How to Become a Marketing Director

It takes about 15 to 20 years to become a marketing director. Marketing directors must complete significant education and training before leading a marketing team. On average, most marketing directors spend four to six years in school and another eight to twelve years working in marketing and a management role.

Employers often require applicants to have a bachelor's degree in business law, business administration, marketing management, economics, and other related fields. Other important areas to understand include statistics, mathematics, computer science, and business law.

Work experience, including management experience, is a must. Most directors of marketing come from a background in marketing, promotions, or advertising. Many have also spent time as sales representatives, public relations specialists, purchasing agents, or buyers.

Marketing directors make $6,187 a month, on average. However, this can range from as little as $1,583 a month to as high as $10,750 a month. Factors such as location and the company all impact how much a marketing director can earn a month.

Highest Paid Cities For Marketing Directors:

• San Mateo, CA - $7,515.33 a month

• Berkeley, CA - $7,282.50 a month

• Daly City, CA - $5,424.13 a month

• Richmond, CA - $5,294.56 a month

• Irvine, CA - $5,262.31 a month

• Odessa, TX - $5,180.31a month

• Stamford, CT - $5,155.56 a month

• Orange, CA - $5,123.13 a month

• Bellevue, WA - $5,103.76 a month

• San Francisco, CA - $5,089.26 a month

Top Paying Positions As Director Of Marketing:

• Director Global Marketing - $9,177.63 a month

• Director of Global Marketing - $8,482.69 a month

• Senior Director Marketing - $8,316.50 a month

• Director of Marketing Analytics - $7,968.75 a month

• Director of Strategic Marketing - $7,717.50 a month

Marketing directors make $84,245 a year, on average. However, this can range from as little as $68,000 a year to as high as $140,750 a month. Factors such as location and the company all impact how much a marketing director can earn a month.

Highest Paid Cities For Marketing Directors:

• San Mateo, CA - $90,184 a year ($43.36 an hour)

• Berkeley, CA - $87,030 a year ($41.84 an hour)

• Daly City, CA - $86,786 a year ($41.72 an hour)

• Richmond, CA - $84,713 a year ($40.73 an hour)

• Irvine, CA - $84,197 a year ($40.48 an hour)

• Odessa, TX - $82,885 a year ($39.85 an hour)

• Stamford, CT - $82,489 a year ($39.66 an hour)

• Orange, CA - $82,255 a year ($39.55 an hour)

• Bellevue, WA - $82,255 a year ($39.55 an hour)

• San Francisco, CA - $82,094 a year ($39.47 an hour)

Top Paying Positions As Director Of Marketing:

• Director Global Marketing - $138,765 a year ($70.60 an hour)

• Director of Global Marketing - $135,723 a year ($65.25 an hour)

• Senior Director Marketing - $133,064 a year ($63.97 an hour)

• Director of Marketing Analytics - $127,500 a year ($61.30 an hour)

• Director of Strategic Marketing - $123,480 a year ($59.37 an hour)

What makes a good marketing director is the ability to maintain high standards and behave predictably and consistently. One example of being a good marketing director may include holding your team to a consistently high standard of work rather than being the leader by example.

A good marketing director becomes the consistent voice of reason to any potential influencers, acting on behalf of the brand team.

Job Responsibilities:

• Being a consistent people leader

• Showing up as the consistent voice to the sales team

• Consistently deliver great work and strong results

In short, you want to be a good marketing director primarily comes from business success. Communication and managing an effective business plan and marketing strategy delivery are vital to being a successful marketing director.

The qualifications you need for marketing are the right combination of educational background and real work experience. Although most employers require a bachelor's degree, marketing specialists must possess an associate degree in marketing or related disciplines.

Typically, degrees are earned in business administration, marketing, advertising, public relations, communications, graphic design, and related areas.

It's good to also look into the many certifications available to those interested in marketing. Taking advantage of available marketing certifications can be used to sharpen your skillset and make you a leading candidate for that job you've always wanted.

Top Certifications For Marketing Include:

• Hootsuite Social Marketing Certification

• Google Ads Certification

• Digital Garage: Fundamentals of Digital Marketing Certification

• HubSpot Content Marketing Certification

• Facebook BluePrint Certification

• Google Analytics IQ Certification

• HubSpot Inbound Marketing Certification

• Bing Ads Accredited Professional (BAAP) Certification

• YouTube Certification

• Stanford University's Machine Learning Certification

The qualifications you need to be a marketing director include the right combination of educational credentials and work experience.

Most marketing directors have a bachelor's degree in business, marketing, communications, or related fields. Over 75% of marketing directors have a bachelor's degree, and 12% have master's degrees. In addition, at least 4-5 years of experience working in marketing and running a marketing team is also needed before having what it takes to serve as marketing director.

Other Qualifications Include:

• Proven marketing campaign experience

• Practical time management skills and the ability to multitask

• Strong copywriting skills

• Attention to detail

• Proven ability to manage budgets

• Professional and proactive work ethic

• High competence in project and stakeholder management

• Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills

• Experience with digital marketing forms such as social media marketing and content marketing

• Competency in Microsoft applications, including Word, Excel, and Outlook

Marketing directors need marketing expertise, management experience, and the right mix of soft and hard skills. A marketing director develops a brand's strategy, creates campaigns to improve brand awareness, and helps increase sales. Marketing directors lead marketing teams, guiding them to complete projects and meet marketing objectives.

Other Skills Needed As A Digital Marketer:

• Digital marketing analytics - Analytical skills (e.g., being able to set KPI's (key performance indicators), OKR's (objectives and key results)

• Project Management Knowledge - A marketing director needs to manage multiple projects, timelines, and relationships effectively.

• Technology Proficiency In:

  • Writing and Content Creation

  • Digital Advertising

  • SEO

  • Email Marketing/Marketing Automation

• PR/Media Relations - Sharing important company news and interacting with writers and publishers can be essential for organizations in the public eye.

• Traditional Advertising - While digital advertising can be more cost-effective and easier to track ROI, organizations looking to reach a large audience through branding and awareness may need to look for an individual with experience.