What Can You Do with a Marketing Degree? Just About Anything.

What do you want to do with a marketing degree? You may be interested in a marketing degree program because you want to support a specific undertaking, like your family business or an important cause. Alternatively, you may be interested in developing your skills with a master's level marketing degree because you've seen how well-developed marketing skills can boost your career prospects. You may even be interested in the degree because you are considering a career pivot and think the work might suit you.

Whatever motivates your interest, the information here will give you a better picture of whether a career in marketing is right for you. We'll cover the skills you can expect to develop, job prospects for marketers, some potential jobs and salaries, and the value of an advanced marketing degree.

Is Marketing a Good Career?

Marketing is a good career choice, both in terms of the availability and range of jobs and in terms of potential earnings and job satisfaction.

On any given day, you might find more than 3,000 listings for marketing jobs in Santa Clara, California. Job titles may include everything from marketing assistant, digital marketing specialist, and sales representative to brand manager, marketing strategist, media planner and public relations manager. At the highest level, Chief Marketing Officers set organization-wide marketing strategy and operations for every type of company.¹

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that job opportunities for advertising, promotions and marketing managers are growing faster than average, at 10% through 2031. Market research analyst job opportunities are growing at 19%, much faster than average, for the same timeframe.^{2, 3}

Marketing Manager is number 24 on the U.S. News & World Report's list of the 100 best jobs for 2022, and that's not the only marketing role on the list. Market Research Analyst ranks at number 14. Considerations of pay, opportunities for advancement, work-life balance and job satisfaction all went into the rankings.⁴

Where Do Marketing Professionals Work?

People with marketing skills can thrive in any line of business, in politics and government, and in non-profit organizations. Because the skills developed in marketing degree programs are so widely applicable, marketing graduates can choose the type of organization where they want to work.

It's also relatively easy for marketing professionals to choose how they want to work, whether that is full or part-time, onsite or remote, salary or freelance.

Core Marketing Skills

Successful marketing efforts depend on delivering the right messages to the right audiences at the right time. Creativity, data-driven customer insight, and effective organization all contribute to successful marketing campaigns, supporting organizational success.

Marketing careers can be built on creativity, analytical skills and organizational abilities, with different roles emphasizing different skill sets.

Depending on your skills and interests, you might want to begin your career in marketing communications, including graphic design, art direction, content creation and copywriting. Or you might want to leverage your analytical bent to focus on market research and marketing research analysis. If organizational skills are your strength, you might begin as a marketing coordinator or develop your event planning skills in a field marketing role.

Regardless of the path you take to begin your marketing career or the emphasis of your marketing degree program, some core skills that will help you succeed for the long term include:

• Interpersonal skills
• Time management skills
• Verbal and presentation skills
• Writing skills

Is a Marketing Degree Worth It?

While it is possible to work in marketing without a marketing degree, there are some compelling reasons for getting an advanced marketing degree like the Santa Clara University Leavey School of Business online MS in Marketing.

Statistically speaking, every educational attainment adds to your earning potential and insulates you from the effects of economic downturns. The BLS reported that in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 economic turmoil, those with bachelor's degrees earned an average weekly salary of $1,305, and their unemployment rate was 5.5%. People with master's degrees earned an average of $1,545 each week, with an unemployment rate of just 4.1%.⁵

From a skills development perspective, learning on the job is not necessarily the best approach. In most situations, on-the-job learning is a piecemeal affair. It takes longer to develop the broad perspective you need to take on progressively more responsible roles because you have to focus on assigned tasks. And while there's often great value in learning by experience, there is also the danger that you will pick up misleading information or get left behind as new technologies are developed.

On the other hand, the best marketing degrees give you focused instruction on core marketing principles, along with exposure to and practice with the latest marketing technologies, all set in the context of effective marketing strategy. An advanced marketing degree can help you to bypass entry-level jobs and compete for higher-level roles.

You can complete the SCU Leavey online Master's in Marketing in as little as a year, during which time you will become fluent in using today's key marketing technologies. Our faculty will help you develop an ethics-infused marketing strategy framework and the highly developed analytical skills in demand today.

Four Great Marketing Jobs

Digital Marketing Manager

Digital marketing managers may be responsible for social media marketing, search engine optimization and content creation, pay-per-click, and other forms of digital advertising. Measurement and reporting are central to the role and must leverage data analytics to maximize business objectives. While all marketing professionals need to stay current, keeping up to date on marketing technology developments is vital for digital marketing managers. The current national average annual salary for this role is $130,391.^{6, 7}

Marketing Manager

Marketing managers perform various tasks depending on the industry and the organization in which they work. They may function as marketing brand managers, setting overall marketing strategies and tactics for supporting a company or product's image and profitability. Or they may have a narrower focus, working with a specific target audience or geographic area. In any case, they need to have insight into the entire marketing process, allowing them to develop, execute and evaluate the effectiveness of each marketing campaign. Marketing managers also frequently have supervisory duties related to the marketing department. The national average salary for marketing managers is $142,170.⁸

Market Research Analyst

Market research analysts can help organizations understand consumer demand for products and services or the support for causes or candidates. They use advanced analytics skills to help organizations dial in pricing and funding strategies as well as their understanding of target markets. Across the country, market research analysts earn an average of $65,810 annually, with higher pay in hot markets. The current median in Santa Clara is $92,430, with commensurate increases for those with tenure in the job.^{4, 9}

Sales Manager

Sales managers play a pivotal role in the success of their organizations, directing sales teams and helping individual sales representatives create compelling sales pitches. They also work closely with the marketing department to craft effective selling tools, identify potential customers, and move those customers through the purchase cycle. Nationally, sales managers earn an average of $132,290 per year. ¹⁰

Ramp Up Your Career with Our MS in Marketing Degree

If you've set your sights on a career in marketing, you can have a satisfying and financially rewarding career in just about any sector. The convenient, connected online MS in Marketing from Santa Clara University Leavey School of Business can help you quickly build the integrated knowledge of human behavior, marketing technology and marketing practices that will help you succeed.