |
| May 2022 | Tuesday, April 25, 2023 | USDL-23-0794 |
| May 2023 | Wednesday, April 3, 2024 | USDL-24-0628 |
| May 2024 | Wednesday, April 2, 2025 | USDL-25-0451 |
| May 2025 | Friday, May 15, 2026 (shutdown delay) | USDL-26-0725 |
| May 2026 | Not yet scheduled | Expected spring 2027 |
Release dates read from the BLS news release header in each year’s Internet Archive capture.
When is the next release? As of the 2027 BLS release calendar pages last modified October 9, 2026, no OEWS date is listed for March, April or May 2027; those pages so far show only the major monthly indicators such as the Employment Situation and CPI. Based on the FAQ’s late March to early April pattern, plan for spring 2027 and confirm on the calendar. The fastest way to catch the date is to subscribe to the BLS calendar feed, https://www.bls.gov/schedule/news_release/bls.ics, which BLS lists on every schedule page.
The May 15 release pointed readers to the state, metro and industry tables the same day, and the OEWS tables page was last modified May 15, 2026, with all May 2025 files posted.
How to download the BLS marketing salary data
You have two routes: the bulk Excel files or the BLS public API. Both return the same numbers as this page.
Route 1: the OEWS zip files
- Go to the OEWS tables page and find the May 2025 row.
- Click XLSX next to the level you need. The links resolve to these files:
- oesm25nat.zip: national, all industries (the file behind every national figure above)
- oesm25st.zip: states, DC and territories
- oesm25ma.zip: metro and nonmetro areas
- oesm25in4.zip: national by industry (sector, 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-digit NAICS)
- Open the sheet and filter
OCC_CODEto 11-2021, 11-2011, 11-2032, 13-1161, 27-3031 or 27-1024. ReadA_MEDIAN(annual median),A_MEAN,A_PCT10throughA_PCT90,H_MEDIAN(hourly) andTOT_EMP. - For the prior year, swap 25 for 24: oesm24nat.zip. Check the “Field Descriptions” sheet: “#” means $239,200 a year or more, and “**” means BLS suppressed the estimate.
Our US advertising industry statistics page lists what is inside each zip, file sizes and a short Python filter if you want to script it. bls.gov often refuses scripted downloads (it returned HTTP 403 to ours), so download through a browser.
Route 2: BLS API series IDs for marketing pay (copy-ready)
OEWS series IDs follow one pattern: OEU + area type (N national, S state) + 7-digit area + 6-digit industry (000000 = all) + 6-digit SOC + 2-digit data type. Each ID below returned the May 2025 value shown when we queried the BLS public API on November 1, 2026. The API holds only the latest year: requests for 2023 and 2024 came back “No Data Available,” so use the zip files for May 2024.
| What you want | Series ID | Returns (May 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing managers, annual median, US | OEUN000000000000011202113 | 166790 |
| Marketing managers, annual mean, US | OEUN000000000000011202104 | 177770 |
| Marketing managers, 10th percentile | OEUN000000000000011202111 | 90260 |
| Marketing managers, 25th percentile | OEUN000000000000011202112 | 123020 |
| Marketing managers, 75th percentile | OEUN000000000000011202114 | 216410 |
| Marketing managers, 90th percentile | OEUN000000000000011202115 | 293610 |
| Marketing managers, hourly median | OEUN000000000000011202108 | 80.19 |
| Marketing managers, employment | OEUN000000000000011202101 | 395240 |
| Marketing managers, annual median, Massachusetts | OEUS250000000000011202113 | 212020 |
To get another occupation, replace 112021 with 112011, 112032, 131161, 273031 or 271024. For a state, use S plus the two-digit state FIPS code and five zeros (Massachusetts is S2500000). A single request in a terminal:
curl https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v1/timeseries/data/OEUN000000000000013116113
The version 1 API needs no registration key. If you send a User-Agent header, keep it generic; do not put a personal email in it.
Top-paying states, metros and industries for marketing jobs
BLS ranks “top paying” areas by annual mean wage, so the tables below do the same and add the median. All figures are May 2025, from the state, metro and industry files.
Marketing managers (11-2021)
| Rank | Top-paying state | Mean | Median | Jobs | Top-paying metro | Mean | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $213,230 | $212,020 | 14,270 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $255,360 | $231,370 | 7,300 |
| 2 | California | $207,860 | $193,620 | 54,660 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $235,920 | $220,480 | 11,170 |
| 3 | New York | $202,480 | $181,200 | 54,000 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $216,770 | $213,910 | 11,940 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $198,400 | $180,040 | 13,510 | Boulder, CO | $210,910 | $199,570 | 630 |
| 5 | Colorado | $196,210 | $182,730 | 6,010 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $207,770 | $192,840 | 54,730 |
At the other end, the lowest state medians for marketing managers are West Virginia ($98,750), Mississippi ($100,940) and Nevada ($107,550). Texas, the third-largest employer with 44,680 jobs, has a median of $147,880, about 30% below Massachusetts.
Market research analysts and marketing specialists (13-1161)
| Rank | Top-paying state | Mean | Median | Jobs | Top-paying metro | Mean | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $108,600 | $101,810 | 39,710 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $154,130 | $141,960 | 12,710 |
| 2 | California | $108,120 | $94,700 | 119,070 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $130,760 | $123,250 | 24,120 |
| 3 | Washington | $107,970 | $95,120 | 24,460 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $116,050 | $102,170 | 18,030 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $106,270 | $98,090 | 6,340 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $109,840 | $102,390 | 32,310 |
| 5 | Delaware | $105,940 | $101,270 | 3,570 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $107,080 | $93,110 | 2,740 |
The lowest state medians for 13-1161 are West Virginia ($52,340), Mississippi ($56,640) and Hawaii ($59,390). The New York-Newark-Jersey City metro has the most of these jobs: 79,290.
Top-paying industries
| Industry (NAICS sector) | Marketing managers: median | Marketing managers: jobs | Marketing specialists: median | Marketing specialists: jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Information (51) | $192,600 | 42,650 | $102,670 | 83,400 |
| Management of companies and enterprises (55) | $172,580 | 52,430 | $99,850 | 74,470 |
| Finance and insurance (52) | $172,350 | 39,110 | $94,330 | 85,630 |
| Manufacturing (31-33) | $171,490 | 31,460 | $83,390 | 53,160 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services (54) | $170,050 | 96,660 | $79,970 | 248,820 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 national industry file (sector level). Mining and oil and gas extraction posts the highest marketing manager mean ($247,940) but employs only 540, so it is left out of the table. At the detailed level, marketing managers at software publishers have a $206,400 median; in advertising, PR and related agencies (NAICS 5418) the median is $168,420 for managers and $76,660 for specialists. Location moves the number even more than industry: the marketing manager median runs from $98,750 in West Virginia to $231,370 in the San Jose metro.
BLS 2025-35 job outlook for marketing occupations
BLS released its 2025-35 Employment Projections on August 27, 2026 (USDL-26-1422), replacing the 2024-34 set. Total US employment is projected to grow 3.5%. These job counts come from BLS Table 1.2 and include the self-employed, so they run higher than the OEWS counts above.
| Occupation (SOC) | Jobs 2025 (thousands) | Jobs 2035 (thousands) | Change 2025-35 | Openings per year (thousands) | Self-employed, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market research analysts and marketing specialists (13-1161) | 952.7 | 1,019.0 | +7.0% | 82.0 | 3.8% |
| Marketing managers (11-2021) | 421.6 | 450.8 | +6.9% | 34.0 | 5.3% |
| Public relations managers (11-2032) | 80.8 | 85.4 | +5.7% | 6.1 | 0.4% |
| Public relations specialists (27-3031) | 314.5 | 320.2 | +1.8% | 23.0 | 1.1% |
| Graphic designers (27-1024) | 253.1 | 248.8 | -1.7% | 16.0 | 20.5% |
| Advertising and promotions managers (11-2011) | 33.2 | 31.9 | -3.7% | 2.3 | 35.1% |
| All occupations | 170,280.8 | 176,198.5 | +3.5% | 17,461.8 | 5.8% |
The OOH rounds the marketing manager figure to 7%. Most openings come from replacing people who leave, not new jobs: marketing managers add 29,100 net jobs over ten years but have 34,000 openings every year. For the old 2024-34 numbers side by side with the new set, see our BLS marketing outlook comparison.
What a marketing hire really costs: BLS pay plus benefits
OEWS wages are straight-time gross pay. The OEWS technical note says they include commissions and production bonuses but exclude overtime, nonproduction bonuses and the employer’s cost of benefits. To budget a hire, add benefits.
The method matches our CMO salary guide. In the BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026, private-industry management, business and financial occupations cost $88.63 an hour: $59.85 wages, $8.47 paid leave and $20.31 other benefits. A salary already covers paid leave, so the load is $20.31 / ($59.85 + $8.47) = 29.7%, a multiplier of 1.297. That rate fits the 11- and 13- codes (management, business and financial). PR specialists and graphic designers sit in a different ECEC group, so it is not applied to them here.
Offer-pricing worksheet (worked examples)
| Scenario | BLS wage used (May 2025) | x 1.297 | Estimated annual cost before bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing manager, national median | $166,790 | +$49,537 | $216,327 |
| Marketing manager, Texas median | $147,880 | +$43,920 | $191,800 |
| Marketing manager, Massachusetts median | $212,020 | +$62,970 | $274,990 |
| Newer marketing manager, national 25th percentile | $123,020 | +$36,537 | $159,557 |
| Advertising and promotions manager, national median | $133,660 | +$39,697 | $173,357 |
| Marketing specialist (13-1161), national median | $78,760 | +$23,392 | $102,152 |
How to use it for your own role:
- Pick the closest SOC code. If the person owns the whole marketing plan and budget, use 11-2021. If they run campaigns or channels without a team, use 13-1161. Writing the scope down first helps; our marketing manager job description template has the duties that separate the two.
- Pick the geography where the person lives, not where you are. A remote hire in Boston prices off $213,910 (metro median), not the national $166,790.
- Pick the percentile by scope. My rule of thumb, not a BLS rule: 25th percentile for a first-time manager, median for a manager who has run the function before, 75th percentile for someone who will also build the team.
- Multiply by 1.297, then add any target bonus on top.
The 1.297 is an occupational-group average across private industry, so treat the result as an estimate. Before you decide between a full-time hire at these numbers and part-time senior help, you can book a consultation to pressure-test the role.
BLS vs Payscale, Built In and Robert Half: marketing manager pay
Private salary sites measure something different, so their numbers run lower than BLS for the same title. Here is what each showed when we checked on November 1, 2026.
| Source | Marketing manager figure | What it measures | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLS OEWS | $166,790 median; $90,260 to $293,610 (10th to 90th) | Employer-reported wages for SOC 11-2021, all US industries | May 2025 reference, released May 15, 2026 |
| Payscale | $77,144 average base; $52k to $114k base range; $1k to $14k bonus | 9,592 self-reported salary profiles | Updated Oct 12, 2026 |
| Built In | $94,787 average base; $10,226 additional cash; $105,013 total | Responses from anonymous marketing manager employees in the US; count not shown | 2026 page, no update date shown |
| Robert Half | $91,000 low, $109,000 mid, $128,750 high | Recruiter benchmarks by experience level, US national | 2027 Salary Guide (projected 2027 pay) |
Why the gap is so large: the BLS manager code applies to people whose employer classifies them as marketing managers, and its median includes large-company and high-cost-metro roles. Self-reported sites pull in many people with “manager” in a title whose work BLS might code as 13-1161, where the median is $78,760. Payscale’s $77,144 is closer to that specialist figure than to the BLS manager median. Robert Half’s 2027 guide projects a 1.8% average raise for marketing and creative roles, after 1.5% for 2026, according to its marketing and creative salary trends page.
How to cite BLS marketing salary data correctly
Copy these formats so readers can find your exact number:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Marketing Managers (11-2021), national median annual wage, May 2025 (released May 15, 2026): $166,790.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Marketing Managers (11-2021), national median annual wage, May 2024 (released April 2, 2025): $161,030.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025-35, Table 1.2, Marketing Managers (11-2021): +6.9%, 34,000 openings per year.
Checks before you publish:
- Say “median,” not “average.” The mean ($177,770) is $10,980 higher.
- Name the reference month (May 2025), not the year you read it. The data describe May 2025 even though they came out in 2026.
- Do not mix OEWS jobs (395,240, excludes self-employed) with projection jobs (421,600, includes them).
- For a CMO or VP, BLS has no separate code. Most sit in 11-2021 or chief executives, which is why the CMO salary guide above uses proxy filings instead.
Frequently asked questions
What was the BLS marketing managers median pay in May 2024?
The BLS median annual wage for marketing managers (SOC 11-2021) was $161,030 in May 2024, or $77.42 an hour. The 10th percentile was $81,900 and the 90th was only published as $239,200 or more. The newer May 2025 figure is $166,790. The $159,660 figure some sites quote is the combined advertising, promotions and marketing managers group, not marketing managers alone.
When was the BLS OEWS May 2025 data released? Was it April 2026?
No. BLS released the May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics on Friday, May 15, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET (news release USDL-26-0725). OEWS usually comes out in late March or early April, but the October 1 to November 12, 2025 federal funding lapse added collection and processing time for the May 2025 survey panel.
When will BLS release the May 2026 OEWS data?
BLS has not scheduled it yet. The 2027 release calendar pages, last modified October 9, 2026, list no Occupational Employment and Wages date for March to May 2027. The OEWS FAQ says estimates are generally released in late March or early April, so plan for spring 2027 and subscribe to the BLS calendar feed to catch the exact date.
What is the BLS median salary for marketing specialists?
Market research analysts and marketing specialists (SOC 13-1161) had a median annual wage of $78,760 in May 2025, up from $76,950 in May 2024. The 10th percentile was $43,390 and the 90th $155,480. This one BLS code covers digital marketers, SEO and email specialists and analysts. Massachusetts pays the highest state mean, $108,600.
Where do I download oesm25nat.zip?
Download it from the BLS OEWS tables page (bls.gov/oes/tables.htm) under May 2025, or directly at bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip. It holds the national all-industry Excel file. The state, metro and industry versions are oesm25st.zip, oesm25ma.zip and oesm25in4.zip. For the prior year, change 25 to 24. bls.gov often blocks scripted downloads, so use a browser.
Does the BLS median salary include bonuses and benefits?
Partly. OEWS wages include base pay, commissions and production bonuses, but exclude overtime, nonproduction bonuses and the employer cost of benefits. To estimate employer cost for marketing managers and specialists, multiply the wage by about 1.297, the benefits load for private-industry management, business and financial jobs in the BLS June 2026 employer cost survey.