How Much Do Marketers Make? Marketing Salaries Explored

Have you ever stopped to wonder how much marketers make, or anything to do with marketing salaries?

If you have, then know that you aren’t alone. We think about marketing salaries quite a fair bit at Canny – mostly because the majority of our clients come from that particular area, and we spend a lot of time writing about/for marketers, generally.

It’s sort of our job to understand anything and everything marketing, basically – which includes how much they make.

Why you want to look into how much a marketer makes should differ in comparison. For example, you might be considering a career move, or are looking to head within a completely different direction, just under the same marketing umbrella.

Or maybe you’re someone who’s yet to make a concrete decision as to what you want to do career-wise, but want to make sure that it’s the right choice financially.

Or maybe you’re just the curious type and want to know what your friends/family are making where they won’t tell you.

Whatever the reason, you’ll find everything you need and more down below.

In this post we will be outlining the marketing salaries for every notable role within the wide-world of marketing. This will cover everything from the average salaries of most marketing assistants, all the way up to how much a CMO typically makes.

Let’s not waste anymore time and dive right in.

Payscale, Indeed, Glassdoor, and a variety of other sources were used to gather the marketing salaries mentioned – sources that are beyond consistent when gathering this type of data.

Marketing Intern Salaries

Average Pay: £19,000 (UK), $45,000 (US)
Job Level: Entry

In case you haven’t guessed, we are going to be starting at the lowest marketing level possible and then working our way up to CMO salaries.

It should come as no surprise that marketing interns earn the lowest out of all other marketing-based roles. This is an entry level position, one that teaches you the fundamentals while preparing you for bigger and better things.

A majority of marketers find themselves in this exact position before moving up the marketing ladder.

In terms of pay, marketing interns tend to make a decent chunk, with most making around £19,000 if you’re from the UK, or upwards of $45,000 if you’re in America. We should mention that every marketing salary mentioned after this point will be with those two countries in mind.

Sorry to the rest of the world.

Another thing to keep in mind is that these salaries will increase/decrease depending on where in these countries you find yourself. The further south you travel in the UK, the higher the salary.

We’ve seen some marketing intern positions give up to £24,000 annually, which is quite the jump from the previous figure.

Marketing Assistant Salaries

Average Pay: £19,000 (UK), $45,000 (US)
Job Level: Entry

Marketing assistants and marketing interns are quite similar to one another when it comes to roles, responsibilities, and pay. Responsibilities-wise, marketing assistants usually perform the data collection and analysis used in market research.

They might also take care of writing copy for social media posts and keeping tabs on how the brand is doing across its many social channels.

The only real difference between the two roles is that marketing assistants tend to be on a much tighter contract – although, this will depend entirely on the business you work for.

Another difference is the slight difference in pay scales, with some of the top marketing assistants making roughly £1,000 more per year than interns, according to Payscale. This might not be a massive difference, but it certainly helps to separate the two positions.

Marketing Executive Salaries

Average Pay: £24,000 (UK), $53,000 (US)
Job Level: Entry – Midweight

What’s interesting about marketing executive salaries is just how varied they are. The average salary sits around the £24,000 mark, and some go as high as £31,000.

That said, there are some instances where marketing execs earn as little as £19,000 annually, which is the same money as most interns/assistants make, for those keeping count. Again, this will depend entirely on who you’re working for and where they’re located.

The number of responsibilities a marketing executive has often dictates how much they’re paid.

For example, while most marketers focus on the planning and execution of marketing campaigns, some might also have a hand in some of the bigger picture thinking, as in being a part of meetings where the greater marketing strategy is discussed.

They might also attend conferences and events up and down the country – and in some cases, overseas – to help spread the word of their offering, or to simply make connections with customers.

Again, totally depends on who you’re working for.

Check out thie post if you’re looking to learn how to become a marketing executive.

Market Researcher Salaries

Average Pay: £24,000 (UK), $53,000 (US)
Job Level: Entry – Midweight

Market researcher salaries is another interesting one to break down. It’s a role that shares quite a few similarities with marketing executives – at least from a data collection point of view.

That said, this role is strictly market research focused, meaning you tend to work in raw data, and will be required to analyse that data, conducting assessments, surveys, and other research in order to obtain valuable information for your company.

Know that some of the highest paid market researchers are earning up to £36,000 a year, which goes to show just how important/lucrative a position like this is in a greater marketing team.

The research gathered from these individuals go a long way in helping shape the greater strategies of the marketing department at large. When you think of it like that, it’s easy to see why the marketing salary for researchers is so high.

Digital Marketer Salaries

Average Pay: £27,000 (UK), $58,000 (US)
Job Level: Entry – Midweight

Digital marketing involves the promotion of products and services through a wide range of digital channels, using the internet and mobile technology to transmit messages to customers, both new and old.

The world of marketing exists mostly within the digital space, which explains why digital marketers are paid slightly more on average than your standard marketing executive. Like marketing executives, this salary can differ, going as high as £33,000 a year in some instances (pending experience and whatnot).

There are multiple different types of digital marketing that this type of marketer will have some level of control over, these include:

• Social media marketing
• Email marketing
• Search engine optimisation (SEO)
• Pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns
• Mobile marketing
• Affiliate marketing

Managing all of these things in equal measure can prove tough. This is why many digital marketers seek the help of a third party to help ease the load. SEO and content marketing is a common service that is usually leveraged via a dedicated agency.

Digital Copywriter Salaries

Average Pay: £25,000 (UK), $52,000 (US)
Job Level: Entry – Midweight – Senior
Digital copywriters understand audiences through and through, engaging them with persuasive and accurate writing that is usually geared towards a service or product.

It’s tough to give you an accurate idea of what the marketing salary is like for a digital copywriter, mostly because the trade can be handled both freelance and as an employee of a company (i.e. an agency).

As a freelance digital copywriter, you tend to set your own rates. Sometimes that rate is determined via wordcount, others through how long it’s taken to write something. This is something you’ll need to work out ahead of time should you go at it alone.

Still, most digital copywriters are paid roughly the same as marketing execs – although this might vary based on the skill and experience of the individual in question.

An experienced digital copywriter might make up to £30,000 annually, whereas someone just starting out might make only £22,000. Midweight copywriters can even earn up to £30,000, and senior copywriters as high as £80,000 (according to Prospects).

SEO Specialist Salaries

Average Pay: £24,000 (UK), $53,000 (US)
Job Level: Midweight – Senior

That’s right, the role SEO plays in marketing is that important it yields jobs that look to advise brands on how best to approach it.

Enter SEO specialists, individuals that specialise in helping, developing, and/or implementing SEO strategies. These strategies will look to analyse the overall strength of an organisation’s SEO, and provide helpful solutions.

For example, an SEO specialist should be able to tell whether or not a website is properly optimised. If it isn’t, then they will make it known to the relevant people. A job like this involves some level of coding, and a decent understanding of HTML and CSS.

They should also have an in-depth understanding of Google Search Console and Google Analytics; two platforms that we use everyday here at Canny.

As far as marketing salaries go, SEO specialists aren’t paid an awful lot when you compare it to some of the other salaries mentioned. Senior SEO specialists, for example, only make up to £40,000 on average.

Social Media Manager Salaries

Average Pay: £26,000 (UK), $57,000 (US)
Job Level: Midweight – Senior

From one surprising marketing salary to another. We’re of course referring to the average annual salary of social media managers.

We say that as there are some social media managers that are only making up to £26,000 a year. This is a surprise, for sure, when you consider how much weight social media marketing currently has to businesses of all sizes, regardless of if they operate in the B2B or B2C sectors.

That said, there are some instances where a social media manager might earn up to £40,000 a year, if not more if they work for a reputable brand the likes of Adidas, Burger King, or MailChimp.

Social media managers typically handle the strategy and delegation of all things social. In other words, they work out what needs to be done and either executes parts of it themselves, or distributes it amongst their team.

Another thing they have to do is monitor customer comments and ensure that all queries are responded to in a timely and helpful manner. Automating this process is an option, but most tend to go through these comments by hand.

Media Planner Salaries

Average Pay: £26,000 (UK), $57,000 (US)
Job Level: Midweight – Senior

Media planners sit within the marketing or advertising department of a company. Their role is dedicated to help publicise and coordinate message delivery through a range of platforms, highlighting new offerings, updates, and everything in between.

Most confuse media planning with media buying, dispute there being differences between the two roles. Media planning involves selecting media to meet marketing goals, whereas media buying is more of a negotiation.

That said, sometimes the roles are combined.

In terms of media planner salaries, those in the role earn an average of £26,000 a year – or up to £46,000 in some cases.

Brand Marketing Manager

Average Pay: £35,000 (UK), $78,000 (US)
Job Level: Senior

Brand marketing managers have never been so vital to the success of businesses, with so many of them leaning into brand-focused marketing campaigns in order to establish and retain customers.

Brad McGinty, CRO of 15Five sums up why branding and brand marketing is so important perfectly here:

“Brand is a long term sustainable competitive advantage that any business can create that is really hard to unseat. Whereas somebody else can copy your feature, someone else can copy your sales model. These other things are all short term, whereas brand is a long term, durable, sustainable competitive advantage.”

This is a senior position, meaning you almost always have to earn your stripes in some of the other marketing positions mentioned before you can take a seat as a brand marketing manager.

Salary-wise, brand marketing managers can make anywhere between £35,000 to £49,000. This sum is almost double amongst some of the highest earning brand marketing managers in the States, with some earning up to $183,000.

Check out thie post if you’re looking to learn how to become a brand manager.

Product Manager Salaries

Average Pay: £53,000 (UK), $113,000 (US)
Job Level: Senior

Product managers are responsible for all kinds of things, such as developing, curating, and even crowdsourcing, to help deliver value to customers via the products they sell.

Do keep in mind that products aren’t limited to physical items you can see in the real world. Take technical products, for example, which exist within digital spaces, or financial products which also exist within the ether.

Product managers spend a lot of time with the products they sell, and should have a complete understanding of how they work to the nth degree. They work closely with a variety of departments to help perform all responsibilities to the best of their ability.

Another thing they’re responsible for is the life cycle of a product, ensuring that everyone is following the product roadmap and that features are being released on time and are of a certain quality.

Make no mistake about it, being a product manager is a lot of hard work, and will involve a lot of long days and hours.

It’s still one of the most fulfilling roles you can take should you find success, which is why some product managers make up to £60,000 annually. Know that there are junior product managers and midweight product manager positions, with the lowest paying roughly around £25,000.

Sales Manager Salaries

Average Pay: £32,000 (UK), $68,000 (US)
Job Level: Midweight – Senior

Marketing and sales have a close-knit relationship, which is why we’re choosing to include how much a sales manager makes in our list of marketing salaries.

Sales managers make roughly £32,000 a year, with a select number of them making as much as £51,000. In the US that figure is slightly higher, with some of the highest earning sales managers making up to $132,000.

Brands in the tech and health sectors tend to pay the highest out of all other sectors. Most likely due to how much money goes into these sectors.

To be a sales manager you will either need a bachelor’s degree or something akin to it, or must have acquired enough experience to warrant getting the job. The right candidates must also have excellent customer service and interpersonal skills.

Marketing Manager Salaries

Average Pay: £34,000 (UK), $98,000 (US)
Job Level: Midweight – Senior

Assisting in market research studies, developing and recommending marketing programs, and monitoring and analysing the performance of marketing programs are but a preview of what a marketing manager does on a regular, if not daily, basis.

Marketing managers can either be in charge of the entire company’s marketing output, or could be assigned to a single product or service.

One of the key skills a marketing manager must demonstrate/possess is organisation. They will need to plan ahead and be prepared to pivot should they need to. They also need to coordinate with precision, outlining exactly what needs to be done and who’s doing it.

Marketing managers make an average of £34,000 a year, but this does vary. Some marketing manager salaries go as high as £50,000, especially those in the South of the UK. In the US, marketing manager salaries are a lot higher.

On Indeed, I came across multiple marketing manager roles that pay $145,000 (Intuit), $161,000 (PwC), and $194,000 (Hanesbrands).

Check out thie post if you’re looking to learn how to become a marketing manager.

Marketing Director Salaries

Average Pay: £68,000 (UK), $154,000 (US)
Job Level: Senior

Marketing directors are responsible for managing and directing marketing tasks on behalf of their organisation. They oversee a team of marketing professionals and also specify the scope of its marketing requirements and needs.

Another responsibility of theirs is facilitating dialogue within the organisation based on marketing needs and requirements; this also includes customer needs.

The marketing director needs to be a jack of all trades type, having the skills needed to help brainstorm ideas, complete marketing tasks, coordinate with other members of the team, and ensure that success is achieved.

They tend to sit a little higher on the pay scale compared to marketing managers, with most making around £68,000 annually (some making up to £99,000).

Check out thie post if you’re looking to learn how to become a marketing director.

Vice President of Marketing Salaries

Average Pay: £96,000 (UK), $168,000 (US)
Job Level: Senior

Vice presidents (VP) of marketing are highly-placed executives – or in some cases, board-level directors within a company who are responsible for determining strategies to improve or maintain market share.

It’s a high level position; one of the highest you can achieve in marketing. VP of marketing salaries tend to be on the high end (no surprise there), with most making around £96,000 per annum.

And that’s not the cap either.

There are some VPs of marketing making £200,000 a year at certain companies – companies that operate in the recruitment, IT and SaaS sectors, to be specific.

During my research I also came across variations of the VP of marketing role. Jobs such as VP of influencer marketing, VP of international marketing, and VP of digital marketing are but a few examples.

Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Salaries

Average Pay: £99,000 (UK), $175,000 (US)
Job Level: Senior

At the top of the marketing salary mountain, is the CMO position. Chief marketing officers make the most compared to any other marketing position, with most earning between £54,000 to £151,000 on average.

Again, in the US, some CMOs make even more than that, with some of the highest paid CMOs making six figures a year – CMOs that work for some of the largest companies in the world.

The highest paid CMO in the world is Jonathan Hargis, who is the CMO and executive vice-president of Spectrum. In 2016, he made $15 million, followed by Jeremy Burton of Dell Technologies who made around $13 million.

At the heart of the CMO role is innovation, not to mention, the ability to effectively communicate amongst others at lower levels.

It’s the role of the CMO to lay out the overarching goals of marketing and sales, so previous experience in both of those fields is beyond necessary. Like some of the other senior marketing positions mentioned above, to be a CMO takes time, and will require an incredible amount of experience.

You need to put the time in to get to the top of this marketing salary mountain, essentially.

Not every marketer makes it this high, but if you’re committed, and possess all the necessary skills needed, then we see no reason why you shouldn’t push for a position like this (especially if you’re looking to make the most in the wide world of marketing).

Also, be prepared to travel a lot. CMOs rack up thousands of frequent flyer miles when making business/customer connections around the world.

Check out thie post if you’re looking to learn how to become a Chief Marketing Officer.

How Much Do Marketers Make? Marketing Salaries Explored

Were you surprised by any of the marketing salaries mentioned, or did you have a rough idea of these salaries already?

We’ll be honest, we are always surprised to learn just how much CMOs typically make – mostly because the costs tend to fluctuate so much, depending on where it is they work exactly.

Do keep in mind that the costs you see above are bound to increase as time goes on, and as inflation continues to push marketing salaries even higher. Marketing executives of today could be making that of a marketing manager at some point in the future!

At whatever level you find yourself at, know that Canny is on hand should you ever require any assistance. From content marketing to branding, we can help set you up for success in more ways than one.

Get in touch to find out more, and do let us know via social media if we’ve missed any marketing positions from our list.