Have you ever searched for marketing jobs and had no clue where to start? Did it seem like companies were speaking different languages? Don’t worry – you’re not alone.
Marketing has a plethora of roles to pursue – from optimizing a website’s ranking on Google to creating the perfect Instagram caption. While this kind of flexibility enables marketers to do what they love, it also creates confusion for entry-level professionals. I mean, really – what is an entry-level marketing role?
Take a look through this article to get a better understanding of how marketing hierarchies work. Better yet, you’ll have an idea of what to expect salary-wise so you can negotiate when the time comes.
What does a Marketing Coordinator / Specialist do?
Marketing coordinators typically deal with the creation of content and reports. While they can contribute to the company’s marketing strategy, they normally focus on executing plans developed by managers and directors.
As the name implies, marketing specialists usually oversee a specific project or initiative. Whereas coordinators can work on projects related to all facets of marketing, specialists focus on a particular field like email or digital.
Some day-to-day responsibilities of coordinators and specialists can include:
- Creating reports analyzing the impact of marketing campaigns
- Writing content for social media posts
- Contributing content to the company’s intranet
- Acting as a liaison between sales and marketing
According to Salary.com, coordinators make an average of $57,500 per year while specialists take in about $71,880 – but the range can vary depending on the industry and area.
What’s a Marketing Associate / Senior Associate?
Marketing associates are usually a rung above coordinators – but the responsibilities remain largely the same. You can expect to continue creating reports and writing content while taking on minor managing roles. For example, associates might run the company’s social media accounts.
As an associate, you can expect to help with:
- Managing the company’s social media accounts
- Creating presentations for the marketing team
- Communicating on behalf of the team to other stakeholders
On the other hand, senior marketing associates start taking on more managerial responsibilities. Now you can expect to start making strategic recommendations based on research. You will also start to manage and lead associates and coordinators through their roles.
As a senior associate, you will likely help the team with:
- Making strategic recommendations for the marketing team to pursue
- Managing and evaluating entry-level marketers’ work
- Helping managers execute high-level initiatives
According to Glassdoor, marketing associates rake in about $58,935 per year while senior associates make $84,521 per year.
What does an Associate Marketing Manager do?
As you work up the marketing ladder, you will take on managerial responsibilities as you go. But your first actual managing position will likely start as an associate marketing manager. Here, you will work hand-in-hand with the marketing manager on the company’s overall marketing strategies.
You will also have significant oversight of the coordinators and associates on your team. While the manager will likely focus on communicating with other leaders within the company, you will take the reigns in determining how to divvy out the workload to those in lower positions.
Some other responsibilities you can expect to have include:
- Determining the creative direction of marketing campaigns
- Budgeting for marketing projects
- Analyzing the success of marketing campaigns
- Helping managers in executing key leadership initiatives
Glassdoor reports that associate marketing managers make an average of $106,669 per year. However, note that some companies use the role to recruit undergraduates – meaning the range can vary wildly depending on how the organization recruits marketers.
What roles do Marketing Managers / Senior Managers have?
Marketing managers usually have years of professional experience, so they primarily deal with developing a company’s creative direction. Managers also have to submit their team’s budgets in line with their strategies. Ultimately, managers have to understand multichannel marketing because they oversee every element of their teams.
Senior marketing managers typically deal with the same responsibilities with some additional managerial tasks. They likely report directly to executives and directors within the firm.
Some other responsibilities marketing managers and senior managers deal with include:
- Approving the execution of all marketing campaigns
- Hiring entry-level marketers for their teams
- Building relationships with other managers and key stakeholders across the firm
Salary.com reports the average salary of marketing managers at $108,272 per year while Glassdoor lists $142,421 per year for senior marketing managers.
What exactly is a Chief Marketing Officer?
Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) are the C-suite executives responsible for a company’s entire marketing team. More than any other marketing role, they have the final say on strategy and creative direction. CMOs also have to navigate the politics of the firm and must maintain positive positive relationships with other executives.
As with anything in marketing, however, CMOs have varying degrees of responsibility across industries. A CMO at a non-profit will have different priorities from a startup CMO. Some companies with smaller budgets might only have one person – the CMO – in charge of marketing.
Unsurprisingly, Chief Marketing Officers make the most out of any role – with the average falling around $207,698 according to Glassdoor. For larger companies, the salary likely falls at even higher rates.
Now that you have a firm understanding of the hierarchy of marketing roles, consider how your experience and skills fit into each role. If you’ve just graduated college, a Marketing Coordinator role might work best for you. If you’ve been in the industry for a few years, maybe you should start applying to more senior-level roles.
Regardless, understanding the progression of marketing roles will enable you to find your footing in the corporate world.
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