How to hire a creative marketing manager

How to hire a creative marketing manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step creative marketing manager hiring guide:

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

What does a creative marketing manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The creative marketing manager hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A creative marketing manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, creative marketing managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of creative marketing managers.

   Type of Creative Marketing Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Creative Marketing Manager	Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers plan programs to generate interest in products or services. They work with art directors, sales agents, and financial staff members.	$18-51
   Marketing Lead	A marketing lead is a professional who is responsible for overseeing a team of marketing specialists to help a company achieve its marketing goals. Marketing leads are required to create and manage marketing plans so that they can deliver marketing campaigns on time and escalate issues that may prevent prompt delivery... Show more	$35-70
   Head Of Marketing	The head of marketing primarily oversees all marketing departments and operations, ensuring to convey the message of the brand. Their responsibilities revolve around devising strategies and business plans, preparing and allocating the budget for all departments, identifying new opportunities and assets, and analyzing consumers' needs... Show more	$44-97

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Digital Marketing
   • Marketing Campaigns
   • Email Campaigns
   • Graphic Design
   • WordPress
   • Email Marketing
   • Channel Marketing
   • Creative Direction
   • Creative Briefs
   • External Agencies
   • Video Production
   • Creative Services
   • Integrated Marketing
   • Creative Strategies

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage Instagram account driving follows/views for profile.
   • Lead small creative teams through concept, design, and copywriting.
   • Secure critical LinkedIn partnership and manage the associated marketing campaign and announcement.
   • Implement SEO to give the company a competitive digital positioning.
   • Project oversight include qualitative and quantitative data collection that ultimately substantiate the value of the new foaming platform against customer KPIs.
   • Collaborate with UX managers to ensure product design aligns with corporate design.

   More creative marketing manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your creative marketing manager job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A creative marketing manager salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, creative marketing managers' average salary in kansas is 43% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level creative marketing managers earn 64% less than senior-level creative marketing managers.
   • Certifications. A creative marketing manager with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a creative marketing manager's salary.

   Average creative marketing manager salary

   $63,948yearly

   $30.74 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level creative marketing manager salary

   $38,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 23, 2025

   Average creative marketing manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$87,283	$42
   2	Massachusetts	$77,798	$37
   3	Delaware	$70,301	$34
   4	New York	$68,637	$33
   5	Illinois	$68,005	$33
   6	North Carolina	$65,167	$31
   7	Florida	$63,238	$30
   8	Maryland	$61,115	$29
   9	Indiana	$60,635	$29
   10	Pennsylvania	$60,481	$29
   11	Ohio	$57,887	$28
   12	South Carolina	$56,047	$27
   13	Tennessee	$55,039	$26
   14	Louisiana	$54,629	$26
   15	Texas	$52,321	$25
   16	Colorado	$52,055	$25
   17	Georgia	$49,439	$24
   18	Kansas	$46,411	$22

   Average creative marketing manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$132,690	$63.79	38
   2	Reddit	$115,816	$55.68	2
   3	Tenet Healthcare	$82,115	$39.48	15
   4	ViacomCBS	$80,476	$38.69
   5	Verizon Communications	$78,242	$37.62	1
   6	Masten Space Systems	$75,307	$36.21
   7	Entravision Communications	$72,045	$34.64
   8	Atlantic Communications	$63,344	$30.45
   9	Bertelsmann	$61,983	$29.80	2
   10	Domino Data Lab	$59,945	$28.82
   11	Trivantis	$59,937	$28.82
   12	Bethel Church	$58,360	$28.06
   13	Ascend Learning	$56,634	$27.23	6
   14	Tempur Sealy International	$56,163	$27.00
   15	Paramount	$53,590	$25.76	15
   16	Robert Half	$52,530	$25.25	67
   17	Amazon	$45,853	$22.04	428
   18	JBS USA	$40,692	$19.56	2
   19	Anixter	$37,848	$18.20

4. Writing a creative marketing manager job description

   A creative marketing manager job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a creative marketing manager job description:

   Creative marketing manager job description example

   The Role
   
   Wpromote is looking for a talented Performance Creative Manager to join our Performance Creative team. We are looking for a candidate who loves the fast-paced environment of an agency, and can roll with the punches.
   
   At Wpromote, we believe that great work is only possible with great people. Our goal is to build a better, more inclusive work environment and support our people at every stage of their careers by prioritizing a strong work-life balance through policies like unlimited PTO, a 4.5-day workweek, flexible schedules, work from anywhere options, 100% paid parental leave, and 401(k) matching. As a Best Place to Work according to both Ad Age and Glassdoor and Adweek's Fastest Growing Digital Agency, we are moving fast to expand our teams and bring new experts into the fold to keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible in marketing.
   
   *If you reside in Colorado, please click this link to view Colorado compensation information and apply for this role. Residents of all other states are encouraged to apply to this posting. Compensation packages for employees and applicants outside Colorado may differ from the Colorado compensation information and are based on a wide array of factors unique to each candidate and location, including but not limited to skill set, years & depth of experience, education and certifications, and geographic location. This may differ in other locations due to cost of labor considerations.
   
   *This position may be performed remotely in most states within the US, with some exclusions
   **This position is not eligible for immigration sponsorship
   
   #LI-VR1
   #LI-Remote
   You Will BeDeveloping innovative performance-centric integrated creative campaigns for clients, adapting their brand identity and guidelines into audience-specific messaging aligned with channel best practices. Producing monthly briefs and generating buy-in on concepts and strategy to sell in performance creative retainers and projects to develop large static and video asset libraries media buyers can use for testing and generating stronger channel performance.Conceptualizing creative strategy for new business prospects and articulating the value of the service offering to sell in new clients. Analyzing data and performance of creative campaigns and using learnings to inform future campaign execution. Overseeing creative production timelines to ensure we are meeting client deliverables Keeping your finger on the pulse of emerging formats, channels, and growth opportunities to ensure brand-response campaigns are compelling and cutting-edge. Strategizing and servicing creative needs from Paid Social to Programmatic, YouTube, Display and Amazon services Identifying opportunities to improve our Performance Creative service through in-house automation solutions or third-party platforms Monitoring and tracking the overall client growth for the portfolio utilizing Performance Creative best practices
   You Must HaveAt least 2+ years owning and managing client relationships to meet creative deliverables Experience working directly with Social media managers at a digital agency to analyze performance data and determine which assets to scale, which iterate additional versions upon and which to stop investing in.Strong client-facing communication skills for in-person pitches and existing client cross-sells. Sharp creative eye and experience developing and producing creative campaigns built around performanceA track record of pitching and closing new business, cross-selling existing business and convincing existing clients of the benefits of ceding aspects of brand guidelines in favor of performance creative ad formats and messaging tactics The ability to step in and do hands-on design or editing work in the event that one of your direct reports cannot fulfill a deliverable due to unexpected circumstances Relationships with talent, colleagues, vendors, and external network that will empower you to hit the ground running are a plus
   Wpromote is committed to bringing together individuals from different backgrounds and perspectives, providing employees with a safe and welcoming environment free of discrimination and harassment. We strive to create a diverse & inclusive environment where everyone can thrive, feel a sense of belonging, and do impactful work together. As an equal opportunity employer, we prohibit any unlawful discrimination against a job applicant on the basis of their race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, family or parental status, disability*, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. We respect the laws enforced by the EEOC and are dedicated to going above and beyond in fostering diversity across our workplace.
   
   Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws. A reasonable accommodation is a change in the way things are normally done which will ensure an equal employment opportunity without imposing undue hardship on Wpromote.
   
   This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9. For more information on E Verify, or if you believe that your employer has violated its E-Verify responsibilities, please contact DHS.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right creative marketing manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with creative marketing managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit creative marketing managers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your creative marketing manager job on Zippia to find and attract quality creative marketing manager candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as swipe files, exit five, marketinghire, american marketing association.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit creative marketing managers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   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 creative marketing manager

   Once you've decided on a perfect creative marketing manager 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.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   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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