Marketing is vital to the success of organizations of all sizes, in every industry. Professionals in the field are directly responsible for driving revenue and profitability, increasing market share, and generating more business from existing customers. Marketers with the skills to execute on these objectives find opportunities to move into management and beyond.

Barry University’s online Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Marketing program prepares graduates to move up from general and entry-level, specialized positions into a broad range of management-level careers. Students prepare for leadership roles by attaining skills for strategy formulation and implementation aimed at achieving corporate marketing goals.

The Barry University program — developed in conjunction with leading employers — cultivates a global, entrepreneurial, and socially responsible business perspective. The esteemed MBA faculty at Barry University leverage the latest teaching and learning technologies to prepare graduates for real-world marketing challenges.

Skills That Distinguish Entry-Level Marketers From Managers and Executives

Today’s marketing departments need experts in market research, competitive positioning, product and brand management, advertising, public relations, consumer behavior, data analysis, creative team management, and many more functions in order to sustain long-term competitive advantages. Regardless of your chosen industry, if you can strategize and identify trends, conduct systematic marketing opportunity analyses, and approach marketing challenges with proven methodologies, abundant managerial-level career options wait for you.

Marketing Management Career Opportunities

Employment and earnings prospects in marketing management are excellent for the foreseeable future, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Leadership roles in advertising, promotions, and marketing are expected to grow 10% from 2021 to 2031, which is faster than the average for all industries. BLS reports that the median annual pay for this broad category was $133,380 per year in 2021.

Here are four common management-level positions to consider if you are thinking of enrolling in a specialized MBA in Marketing program:

  1. Marketing manager — At the mid-management level, these professionals manage marketing activities and programs while developing and implementing marketing plans to serve business objectives. Marketing managers stay abreast of changes in the marketing environment and coordinate market research projects. As of June 2023, ZipRecruiter places the average yearly salary for marketing managers at $84,827.
  2. Senior marketing manager — A step up the managerial ladder from entry- to mid-level marketing managers, senior-level marketing managers oversee marketing management teams, marketing planning, product development, and brand management. The average salary for senior marketing managers is $109,045, according to June 2023 data from ZipRecruiter.
  3. Senior Brand Manager — In a more specialized role, these marketing professionals manage, develop, and implement marketing activities to maximize sales of an assigned brand. They analyze brand performance, brand competitiveness, and product trends in the marketplace, and they develop strategies for assigned brands based on this research and analysis. The average yearly salary for senior brand managers is $120,124, per June 2023 data from ZipRecruiter.
  4. Marketing directors — Often the highest management tier of a marketing department, marketing directors develop and oversee their organization’s marketing policies and objectives. They direct market research and design marketing plans for specific products, services, or business lines. They also monitor changes in the marketplace and advise top leadership on strategy. BLS includes this high-level role with those listed above in the single umbrella category of marketing managers, for which the median yearly salary was $140,040 in 2022. BLS reports that the 2022 median wage for top earners in this category — which would likely include top-level marketing directors — was greater than $239,000.

Marketing management appeals to critical, creative thinkers who are equally fascinated by people, concepts, and numbers. If this describes you, a specialized MBA in Marketing may be the key to elevating your career.

Learn more about Barry University’s online MBA in Marketing program.