Average salaries for marketing graduates range depending on industry and specialty.
Marketing degrees provide graduates with a wide range of career opportunities after college. Under the umbrella of marketing, college graduates can pursue jobs in communications, public relations, market analysis and sales. Common job titles for marketing graduates include communications coordinator, marketing assistant and marketing analyst. College courses in subjects such as advertising and consumer behavior, as well as internship experience, position graduates as competitive candidates and help increase their salary potential in the job market.
Communications Coordinator
Although a communications coordinator's job is similar to that of a marketing coordinator, communications professionals often handle tasks related to internal and external public relations. For example, communications coordinators support communication managers or PR directors by proofreading press releases, writing internal announcements, formatting client or employee newsletters and distributing corporate memos. Their duties sometimes extend to editing content on corporate websites or social media pages. According to a May 2011 SalaryExpert report, communications coordinators earned an average salary of $31,430 in Chicago, $37,313 in New York City and $29,278 in Dallas. Average annual earnings were lowest in Orlando, which averaged $25,590 per year.
Marketing Analyst
Unlike communications or marketing coordinators, database analysts handle the more technical side of market research. Marketing graduates entering this field will work heavily in computer databases and other software applications to generate reports, pull statistics and develop "dashboards." These reports are typically used for competitive analysis, sales forecasting and marketing planning on a monthly, quarterly or yearly basis. Some maintenance duties may be involved, depending on the skill and education level required for the position. Database marketing analysts working in Phoenix averaged $58,579 according to a May 2011 SalaryExpert report. Workers in Miami and Charlotte, North Carolina, earned average salaries of $58,531 and $56,436 respectively.
Marketing Assistant
Recently graduated college students looking for a general marketing role can pursue a marketing assistant position. Marketing assistants handle myriad duties, including database management, event planning and sales support. For example, marketing assistants help pack shipments for trade shows, assemble sales proposals and prepare presentations for internal and external meetings. They also assist with proofreading and editing sales and marketing materials. According to a May 2011 Salary.com report, the national average salary for marketing assistants was $37,717 per year.
Potential
Given the wide range of professions available to marketing graduates, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that job growth for marketing, advertising, promotions, public relations and sales jobs will be 13 percent between 2008 and 2018. As the U.S. economy expands and business transactions increase, marketing professionals will be needed to position companies effectively in the global marketplace. Marketing graduates should also continue to hone their computer technology and creative skills to increase salary potential and promotional opportunities. For instance, the BLS stated that experienced marketing managers averaged a salary of $120,070 as of May 2009. Moreover, the BLS stated that graduates should obtain professional certifications or advanced degrees to improve their job prospects.
Tags: public relations, 2011 SalaryExpert, 2011 SalaryExpert report, analysis sales, average salary, communications coordinators, earned average