Types of Jobs for a Marketing Degree

Marketing is essential for the success of any business, according to Dr. Dionne L. Boyd, adjunct instructor for Southern New Hampshire University’s (SNHU) business programs. In addition to her work at SNHU, Boyd is the CEO and founder of an international marketing consultancy.

As someone with multiple marketing degrees, including a doctorate, Boyd is deeply passionate about the field because of its emphasis on engaging with people. “Marketing is the art of communication in its most dynamic and impactful form,” she said.

Whether it’s through organic efforts or paid campaigns, businesses and organizations of all kinds need marketing to:

• Build their brand
• Drive growth
• Stay competitive

Without marketing efforts that combine all three of these aspects, success is impossible to sustain, Boyd said.

Key Skills Needed for Marketing

To achieve success as a marketing professional, several skills or aptitudes can be particularly helpful. For Boyd, the skills of a successful marketer include written and verbal communication as well as flexibility.

While you don’t have to be a writing specialist to be a strong marketer, the ability to tell a story is valuable in the field. “What makes marketing such a rewarding career for me is the ability to become the driving force behind the voice, promotion and storytelling of products, brands and individuals," Boyd said.

At its best, marketing is leveraging the unique value of a good or service by capturing the audience’s attention and driving tangible results, Boyd said. “Marketers also thrive on crafting and delivering powerful brand narratives that propel companies and individuals towards achieving their fullest potential,” she said.

For Cory Beck, adjunct instructor of marketing at SNHU, success in marketing requires you to be creative. “Not artistic, but have a creative mind for solving problems and designing solutions,” he said.

In addition to teaching marketing at SNHU for the past decade, Beck has worked in the field for more than 25 years. He has a bachelor’s degree in graphic design as well as a Master of Business Administration.

Beck said that, in addition to creativity, communication and flexibility, you need to have skill or interest in project management as well as be a strategic thinker.

These skills go together because the ability to think creatively and strategically while managing competing deadlines and project specifications is at the heart of the field, according to Beck. He said that most marketing careers involve:

• Branding
• Digital communications
• Integrated marketing communications

The best marketers thrive with the type of work environment that includes all three areas, according to Beck. “In my mind, there is nothing better than developing a communication strategy, working with creative professionals to make the strategy come to life, monitoring and measuring the results and seeing the campaign move the needle toward a business goal or business objective,” he said.

What Can You Do With a Degree in Marketing?

A career in marketing is all about understanding customer needs and wants and developing strategies to promote products and services to meet those needs and wants, Beck said. This is done while working toward a defined business objective.

The biggest value of a marketing degree is that it can offer versatility across different industries, according to Beck. “Every company has either a marketing department or hires a marketing agency,” he said. “There is high demand for graduates, and great potential for career growth.”* The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) backs this up, noting a job outlook for advertising, promotions and marketing managers that is faster than average over the next 10 years.*

Boyd agrees that the diversity of options in pursuing marketing as a career is one of the field’s greatest assets. “A degree in marketing is invaluable because it opens the door to many career opportunities and paths,” she said.

While a marketing degree prepares you for jobs in many areas of business, both corporate and nonprofit, it can make you particularly well-suited for jobs in the following areas, according to both Boyd and Beck:

Advertising

This role involves creating campaigns to introduce products or services to an audience. Such campaigns may include radio, television, print or social media. You may also work in an account executive role, where you could oversee projects or manage strategic planning, said BLS.

The median salary as of May 2023 for advertising managers was $131,870, and $157,620 for marketing managers, according to BLS.*

Marketing Management

This role includes sales management, marketing analysis, product marketing and market research, Boyd said. Marketing managers conduct research to identify possible customers for a good or service and develop strategies for attracting and retaining customers.

This role can be found in any industry, including but not limited to management of companies, technical consulting services, software publishers and advertising agencies, according to BLS. The median salary across all areas is $157,620, also according to BLS.*

Public Relations and Fundraising Management

In these roles, you may create materials to present, promote or enhance the image of your client, or raise funds to support the political or nonprofit campaign of that client.

Fundraising managers create annual campaigns, planned giving and soliciting for major gifts, according to BLS. You may also create marketing campaigns to raise money for causes or to support individual charities or organizations.

With public relations, you may write or review press releases, create media posts or arrange for interviews in support of your client and their public image. You might handle all manner of communications activities, such as writing speeches, reports and newsletters.

The median pay as of May 2023 was $119,220 for fundraisers and $134,760 for public relations managers, according to BLS.*

Social Media

In this role, you’ll need to be comfortable writing and publishing across many social media platforms. Leadership and writing skills are particularly helpful in building success in this role, said BLS.

The job title may vary, including titles like digital engagement specialist or social media strategist, but according to BLS, you'll likely need to understand your brand, audience and how to develop a strategy. The median annual wage for jobs in the media and communication fields was $66,320 in May 2023, according to BLS.* This was higher than the median annual wage for all occupations.

Writing

In this role, you could write advertising copy for a variety of organizations and types of media, according to BLS. Copywriting can cover different areas of marketing, including content writing and establishing a brand voice. Marketing professionals write a variety of collateral, such as press releases, social media posts, advertising campaigns and more.

Content writers create articles or other written business collateral on a wide variety of topics. Copywriters are more specific to the field of advertising, where they work with a client to produce written content that helps to advertise a good or service. According to BLS, as of May 2023 the median salary for writers and authors was $73,690.*

Is Marketing a Worthy Major?

While marketers have the goal of making or raising money for businesses, nonprofit organizations or political causes, the role is more about crafting the narrative to generate interest in the product or idea than it’s about making a sale. “Marketing and sales are closely related,” Beck said, “but marketing creates awareness and interest in products or services through activities like advertising, branding and content creation.”

Marketing is about making connections more so than selling, according to Beck. Sales teams convert customer interest into purchases through negotiations and closing deals, whereas marketing attracts and nurtures leads, he said.

Boyd echoed this when she described how marketing has changed over the course of her career. Marketing has evolved from more traditional sales activities to focusing more on creating experiences. “Storytelling and creating memorable experiences is more crucial than ever,” she said.

Today’s consumers don’t just want products to buy, but instead expect immersive experiences when interacting with brands, Boyd said. “Studies show that experiences leave a lasting impact, influencing purchasing decisions and brand loyalty,” she said.

Use of technology across various digital platforms is important as well, as many of today’s marketing efforts are driven by technology. According to Boyd, to succeed in today’s marketing field, modern marketers must have a deep understanding of how to effectively integrate current technologies into their marketing strategies. This ensures that they reach and resonate with each of today’s tech-savvy consumers.

*Cited job growth projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth. Actual salaries and/or earning potential may be the result of a combination of factors including, but not limited to: years of experience, industry of employment, geographic location, and worker skill.

A former higher education administrator, Dr. Marie Morganelli is a career educator and writer. She has taught and tutored composition, literature, and writing at all levels from middle school through graduate school. With two graduate degrees in English language and literature, her focus — whether teaching or writing — is in helping to raise the voices of others through the power of storytelling. Connect with her on LinkedIn.