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Marketing Managers

Also called: BD Director (Business Development Director), Brand Manager, Marketing Director, Product Manager

Plan, direct, or coordinate marketing policies and programs, such as determining the demand for products and services offered by a firm and its competitors, and identify potential customers. Develop pricing strategies with the goal of maximizing the firm's profits or share of the market while ensuring the firm's customers are satisfied. Oversee product development or monitor trends that indicate the need for new products and services.

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Median pay BLS, 2025$166,790
Openings a year BLS, 2025–3534,000
Typical education to start BLSBachelor's degree
AI exposure BLS, Aug 2026 Very high
Projected job growth BLS, 2025–35 +6.9%

What the data says: AI could halve the time on 19 of its 20 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 6.9% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →

About this projection

BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”

It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”

On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”

Recent conditions

  • In 2024, 4.1% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
  • From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 42% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.

How to read these

Pay compared with all occupations BLS median wages Pays more than 96% of 825 occupations
lowest-paidhighest-paid

Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates

$99k$212knot published

Median pay in every state
StateMedianMiddle half earnJobs
Alabama$120,160$89,950 to $164,8001,540
Alaska$116,270$99,430 to $152,910240
Arizona$132,220$119,000 to $172,0004,870
Arkansas$136,520$97,280 to $178,3101,860
California$193,620$139,950 to $271,36054,660
Colorado$182,730$149,100 to $223,4706,010
Connecticut$169,240$130,400 to $219,8305,800
Delawarenot publishednot published1,060
District of Columbia$177,170$139,510 to $231,3303,470
Florida$142,620$104,010 to $203,49024,820
Georgia$160,760$122,320 to $205,4008,510
Guam$79,890$59,280 to $115,640120
Hawaii$117,770$92,510 to $164,810570
Idaho$142,090$102,630 to $197,2401,320
Illinois$162,860$124,300 to $212,04021,140
Indiana$136,260$104,070 to $178,2103,350
Iowa$131,120$103,550 to $166,8302,210
Kansas$154,510$116,620 to $202,5801,570
Kentucky$128,930$93,780 to $170,7201,930
Louisiana$120,650$85,770 to $155,140940
Maine$135,380$112,760 to $186,1601,320
Maryland$154,160$107,010 to $200,0806,510
Massachusetts$212,020$167,290 to $261,42014,270
Michigan$138,510$104,320 to $181,7206,620
Minnesota$173,300$130,610 to $219,2508,500
Mississippi$100,940$75,170 to $156,020770
Missouri$130,550$100,120 to $173,5806,550
Montana$165,580$114,430 to $207,160not published
Nebraska$110,570$93,950 to $145,6601,910
Nevada$107,550$83,270 to $167,6603,430
New Hampshire$143,280$132,740 to $187,8701,460
New Jersey$180,040$153,650 to $228,52013,510
New Mexico$122,980$85,770 to $161,550800
New York$181,200$140,140 to $233,73054,000
North Carolina$165,480$127,120 to $210,58010,790
North Dakota$125,580$103,980 to $157,830180
Ohio$132,330$102,000 to $175,75010,620
Oklahoma$126,920$96,940 to $162,4801,420
Oregon$161,560$119,790 to $215,2504,960
Pennsylvania$150,810$104,680 to $207,49013,840
South Carolina$143,290$105,170 to $192,5203,760
South Dakota$167,750$121,070 to $233,820220
Tennessee$131,990$98,810 to $173,1807,730
Texas$147,880$106,110 to $200,43044,680
Utah$139,830$104,720 to $179,1806,100
Virgin Islands$97,760$84,610 to $98,99060
Virginia$187,820$142,820 to $246,9006,890
Washington$172,270$127,660 to $224,1708,880
West Virginia$98,750$80,200 to $150,170300
Wisconsin$133,600$104,980 to $176,0804,890
Wyoming$161,580$117,470 to $193,100100

Nationally: $166,790. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this

How AI touches the work

What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.

AI could halve the time on 19 of its 20 tasks

5 · AI alone could halve the time 14 · AI + software built on it could 1 · Not much
AI ratingIts main tasks Share of Claude conversations
May 2026
AI + software Formulate, direct, or coordinate marketing activities or policies to promote products or services, working with advertising or promotion managers. 0.01%
AI + software Use sales forecasting or strategic planning to ensure the sale and profitability of products, lines, or services, analyzing business developments and monitoring market trends. under 0.01%
AI + software Compile lists describing product or service offerings. 0.01%
AI alone Consult with product development personnel on product specifications, such as design, color, or packaging. Not published
AI + software Identify, develop, or evaluate marketing strategy, based on knowledge of establishment objectives, market characteristics, and cost and markup factors. 0.35%
AI + software Initiate market research studies, or analyze their findings. 0.02%
See all 20 tasks
AI + software Develop pricing strategies, balancing firm objectives and customer satisfaction. Not published
AI + software Evaluate the financial aspects of product development, such as budgets, expenditures, research and development appropriations, or return-on-investment and profit-loss projections. 0.01%
AI alone Recommend modifications to products, packaging, production processes, or other characteristics to improve the environmental soundness or sustainability of products. Not published
Not much Direct the hiring, training, or performance evaluations of marketing or sales staff and oversee their daily activities. Not published
AI + software Coordinate or participate in promotional activities or trade shows, working with developers, advertisers, or production managers, to market products or services. Not published
AI + software Conduct economic or commercial surveys to identify potential markets for products or services. under 0.01%
AI alone Confer with legal staff to resolve problems, such as copyright infringement or royalty sharing with outside producers or distributors. Not published
AI alone Consult with buying personnel to gain advice regarding the types of products or services expected to be in demand. Not published
AI + software Advise business or other groups on local, national, or international factors affecting the buying or selling of products or services. 0.12%
AI + software Select products or accessories to be displayed at trade or special production shows. Not published
AI + software Negotiate contracts with vendors or distributors to manage product distribution, establishing distribution networks or developing distribution strategies. Not published
AI + software Integrate environmental information into product or company marketing strategies, policies, or activities. Not published
AI alone Consult with buying personnel to gain advice regarding environmentally sound or sustainable products. Not published
AI + software Develop business cases for environmental marketing strategies. Not published

Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 8 of the 20 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.

Where people already use AI

The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 20 tasks fall under 16 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.

Tasks AI could speed up19 of 20 tasksEloundou et al. ratings (2023)
Its activities among the 50 people ask AI for help with most2 of 16 activities
  • #32 Monitor external affairs, trends, or events
  • #33 Compile records, documentation, or other data
Microsoft Copilot (2024), ranked among all 332 activities. The cut-off of 50 is ours.
Work activity This occupation's tasks under it People asked AI for help
in 10,000 conversations		 AI did it for them
in 10,000 conversations
Develop business or marketing plans 2.26#190 0.72#182
Communicate with others about operational plans or activities 9.39#92 28#39
Analyze market or industry conditions 14#70 6.73#74
Advise others on business or operational matters 11#86 34#35
Analyze data to improve operations 3.31#159 1.09#162
Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures 1.85#204 0.36#225
Monitor external affairs, trends, or events 56#32 25#43
Compile records, documentation, or other data 52#33 33#37
Show all 16 activities
Evaluate programs, practices, or processes 15#67 5.67#80
Determine resource needs of projects or operations 6.29#111 2.93#115
Collect data about consumer needs or opinions 4.64#131 4.89#93
Coordinate group, community, or public activities 3.24#162 1.26#151
Develop organizational policies, systems, or processes 2.70#175 1.31#148
Negotiate contracts or agreements 1.06#233 0.13#263
Develop sustainable organizational or business policies or practices 0.72#254 0.33#231
Supervise personnel activities 0.56#266 0.05#283
Task: AI alone Task: AI + software Task: not much #: rank among all 332 activities Microsoft measured (#1 = most common; activities that never came up share last place, shown as “tied”)
Where the two sources differ: “Develop business or marketing plans” holds 5 tasks rated AI + software, yet people asked AI for help with it in 2.26 of every 10,000 conversations, #190 of 332.

How people in this work use Claude

What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations

  • A plan or strategy29%
  • A document or report20%
  • Marketing or social media content9%
  • Advice or a recommendation6%
  • A presentation or slides4%

How they worked with Claude

38% handed the task off62% worked on it together

74% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.

How to read this

Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for marketing managers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.

The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.

More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude

High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs

BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.

AI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213 growingModerate151 of 206 growingHigh165 of 206 growingVery high141 of 206 growing11 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Click a dot to see that occupation.Marketing managers: +6.9%Marketing ManagersAI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213Moderate151 of 206High165 of 206Very high141 of 20611 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Tap a dot.Marketing managers: +6.9%Marketing Managers

Career moves into and out of this occupation

From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.

Where people moved next

of 538,879 moves out

  1. 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 9%
  2. 2 Sales Managers High +4.5% 8%
  3. 3 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 8%
  4. 4 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Very high -0.9% 6%
  5. 5 Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists Very high +7.0% 5%

Where people moved in from

of 571,804 moves in

  1. 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 8%
  2. 2 Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists Very high +7.0% 8%
  3. 3 Sales Managers High +4.5% 7%
  4. 4 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Very high -0.9% 6%
  5. 5 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 6%

Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).

Education and training for the occupation

Education people in it hold

Census survey (American Community Survey)

  • 1% less than high school
  • 5% high school
  • 8% some college
  • 4% associate's
  • 58% bachelor's
  • 22% master's
  • 1% professional degree
  • 1% doctorate

Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 6,697 people surveyed.

Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation

Programs that prepare people for it (NCES)
9 programs, such as Consumer Merchandising/Retailing Management, Apparel and Textile Marketing Management and Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management.
See all
  • Consumer Merchandising/Retailing Management
  • Apparel and Textile Marketing Management
  • Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management
  • Marketing/Marketing Management, General
  • Marketing Research
  • International Marketing
  • Digital Marketing
  • Marketing, Other
  • Hospitality and Recreation Marketing Operations

Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023

30.7% this occupation

45.3% all occupations

By kindThis occupationAll occupations
a license1.5%19.1%
an educational certificate<0.5%2.8%
a certificationnot published

Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this

Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor

These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide

See where your own career could go Start by uploading your resume Browse careers

BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)

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