How to hire a product marketing manager

How to hire a product marketing manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step product 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 product marketing manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new product marketing manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a product marketing manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The product 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a product marketing manager to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a product marketing manager that fits the bill.

   This list presents product marketing manager salaries for various positions.

   Type of Product Marketing Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Product 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.	$39-71
   Manager, Field Marketing	A field marketing manager oversees a company's field marketing operations, aiming to improve brand awareness and reach sales goals. Their responsibilities primarily revolve around devising marketing strategies, participating in organizing campaigns and trade shows, setting objectives for the team, and monitoring the progress of marketing programs, ensuring they are functioning effectively and efficiently... Show more	$32-61
   Marketing Strategist	The marketing strategist is an executive who works with the members of the marketing team to ensure the implementation of high-quality marketing strategies within a given time frame. Marketing strategists examine data to find out the best way to administer resources to increase revenue and profits... Show more	$25-57

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Digital Marketing
   • Product Management
   • Project Management
   • Marketing Campaigns
   • Market Research
   • B2B Marketing
   • Market Trends
   • Go-To-Market Strategy
   • Value Proposition
   • Sales Tools
   • Competitive Analysis
   • Sales Training
   • Competitive Intelligence
   • Product Life Cycle

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage IP and IPX VPN solutions, including definition of next generation ipsec-base products.
   • Manage execution of retail signage (POS) and cross promotions for grocery partners.
   • Lead a global team representing the commercial interests of the Americas, Europe and Asia.
   • Define, design and manage next generation intranet product incorporating HTML, CGI, and JAVA.
   • Define the product and manage the development of a line of switch mode power supplies for the PC & general market.
   • Lead product development and business development of emerging mobile and cloud solutions.

   More product marketing manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your product marketing manager job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A product marketing manager 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 product marketing manager in Colorado may be lower than in California, and an entry-level product marketing manager usually earns less than a senior-level product marketing manager. Additionally, a product marketing manager 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 product marketing manager salary

   $112,220yearly

   $53.95 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level product marketing manager salary

   $83,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average product marketing manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$142,277	$68
   2	Washington	$120,090	$58
   3	New York	$117,034	$56
   4	Oregon	$112,089	$54
   5	Massachusetts	$108,898	$52
   6	Pennsylvania	$105,102	$51
   7	District of Columbia	$104,325	$50
   8	Maine	$103,483	$50
   9	Virginia	$102,633	$49
   10	Arizona	$100,840	$48
   11	Ohio	$99,078	$48
   12	Illinois	$98,932	$48
   13	North Carolina	$98,109	$47
   14	Minnesota	$97,290	$47
   15	Indiana	$96,094	$46
   16	Texas	$95,716	$46
   17	Utah	$94,838	$46
   18	Georgia	$91,065	$44
   19	Arkansas	$89,784	$43
   20	Colorado	$89,313	$43

   Average product marketing manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Credit Karma	$159,411	$76.64	11
   2	Meta	$157,710	$75.82	600
   3	Airbnb	$152,712	$73.42	6
   4	Pure Storage	$152,446	$73.29	19
   5	ByteDance	$149,786	$72.01	12
   6	Mixpanel	$149,363	$71.81	4
   7	Google	$148,029	$71.17	431
   8	Cloudflare	$147,701	$71.01	35
   9	Apple	$146,107	$70.24	86
   10	Lyft	$143,319	$68.90	10
   11	Atlassian	$142,869	$68.69	53
   12	CME Group	$142,821	$68.66	2
   13	Asana	$142,284	$68.41	6
   14	Sumo Logic	$142,117	$68.33	1
   15	Twitter	$141,442	$68.00	2
   16	Xilinx	$140,966	$67.77
   17	Medallia	$140,956	$67.77
   18	The Walt Disney Company	$140,803	$67.69	69
   19	Chegg	$140,126	$67.37
   20	NVIDIA	$140,066	$67.34	52

4. Writing a product marketing manager job description

   A product 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a product marketing manager job description:

   Product marketing manager job description example

   Why the Networking and Advanced Security Business Group?
   Join the Networking and Advanced Security Business Group (NASBG) to help VMware become THE leader in the emerging security and networking space. Product Marketing plays a meaningful role in driving solutions into the marketplace by understanding the current market environment and developing a strategy to drive customer and industry awareness of the benefits of VMware's Security and Networking solutions. Our team is looking for a Product Marketing Manager (PMM) with a background in security and cloud networking technologies to focus on the strategy, messaging, and positioning of VMware's NASBG portfolio for campaigns and moments.
   
   Why you matter:
   As a Product Marketing Manager (PMM) in NASBG, you will lead cross-functional teams, setting the vision for go-to-market strategy, monitoring key performance indicators, understanding the dynamics of both direct and channel sales, and influencing many teams towards common goals. You will also be responsible for driving the marketing strategy, positioning, messaging, field enablement , and evangelism for your solutions. PMMs focused on our fast-growing portfolio understand the optimal methods and tactics to take our solutions to market with initiatives around ecosystem go-to-market, thought leadership, and sales specialist engagement. You will need to work closely with groups like product management, engineering, global marketing, field sales, and channel sales teams.What you will do:
   Influence long-term strategies while concurrently driving today's business results and execution Own the core positioning and messaging across customers and use-cases for NASBG portfolio Develop strategy and execute plans to capitalize on industry moments with compelling content to engage our target audience Develop strategy and execute plans to achieve thought leadership in emerging product domains Design and deliver crisp sales and partner enablement to facilitate consultative selling for targeted use cases Deliver key storylines, differentiators, and value propositions to the field and key partners Work with a cross-functional team (e.g. sales, marketing, product management, engineering, communications) Create and drive innovative initiatives to enable awareness and adoption of the NASBG portfolio
   What you will bring:
   At least 4+ years of work experience across product management, product marketing, or management consulting directly related to the enterprise software technology industry Cloud, SaaS, network management, and security experience are highly desired Proven analytical abilities and critical thinking. Demonstrated ability to develop creative and non-traditional solutions Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Ability to translate technology features into business benefits.Extensive experience interacting with and presenting to C-level executives Experience enabling or engaging with enterprise-class sales teams, alliances teams, and channels Highly accountable, strategic thinker, self-starter, and proven great teammate in a fast-paced and achievement-oriented environment Bachelor's in engineering, computer science (Masters a plus) or related industry experience, MBA preferred
   This job may require the candidate to travel and/or work from a facility that requires full vaccination prior to entry.
   
   VMware is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Prohibits Discrimination and Harassment of Any Kind: VMware is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at VMware are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. VMware will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. VMware encourages applicants of all ages. VMware will provide reasonable accommodation to employees who have protected disabilities consistent with local law.
   
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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find product marketing managers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your product marketing manager job on Zippia to find and attract quality product 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

   To successfully recruit product marketing managers, 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.

   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 product marketing manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the product marketing manager position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the 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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