27 Marketing Jobs and Salary Statistics, Trends, and Data Points for 2026

This research asset compiles verified U.S. employment counts, wages, and job-growth projections for marketing occupations, drawing primarily on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It separates government wage data, which is collected from employers, from self-reported pay on platforms such as Glassdoor, Indeed, and LinkedIn, because the two measure different things and produce materially different numbers. Where market-size claims for trends like fractional marketing leadership rest only on vendor commentary, those figures are flagged as unverified rather than presented as fact.

Executive Summary

• Marketing managers (SOC 11-2021) held about 407,000 jobs in the United States in 2024 (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024).
• The median annual wage for marketing managers was $161,030 in May 2024 in the United States (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OOH / OEWS, May 2024).
• Market research analysts and marketing specialists (SOC 13-1161) held about 941,700 jobs in the United States in 2024 (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OOH, 2024).
• The median annual wage for market research analysts and marketing specialists was $76,950 in May 2024 in the United States (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OOH / OEWS, May 2024).
• Employment of market research analysts is projected to grow 7 percent from 2024 to 2034 in the United States, faster than the 3.1 percent projected for all occupations (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-2034).
• Combined advertising, promotions, and marketing manager employment is projected to grow 6 percent from 2024 to 2034 in the United States, with about 36,400 openings per year (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OOH, 2024-2034).
• Glassdoor reported an average self-reported marketing manager salary of about $105,513 in the United States as of June 2026, roughly $55,000 below the BLS median, illustrating how self-reported data and employer-survey data diverge (Source: Glassdoor, June 2026).

Key Findings

• Marketing managers (SOC 11-2021) numbered about 407,000 in the United States in 2024 (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OOH, 2024).
• The median annual wage for marketing managers was $161,030 in the United States in May 2024 (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OOH / OEWS, May 2024).
• The lowest-paid 10 percent of marketing managers earned less than $81,900 annually in the United States in May 2024 (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OOH, May 2024).
• The highest-paid 10 percent of marketing managers earned more than $239,200 annually in the United States in May 2024 (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OOH, May 2024).
• Market research analysts and marketing specialists (SOC 13-1161) numbered about 941,700 in the United States in 2024 (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OOH, 2024).
• The median annual wage for market research analysts and marketing specialists was $76,950 in the United States in May 2024 (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OOH / OEWS, May 2024).
• The lowest-paid 10 percent of market research analysts earned less than $42,070 and the highest-paid 10 percent earned more than $144,610 in the United States in May 2024 (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OOH, May 2024).
• About 87,200 openings for market research analysts are projected each year, on average, from 2024 to 2034 in the United States (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-2034).
• Advertising and promotions managers (SOC 11-2011) held about 27,000 jobs in the United States in 2024, with a median annual wage of $126,960 in May 2024 (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OOH, 2024 and May 2024).
• Employment of market research analysts is projected to grow 7 percent and combined advertising, promotions, and marketing managers 6 percent from 2024 to 2034 in the United States (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OOH / Employment Projections, 2024-2034).
• Total U.S. employment is projected to rise from 170.0 million in 2024 to 175.2 million in 2034, a 3.1 percent increase (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-2034).
• The May 2025 OEWS release lists a higher marketing manager median of about $166,790 and a mean of about $185,261 in the United States, reflecting a one-year update versus the May 2024 figure cited in the Occupational Outlook Handbook (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025, via O*NET).
• Glassdoor’s self-reported average marketing manager salary was about $105,513 in the United States as of June 2026, based on 14,807 submissions (Source: Glassdoor, June 2026).
• Indeed’s self-reported average marketing manager salary was about $84,677 in the United States as of June 2026, based on roughly 7,300 reported salaries (Source: Indeed, June 2026).
• About 34,300 to 36,400 marketing-manager and combined manager openings are projected each year from 2024 to 2034 in the United States, depending on whether marketing managers are counted alone or with advertising and promotions managers (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OOH / O*NET, 2024-2034).

Employment Counts by Occupation

The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program track marketing work under three Standard Occupational Classification codes. Marketing managers (11-2021) held about 407,000 jobs in the United States in 2024. Market research analysts and marketing specialists (13-1161) held about 941,700 jobs in the United States in 2024. Advertising and promotions managers (11-2011) held about 27,000 jobs in the United States in 2024. Together these three codes account for roughly 1.38 million U.S. jobs, though the BLS does not publish a single combined “marketing workforce” total, so this sum is a derived figure rather than an official statistic. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OOH, 2024.

Wages: Median and Mean

BLS wage data reflects pay reported by employers, not by workers. The median annual wage for marketing managers was $161,030 in the United States in May 2024. The median annual wage for market research analysts and marketing specialists was $76,950 in the United States in May 2024. The median annual wage for advertising and promotions managers was $126,960 in the United States in May 2024. The May 2025 OEWS update raised the marketing manager median to about $166,790 and put the mean at about $185,261, which sits above the median because high earners pull the average up. The gap between the $185,261 mean and the $161,030-$166,790 median signals a right-skewed pay distribution where senior and large-company roles concentrate at the top. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2024 and May 2025.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook and OEWS, May 2024 (employment and wage figures); percentile bounds as published per occupation page.

Job Growth Projections, 2024-2034

BLS Employment Projections cover the 2024-2034 decade. Market research analyst employment is projected to grow 7 percent over the decade in the United States, with about 87,200 openings per year. Combined advertising, promotions, and marketing manager employment is projected to grow 6 percent over the decade in the United States, with about 36,400 openings per year. For marketing managers counted alone, O*NET lists about 34,300 openings per year. These growth rates exceed the 3.1 percent projected for total U.S. employment, which rises from 170.0 million in 2024 to 175.2 million in 2034. Most openings each year come from the need to replace workers who leave the occupation, not from net new positions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-2034.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook and Employment Projections, 2024-2034; O*NET OnLine (marketing managers alone).

Government Data vs. Self-Reported Pay

Self-reported salary platforms and the BLS measure different populations and use different methods, so their numbers should not be treated as interchangeable. The BLS reported a marketing manager median of $161,030 in May 2024 from an employer survey. Glassdoor reported an average self-reported marketing manager salary of about $105,513 in the United States as of June 2026, based on 14,807 submissions. Indeed reported an average of about $84,677 as of June 2026, based on roughly 7,300 reported salaries. The large gap reflects definitional differences: BLS reports a median across all establishments, while Glassdoor and Indeed report averages skewed by who chooses to submit data and by job-title self-selection. Self-reported “marketing manager” pools may include earlier-career or lower-titled roles than the BLS manager classification. Treat platform averages as directional sentiment, not as a substitute for the BLS median. Source: Glassdoor, June 2026; Indeed, June 2026.

Fractional and Contract Marketing Trends

Demand for fractional and contract marketing leadership has drawn wide commentary, but verified primary data is thin. Multiple vendor and agency sources claim the number of fractional marketing leaders roughly doubled between 2022 and 2024 and that fractional CMO market revenue is in the low billions of dollars, but these figures originate from marketing firms and lack disclosed, auditable methodology, so they are flagged here as unverified and are excluded from the verified-stat count. What is verifiable from BLS is that the underlying occupations are growing faster than the overall labor market, which is consistent with rising demand for flexible senior marketing talent but does not by itself confirm any specific fractional-market dollar figure. Organizations evaluating fractional marketing should ask vendors for the source and methodology behind any market-size claim before relying on it. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-2034 (occupation growth only; fractional market-size claims unverified).

Original Synthesis

The following three insights are derived by combining published BLS datasets. Each states its inputs and limitations and does not overstate.

1. Marketing-occupation growth premium over the labor market

Subtracting the projected all-occupation growth rate (3.1 percent, 2024-2034) from the marketing occupations’ rates yields a “growth premium” of about 3.9 percentage points for market research analysts (7 percent minus 3.1 percent) and about 2.9 points for combined marketing managers (6 percent minus 3.1 percent). Inputs: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034. Limitation: percentage-point differences on small base rates can shift with annual data revisions and should be read as directional.

2. Mean-to-median pay spread as a skew indicator

Dividing the May 2025 OEWS marketing manager mean ($185,261) by the median ($166,790) gives a ratio of about 1.11, meaning average pay runs roughly 11 percent above the midpoint. Inputs: BLS OEWS May 2025 (via O*NET). Limitation: the mean and median are drawn from the same 2025 release; mixing them with the May 2024 OOH median would not be valid, so this ratio uses 2025 figures only.

3. Government-to-self-reported wage gap

Comparing the BLS May 2024 marketing manager median ($161,030) with Glassdoor’s June 2026 self-reported average ($105,513) shows the platform figure is about 35 percent lower. Inputs: BLS OOH May 2024; Glassdoor June 2026. Limitation: the two figures use different reference dates, populations, and statistics (employer-survey median versus self-reported average), so this gap measures methodological divergence, not a real pay decline.

Charts to build

• Median wage by marketing SOC code (bar chart). Data: $161,030, $126,960, $76,950 by occupation. Source: BLS OEWS May 2024. Insight: managerial roles pay roughly double specialist roles. Citation-worthy because it anchors any pay-benchmarking story to government data.
• Projected growth vs. all occupations (grouped bar). Data: 7%, 6%, 3.1%. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034. Insight: marketing roles outpace the labor market. Citation-worthy as a labor-demand signal.
• Government vs. self-reported pay (clustered bar). Data: BLS $161,030 vs. Glassdoor $105,513 vs. Indeed $84,677. Sources: BLS May 2024, Glassdoor and Indeed June 2026. Insight: methodology drives a 35-49 percent spread. Citation-worthy because it warns against mixing source types.
• Wage distribution band for marketing managers (range bar). Data: 10th percentile <$81,900 to 90th percentile >$239,200, median $161,030. Source: BLS OEWS May 2024. Insight: a near 3x spread within one title. Citation-worthy for compensation-design discussions.
• Annual openings by occupation (bar). Data: ~87,200 analysts, ~36,400 managers. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034. Insight: replacement demand dominates hiring. Citation-worthy for workforce-planning coverage.

Inline chart: median annual wage by marketing occupation (May 2024, BLS)

Bars scaled to the highest median ($161,030 = 100%). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2024.

Methodology

Sources were selected with primary U.S. government data first: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), and Employment Projections. Self-reported platform data (Glassdoor, Indeed) is included only to illustrate divergence from government data and is clearly labeled as self-reported. Each statistic carries a year and U.S. geography. Where the OOH (May 2024) and the newer OEWS release (May 2025, surfaced via O*NET) differed, both are shown and the difference is attributed to the one-year reference update rather than presented as a contradiction. Vendor claims about fractional-CMO market size were excluded from the verified count because they lacked disclosed methodology and primary sourcing. Derived figures (the 1.38 million combined total, the growth premium, the mean-to-median ratio, and the government-to-self-reported gap) are labeled as derived and show their inputs. BLS pages returned access blocks to automated fetching, so figures were confirmed across multiple BLS-sourced search results and the BLS-mirroring O*NET database; readers should treat the linked BLS pages as the authoritative source of record. Last updated June 2026.

Source Quality

Tier 1 (primary government): U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook; BLS OEWS; BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034; O*NET OnLine (U.S. Department of Labor, mirrors BLS data).

Tier 2 (credible aggregators / public-company self-reported data): Glassdoor self-reported salary data; Indeed self-reported salary data; LinkedIn salary insights.

Tier 3 (commentary / unverified vendor claims): Fractional-marketing agency and vendor blogs cited for context on fractional trends; their market-size figures are unverified and excluded from the verified-stat count.

Most Quotable Statistics

• “The median U.S. marketing manager earned $161,030 in May 2024” (Source: BLS OEWS, May 2024).
• “Market research analyst employment is projected to grow 7 percent from 2024 to 2034, more than double the 3.1 percent for all occupations” (Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034).
• “Glassdoor’s self-reported marketing manager average of $105,513 sits about 35 percent below the BLS median” (Sources: Glassdoor June 2026; BLS May 2024).
• “About 941,700 Americans worked as market research analysts and marketing specialists in 2024” (Source: BLS OOH, 2024).

Data Limitations

• BLS classifies marketing work under three SOC codes; there is no single official “marketing workforce” total, so the 1.38 million combined figure is derived.
• OOH figures reference May 2024 while the newer OEWS release references May 2025; mixing the two within one calculation is not valid.
• Glassdoor, Indeed, and LinkedIn figures are self-reported averages, not employer-survey medians, and are not directly comparable to BLS.
• Fractional-CMO market-size claims circulating online lack disclosed methodology and are not verified here.
• Projected annual openings are dominated by replacement needs, not net new jobs.

Recommended Dataset Fields

For a downloadable CSV: occupation_title, soc_code, employment_2024, median_annual_wage, mean_annual_wage, wage_10th_pctile, wage_90th_pctile, projected_growth_pct_2024_2034, annual_openings, data_source, reference_period, geography, source_url.

Press Summary

U.S. marketing occupations entered 2026 with above-average growth and a wide internal pay range. The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted about 407,000 marketing managers and 941,700 market research analysts and marketing specialists in 2024. Marketing managers earned a median of $161,030 in May 2024, while market research analysts earned $76,950. Both occupations are projected to grow faster than the 3.1 percent expected across all jobs from 2024 to 2034, at 6 and 7 percent respectively, generating tens of thousands of openings each year. A notable gap separates government wage data from self-reported platforms: Glassdoor’s average marketing manager salary of about $105,513 in June 2026 runs roughly 35 percent below the BLS median, a difference driven by method and self-selection rather than a real pay drop. Claims about a booming fractional-CMO market remain largely vendor-sourced and unverified, and should be treated with caution until backed by primary data. For context, see CO Consulting.

Suggested Headlines

• Marketing Managers Earned a $161,030 Median in 2024 as the Field Outpaced the Job Market
• Why Glassdoor Says Marketing Managers Earn 35% Less Than the Government Does
• 941,700 Strong: The Market Research Analyst Boom Heading Into 2034
• Marketing Jobs by the Numbers: What the BLS Data Actually Shows in 2026
• The Fractional-CMO Market Is Hyped, but Where Is the Verified Data?

FAQ

• How much does a marketing manager make in the US? The median annual wage was $161,030 in May 2024 (Source: BLS OEWS, May 2024).
• How many marketing managers are there in the US? About 407,000 in 2024 (Source: BLS OOH, 2024).
• What is the median pay for market research analysts? $76,950 in May 2024 (Source: BLS OOH / OEWS, May 2024).
• How many market research analysts work in the US? About 941,700 in 2024 (Source: BLS OOH, 2024).
• How fast are marketing jobs growing? Market research analysts 7 percent and marketing managers 6 percent (combined category) from 2024 to 2034 (Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034).
• How does that compare to all jobs? All occupations are projected to grow 3.1 percent from 2024 to 2034 (Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034).
• How many marketing job openings are expected each year? About 87,200 for market research analysts and 36,400 for combined marketing managers per year, 2024-2034 (Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034).
• Why is Glassdoor’s number lower than the BLS number? Glassdoor reports a self-reported average of about $105,513 (June 2026) versus the BLS employer-survey median of $161,030 (May 2024); the methods and populations differ (Sources: Glassdoor June 2026; BLS May 2024).
• What do advertising and promotions managers earn? A median of $126,960 in May 2024, with about 27,000 jobs in 2024 (Source: BLS OOH, 2024 and May 2024).
• Is the fractional-CMO market really booming? Underlying marketing occupations are growing faster than average per BLS, but specific fractional-market dollar figures circulating online are vendor-sourced and unverified (Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034; market-size claims unverified).

CO Consulting publishes this research for benchmarking and planning. If you want help applying this marketing salary statistics data to a specific hiring or growth plan, you can book a consultation.

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