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How to hire a chief marketing officer

Chief marketing officer hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring chief marketing officers in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a chief marketing officer is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new chief marketing officer to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a chief marketing officer, step by step

To hire a chief marketing officer, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a chief marketing officer, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step chief marketing officer hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a chief marketing officer job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new chief marketing officer
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a chief marketing officer do?

A Chief Marketing Officer defines marketing strategies and oversees all marketing operations of a company. They are responsible for building a highly efficient team of marketing professionals.

Learn more about the specifics of what a chief marketing officer does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you start hiring a chief marketing officer, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    Hiring the perfect chief marketing officer also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

    This list presents chief marketing officer salaries for various positions.

    Type of Chief Marketing OfficerDescriptionHourly rate
    Chief Marketing OfficerAdvertising, promotions, and marketing managers plan programs to generate interest in products or services. They work with art directors, sales agents, and financial staff members.$34-121
    Marketing ConsultantA marketing consultant is responsible for utilizing their extensive retail expertise to develop strategies on how to strengthen client base and achieve better sales. Furthermore, a marketing consultant must perform research and analysis to determine opportunities for financial gains, devise plans to improve client satisfaction, assess the competition, look out for any risks, and develop its brand and image... Show more$21-53
    Director, Product MarketingA Director of Product Marketing directs the marketing activities of one or more products or product lines within the organization. They develop strong relationships with key customers.$46-98
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • CMO
    • Patients
    • Digital Marketing
    • Sales Strategy
    • Market Research
    • Marketing Campaigns
    • Project Management
    • CRM
    • Business Development
    • Revenue Growth
    • Product Development
    • Integrated Marketing
    • ROI
    • Lead Generation
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage professional staff and liaise with U.S. dairy co-op, trade promotion groups, and government oversight and advertising agencies.
    • Lead global marketing planning efforts and serve as internal media subject matter expert for portfolio, brands and loyalty marketing initiatives.
    • Manage agency and provide direction and day-to-day oversight.
    • Develop and manage marketing programs and partner integration for industry marketing in government, healthcare and education markets.
    • Create website landing pages and social media campaigns on Facebook and Instagram to test price points and validate consumer need.
    • Coordinate international new product portfolio and product development
    More chief marketing officer duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your chief marketing officer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A chief marketing officer salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

    For example, the average salary for a chief marketing officer in Florida may be lower than in Rhode Island, and an entry-level chief marketing officer usually earns less than a senior-level chief marketing officer. Additionally, a chief marketing officer with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

    Average chief marketing officer salary

    $135,198yearly

    $65.00 hourly rate

    Entry-level chief marketing officer salary
    $72,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 11, 2025

    Average chief marketing officer salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1New Jersey$177,988$86
    2Nevada$174,445$84
    3Massachusetts$173,283$83
    4Virginia$169,879$82
    5New York$166,854$80
    6Connecticut$166,669$80
    7California$160,704$77
    8District of Columbia$159,866$77
    9Illinois$148,281$71
    10Washington$147,216$71
    11Maryland$132,935$64
    12Texas$129,152$62
    13Minnesota$125,180$60
    14Indiana$120,956$58
    15Arizona$120,539$58
    16Ohio$114,208$55
    17Georgia$112,534$54
    18Florida$102,432$49
    19Colorado$100,608$48
    20North Carolina$100,030$48

    Average chief marketing officer salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Shearman & Sterling$183,371$88.16
    2Dignity Health$182,865$87.9228
    3Biogen$174,484$83.899
    4AdventHealth$162,504$78.138
    5ResMed$158,921$76.405
    6Vibra Healthcare$154,849$74.4510
    7Regeneron$154,787$74.427
    8AstraZeneca$154,619$74.3411
    9Community Health Systems$150,270$72.2559
    10Children's National Medical Center$149,380$71.82
    11Amazon$148,752$71.52282
    12Rokt$146,013$70.20
    13Storyblocks$145,970$70.18
    14Covr Financial Technologies$145,963$70.17
    15Newchip Accelerator$145,963$70.17
    16Brewbike$145,963$70.17
    17Science$145,963$70.17
    18Brooklinen$145,963$70.17
    19Akhan Semiconductor$145,937$70.16
    20Dstillery$145,909$70.15
  4. Writing a chief marketing officer job description

    A good chief marketing officer job description should include a few things:

    • Summary of the role
    • List of responsibilities
    • Required skills and experience

    Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a chief marketing officer job description:

    Chief marketing officer job description example

    Review/accept evaluation reports perform re-evaluations for transfer students within the 30-day timeline

    Stay abreast of current and emerging professional trends and developments affecting school psychology, and recommend modifications that will improve performance

    SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

    This position does not have any supervisory responsibilities.

    QUALIFICATIONS

    To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

    EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

    Master’s or Doctoral Degree in School/Education Psychology from an accredited college or university. Valid Texas license as a Licensed Specialist in School Psychology granted by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists and one (1) year experience or internship in a school setting is preferred.

    COMPUTER SKILLS

    To perform this job successfully, an individual should be proficient in Microsoft Office applications including advanced features of Excel, possess the ability to use basic office equipment and the ability to learn and use other software as necessary.

    LANGUAGE SKILLS

    To perform this job successfully, and individual must be able to read, analyze, and apply common sense understanding and to carry out instructions in written or oral form and be able to set priorities. This individual must possess the ability to communicate with all levels of personnel, students, and parents.

    MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

    Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference.

    Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations .

    PHYSICAL / MENTAL DEMANDS

    The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

    Employee must be able to maintain emotional control under stress. Occasional prolonged and irregular hours will be necessary.

    While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to feel, touch and reach with hands and arms. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, and use stairs. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

    REASONING ABILITY

    To perform this job successfully, an individual must possess the ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. An individual must also possess the ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. An individual must also possess the ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram or schedule form.

    WORK ENVIRONMENT

    The work environment is representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The environment requires close proximity to other employees, frequent interruptions, extended periods of time viewing a computer screen, and noise levels from moderate to high. There may be activity from other employees and students of a distracting nature.

    OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

    Criminal records check, pre-hire and annually thereafter, if applicable. Must be eligible to work in the United States and provide work authorization.

    MODIFICATION OF DUTIES & ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

    Uplift Education retains the right to change and/or modify the duties and essential functions of this position at any time. This job description is not intended to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee.

  5. Post your job

    To find chief marketing officers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any chief marketing officers they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level chief marketing officers with the right educational background.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your chief marketing officer job on Zippia to find and recruit chief marketing officer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites such as swipe files, exit five, marketinghire, american marketing association.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    To successfully recruit chief marketing officers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new chief marketing officer

    Once you've decided on a perfect chief marketing officer candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

    You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

    To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a chief marketing officer?

Recruiting chief marketing officers involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

You can expect to pay around $135,198 per year for a chief marketing officer, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for chief marketing officers in the US typically range between $34 and $121 an hour.

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