How long does it take to become a communications manager?

It takes about five to ten years of work experience to become a communications manager. This is typically in addition to a bachelor's degree, usually in journalism or communications. Communications managers typically need at least a bachelor's degree, but many have master's degrees. Usually, these degrees are in journalism, marketing, or communications. However, other common degree programs are psychology or business management.

How much do marketing communications managers make?

Marketing communications managers make an average salary of around $80,000 in a year. This varies somewhat between the top earners and the bottom 25 percent. Top earning marketing communications managers earn around $125,000 in a year.

What degree do you need to become a marketing manager?

You need a bachelor's degree to become a marketing manager, preferably in marketing, business, or a related field. Your degree coursework should include classes in marketing and sales, communication, and the visual arts.

What is a marketing communications manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Randall Manner,

Richard Tate

A marketing communications manager develops and implements an organization's communication strategies. They oversee the creation of marketing materials, such as advertisements, brochures, and social media content. They work with teams to ensure consistent brand messaging across channels. Marketing communications managers also analyze market trends and consumer behavior to identify opportunities for increased engagement. They have strong communication, organizational, and analytical skills. Overall, a marketing communications manager promotes a brand and drives business growth.

What general advice would you give to a marketing communications manager?

Randall Manner

Vice President, Marketing & Public Relations, Acadian Companies

Take every opportunity to better yourself as you enter your career. Don't depend on your employer to educate you. Take the initiative to read books, attend webinars, and study both personal and professional development. As an employer, I find that employees who show the effort to improve themselves quickly become the most valuable.

ScoreMarketing Communications ManagerUS Average

Salary

6.6

Avg. Salary $84,146

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.5

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%

Asian 8.15%

Black or African American 3.04%

Hispanic or Latino 8.67%

Unknown 5.32%

White 74.58%

Gender

female 67.75%

male 32.25%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress level

7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a marketing communications manager?

Pros

Opportunity for creativity and innovation
Potential for high salary and benefits
Opportunity for career advancement
Chance to develop strong relationships with clients and customers
Opportunity to travel for work

Cons

Difficulties in measuring ROI of marketing campaigns
Possibility of dealing with difficult clients or customers
Potential for a stressful work environment
Potential for job instability due to changes in the market or company budget cuts
Limited control over external factors that may affect the success of marketing campaigns

Key steps to become a marketing communications manager

Explore marketing communications manager education requirements

Most common marketing communications manager degrees

Bachelor's

80.0 %

Master's

13.4 %

Associate

5.2 %

Start to develop specific marketing communications manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Web Content	8.42%
Marketing Campaigns	7.40%
Digital Marketing	5.89%
Project Management	4.84%
Press Releases	4.70%

Complete relevant marketing communications manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New marketing communications managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a marketing communications manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real marketing communications manager resumes.

Research marketing communications manager duties and responsibilities

Manage enrollment advertising (print, digital, SEM, radio), marketing campaigns, and analytics reports.
Manage company's Facebook page and develop social media strategy.
Lead corporate rebranding and develop new core messaging to transition existing outdate business image.
Point of contact for internal and external stakeholders to evaluate customer satisfaction while achieving internal KPIs.

Prepare your marketing communications manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your marketing communications manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a marketing communications manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable marketing communications manager resume templates

Build a professional marketing communications manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your marketing communications manager resume.

Apply for marketing communications manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a marketing communications manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

Average marketing communications manager salary

The average marketing communications manager salary in the United States is $84,146 per year or $40 per hour. Marketing communications manager salaries range between $60,000 and $117,000 per year.

Average marketing communications manager salary

$84,146 Yearly

$40.45 hourly

How do marketing communications managers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Marketing communications manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2020

Pros

The ability to do tasks in a lot of different areas of marketing

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019

Pros

People relations Results behavioural change

Cons

marketing especially retailing products and or fundraising

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019

Cons

English life to advance by clearing the wreckage of its past

What is a marketing communications manager and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a marketing communications manager?

What are the pros and cons of being a marketing communications manager?

Marketing communications manager career paths

Key steps to become a marketing communications manager

Explore marketing communications manager education requirements

Most common marketing communications manager degrees

Start to develop specific marketing communications manager skills

Complete relevant marketing communications manager training and internships

Research marketing communications manager duties and responsibilities

Prepare your marketing communications manager resume

Choose from 10+ customizable marketing communications manager resume templates

Apply for marketing communications manager jobs

How did you land your first marketing communications manager job

Average marketing communications manager salary

How do marketing communications managers rate their job?

Marketing communications manager reviews

Marketing communications manager FAQs

How long does it take to become a communications manager?

How much do marketing communications managers make?

What degree do you need to become a marketing manager?

Search for marketing communications manager jobs