Brand manager vs marketing manager/project manager

The differences between brand managers and marketing manager/project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 8-10 years to become both a brand manager and a marketing manager/project manager. Additionally, a brand manager has an average salary of $97,789, which is higher than the $78,368 average annual salary of a marketing manager/project manager.

The top three skills for a brand manager include brand management, digital marketing and customer service. The most important skills for a marketing manager/project manager are project management, digital marketing, and marketing campaigns.

Brand manager vs marketing manager/project manager overview

	Brand Manager	Marketing Manager/Project Manager
Yearly salary	$97,789	$78,368
Hourly rate	$47.01	$37.68
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	127,429	187,949
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	10	10

What does a brand manager do?

A brand manager is an individual responsible for adapting a brand strategy that targets the potential market for a company's product while maintaining its integrity. Brand managers assist in developing products while managing budgets for the advertising and promotion of their new products. They usually work under the supervision of marketing managers or chief marketing officers (CMOs) to implement and execute their marketing initiatives. Brand managers also provide an analysis of sales forecasts and create reports on product sales.

What does a marketing manager/project manager do?

A marketing manager/project manager oversees a company's marketing programs and projects, aiming to attract more customers and increase the brand value of a business, product, or service. They primarily perform market research and assessments to identify marketing trends and opportunities, gather and analyze data to generate business leads, study the consumer and competitors in the industry, and identify the weaknesses and strengths of existing marketing projects, utilizing information to enhance operations. Additionally, a marketing manager/project manager leads operations and empowers staff while implementing company policies and industry standards.

Brand manager vs marketing manager/project manager salary

Brand managers and marketing manager/project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Brand Manager	Marketing Manager/Project Manager
Average salary	$97,789	$78,368
Salary range	Between $72,000 And $131,000	Between $56,000 And $109,000
Highest paying City	Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ	Carson City, NV
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Nevada
Best paying company	Meta	Meta
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Technology

Differences between brand manager and marketing manager/project manager education

There are a few differences between a brand manager and a marketing manager/project manager in terms of educational background:

	Brand Manager	Marketing Manager/Project Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Georgia	University of Georgia

Brand manager vs marketing manager/project manager demographics

Here are the differences between brand managers' and marketing manager/project managers' demographics:

	Brand Manager	Marketing Manager/Project Manager
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 51.5% Female, 48.5%	Male, 38.1% Female, 61.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between brand manager and marketing manager/project manager duties and responsibilities

Brand manager example responsibilities.

Direct and coordinate photo shoots; conduct live training sessions; manage marketing asset library; CRM strategy.
Manage paid search campaigns including keyword generation, ad copy testing, landing page optimization, PPC and SEM.
Manage global product development teams with cross-functional oversight for manufacturing, sourcing, finance, design and supply chain management.
Manage POS merchandising and distribution of promotional items.
Develop and manage new health brand strategy including creation of healthcare professional/dietitian program.
Obtain certification through a cheese and wine class.

Marketing manager/project manager example responsibilities.

Manage client's $120K SEM budget; make allocations toward competitor analysis, keyword research and linking strategies.
Manage SEO and SEM programs including optimization of landing pages and A/B campaign testing with PPC and social media ads.
Define and program manage nurture campaigns utilizing CRM database.
Manage sensitive digital and print archives of value historic and current photography.
Plan and manage communication projects including writing newsletters, brochures, annual reports and producing videos and PowerPoint presentations.
Assist in developing websites by writing HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript code.

Brand manager vs marketing manager/project manager skills

Common brand manager skills

Brand Management, 8%
Digital Marketing, 7%
Customer Service, 5%
Project Management, 5%
Brand Marketing, 5%
Product Development, 4%

Common marketing manager/project manager skills

Project Management, 17%
Digital Marketing, 12%
Marketing Campaigns, 7%
PowerPoint, 5%
Email Campaigns, 3%
Email Marketing, 3%

Brand Manager vs. similar jobs

Brand Manager related careers

Brand Manager related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Executive Management Industry
Brand Manager
Brand Manager vs Marketing Manager/Project Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse executive management jobs