How much do marketing executives make? (Plus duties)

Updated 1 June 2023

If you're interested in marketing and have good negotiation skills and a passion for creativity, a career as a marketing executive might be rewarding. This role may suit senior-level professionals from a public relations or event organisation background who want to further their careers. Understanding how much marketing executives make can help you determine whether the salary aligns with your financial goals. In this article, we outline what a marketing executive is and their main responsibilities, discuss the average salary of a marketing executive and how to boost it and provide some guidance on becoming a marketing executive.

What is a marketing executive?

A marketing executive is a senior-level professional who's responsible for developing and coordinating marketing campaigns that promote products, services or brands on behalf of an organisation. These campaigns aim to drive company profits and increase customer conversion rates. Marketing executives typically conduct extensive market research and analysis to ensure that campaigns resonate with the target demographic and capitalise on market trends.

How much do marketing executives make?

The national average salary for a marketing executive is £26,684 per year. This average sometimes varies depending on geographical location, the sector you work in, your education and experience level and the size of the company you work for. It also doesn't include any additional benefits associated with the role that might hold monetary value. For instance, marketing executives can sometimes benefit from medical insurance coverage, company cars, free gym memberships, annual bonuses and profit-sharing schemes.

How to increase your marketing executive salary

The following methods can help you boost your earning potential as a marketing executive:

1. Gain more experience

The most successful marketing executives usually have more than five years of experience in the industry. This is because with more experience comes more responsibilities that can boost your earning potential. An increase in responsibilities for marketing executives may entail hiring and managing the performance of junior marketing teams and looking after the budget of the marketing department. Talk to your manager about a potential wage increase if you think your responsibilities go beyond your standard pay grade.

2. Change specialisms

Salaries may vary depending on the area of marketing you work in. For instance, digital marketing executives often have a higher earning potential due to the rise in social media marketing techniques. Most marketing executives usually begin their careers with a general knowledge of the industry. Typically, it's relatively easy to specialise as your career progresses.

3. Relocate

Broaden your initial job search to encompass commutable areas when looking for marketing executive roles. It may benefit you to consider relocating to a higher-paying city. Be sure to factor in transport and living costs in your decision to avoid spending the majority of your new wage on public transport, fuel or other overheads.

4. Consider freelancing

Freelance work is most suited to experienced marketing professionals who typically set their own pay rates. This gives you more control over what you earn and what projects you accept. You can consider the company sector, size and type to determine whether the financial payout is likely to meet your expectations. For instance, law clients usually pay more than retail clients.

5. Negotiate your salary

Marketing executives who work for new or expanding companies may be eligible for a pay rise as they take on more responsibilities. When the business grows, their duties may expand with it along with the amount of compensation that's appropriate for their contribution. Be sure to negotiate your salary in a calm and diplomatic manner and only after researching the average wage in your area.

Marketing executive responsibilities

Marketing executives have various administrative, commercial, creative and analytical responsibilities. Their primary role is often to generate awareness of a company's products or services and make its brand messaging resonate with the target market. Some other general duties include:

arranging the effective distribution of marketing materials
devising and presenting marketing campaign ideas and strategies
conducting research and analysing data to identify and define audiences
compiling and distributing financial and statistical information
writing and editing content for both online and print campaigns
coordinating internal marketing to improve the workplace culture
updating databases and using a customer relationship management (CRM) system
liaising with designers and printers to organise photoshoots
staying up to date with and following brand guidelines
creating customer questionnaires and putting together focus groups
developing relationships with key stakeholders, both internal and external
organising and attending events, such as conferences, seminars, receptions and exhibitions
sourcing and securing sponsorships
promoting marketing campaigns on social media channels
monitoring the success of marketing campaigns using key performance indicators (KPIs) and other business metrics
monitoring and reporting on competitor activities and strategies
using search engine optimisation (SEO) techniques to ensure web content ranks highly in search results

How to become a marketing executive

Typically, there are certain education and experience requirements to fulfil to become a marketing executive. Understanding these requirements is important when determining whether this is the right career for you. These are some of the steps involved in becoming a marketing executive:

1. Earn a bachelor's degree

Many marketing executives hold an undergraduate degree in a relevant field. Some relevant degree programmes include:

business management
marketing
communications
public relations
advertising
sociology
psychology
economics

These courses often feature modules on the fundamentals of marketing, such as how to read consumer behaviour or manage client relationships, that are valuable to the role of a marketing executive. Additionally, if you want to enter the industrial marketing sector, you may require a scientific or technical degree. Make sure that you check the entry requirements for each university or course you're interested in, as they usually vary between institutions.

2. Gain experience

Most employers usually require you to have around five to ten years of experience in the marketing industry to qualify as a marketing executive. You can gain practical experience through internship opportunities, summer placements or part-time work in a marketing agency. Some universities have connections with businesses that offer students paid internship opportunities that contribute towards their degrees.

If you've finished university, search for entry-level marketing positions in your area. Many senior-level professionals usually start out as marketing assistants. General experience in sales, customer service, public relations or market research may also be applicable. Be sure to establish connections with any marketing professionals you encounter and ask them to keep you updated on future employment opportunities.

3. Develop your skill set

Most marketing executives continue to develop their skill set throughout their education and experience. Some important soft skills to have as a marketing executive include:

Copywriting: Marketing executives often write and proofread content for niche products and services. Having great copywriting skills ensures that the content you create reaches the right audience and follows the correct format for blog posts, newsletters, emails, websites and other platforms.
Interpersonal skills: These skills allow marketing executives to communicate and build relationships with organisations and their customers. They help you to understand the thoughts and feelings of consumers, so you can create content that solves their pain points or capitalises on their needs.
Entrepreneurial skills: Marketing executives typically strive for innovation and creativity so that they can develop unique marketing campaigns. Entrepreneurial skills give you the ability to pioneer new initiatives and encourage colleagues to support your ideas.
Teamwork: Marketing executives regularly collaborate with design teams, external agencies, sponsors, customers and other key stakeholders. Having great teamwork skills helps you to communicate with these different groups and value their project contributions.
Negotiation: Marketing professionals are responsible for ensuring that coordinated campaigns stay within the company's budget. Excellent negotiation skills allow you to secure the best deals from suppliers and sponsors so you can allocate money to more lucrative projects.

4. Consider industry certification

The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and the Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing (IDM) are professional bodies that give you access to various courses. These courses allow you to gain industry certification. Members can also benefit from invitations to workshops, industry events and networking opportunities that boost their employability.

Please note that none of the companies, institutions or organisations mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.

Salary figures reflect data listed on Indeed Salaries at the time of writing. Salaries may vary depending on the hiring organisation and a candidate's experience, academic background and location.