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Job outlook for senior marketing program managers in the United States
Senior marketing program manager job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected senior marketing program manager job growth rate is 10% from 2018-2028.
About 33,700 new jobs for senior marketing program managers are projected over the next decade.
Senior marketing program manager salaries have increased 8% for senior marketing program managers in the last 5 years.
There are over 8,954 senior marketing program managers currently employed in the United States.
There are 202,912 active senior marketing program manager job openings in the US.
The average senior marketing program manager salary is $115,797.
Are senior marketing program manager jobs in demand?
Senior marketing program manager job and salary trends over time
Senior marketing program manager jobs over time
Senior marketing program manager job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 8,954 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 8,681 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 8,471 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 7,725 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 7,035 | 0.00% |
Average senior marketing program manager salary over time
Senior marketing program manager salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $115,797 | $55.67 | +3.9% |
| 2024 | $111,464 | $53.59 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $109,379 | $52.59 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $107,701 | $51.78 | +0.8% |
| 2021 | $106,846 | $51.37 | +1.9% |
Senior marketing program manager jobs by state
Most common states for senior marketing program managers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 643 | 93% |
| 2 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 4,127 | 56% |
| 3 | Vermont | 623,657 | 333 | 53% |
| 4 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 451 | 43% |
| 5 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 1,213 | 39% |
| 6 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 288 | 38% |
| 7 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 482 | 36% |
| 8 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 380 | 36% |
| 9 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 201 | 35% |
| 10 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 2,645 | 31% |
| 11 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 1,285 | 31% |
| 12 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,036 | 30% |
| 13 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,660 | 30% |
| 14 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,636 | 29% |
| 15 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 1,015 | 28% |
| 16 | Delaware | 961,939 | 272 | 28% |
| 17 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 234 | 27% |
| 18 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 3,321 | 26% |
| 19 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 2,317 | 26% |
| 20 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 495 | 26% |
Most common cities for senior marketing program managers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Culver City | 1 | 3% | $126,172 |
| 2 | Cedar Rapids | 1 | 1% | $105,476 |
| 3 | Wilmington | 1 | 1% | $115,711 |
| 4 | San Diego | 2 | 0% | $123,540 |
| 5 | Baltimore | 1 | 0% | $103,731 |
| 6 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $111,424 |
Senior Marketing Program Manager job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of senior marketing program manager experts
City University of Seattle
North Dakota State University
Siena College
Siena College
Siena College
North Carolina A&T State University
North Carolina A&T State University
The University of Tampa
University of Scranton
University of Houston - Downtown
University of Houston - Downtown
University of West Georgia
Berea College
Freed-Hardeman University
The Touro College
Western Carolina University
Auburn University at Montgomery
What will help Senior Marketing Program Managers increase their earning potential?
Rich Johnson: Digital media covers a lot of mediums and requires many skill sets (print, static online, animation, interactive). The print arm is a lesser component although still valuable in the scope of marketing. Smartphones, tablets and gaming have moved a lot of digital into a customer expectation of interactive and customizable content. The present model of career specialization in a certain aspect of this spectrum of skills is changing. The age of the generalist is becoming more of a reality as design tools are becoming more accessible and A.I. is assisting in the more complex tasks. I would say that someone working in digital media will need to focus more on the big picture of design, predicting trends and developing solutions from a point of view with perspective. It will be even more important to understand the needs of a system from the top down and provide solutions that enhance that system. This might be through partnering with marketing and sales to conceptualize solutions, pitching product ideas and other functions related to creative and art direction. And be curious, all of the time. Keep up to date with everything that is happening. Take classes, watch tutorials, read articles and be obsessed with the breakneck rate of change. Digital media is constantly changing and possibilities are always expanding. It can be near impossible to be a master of all of these trajectories, but you can understand them well enough to bring in a specialist when the challenge requires it. This is where I predict that A.I. will be a major paradigm shift. There will be a time when you will ask the system to solve a problem, and you can choose what parts of the process that you want to control. So to boil it down... Develop a well rounded set of skills Further develop specialist level skills where you excel Keep on top of change and keep a thirst for learning Strengthen your connection to problem solving and creative innovation Keep an eye on the future predicting what might be around the bend
Jennifer D'Angelo PhD
Assistant Professor of MarketingWhat will help Senior Marketing Program Managers increase their earning potential?
Jennifer D'Angelo PhD: A marketing manager is often responsible for planning and implementing a marketing plan. What this marketing plan encompasses can vary, as marketing involves many different things such as branding, product development, sales, advertising, digital and social media, and retailing.
What general advice would you give to a Senior Marketing Program Manager?
Jennifer D'Angelo PhD: The ever-changing landscape of consumer trends and technological advancements in how to market to consumers often makes the job exciting and fast-paced. However, with the increased emphasis on results, marketers must be conscious of how to measure and demonstrate the value of their work.
What Senior Marketing Program Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jennifer D'Angelo PhD: Brands across many product categories are facing an increasing level of competition. Brands may struggle with rising brand parity, where brands and their competitors are seen as similar to one another. Therefore, to stand out from competitors, it has become increasingly important for brands to have marketing managers that create value for consumers and communicate that value to consumers.
What general advice would you give to a Senior Marketing Program Manager?
Ajay Abraham Ph. D.: Earning a fair salary is important, although what exactly is fair might vary based on individual perceptions. More important, think of a job as offering a combination of financial and other non-monetary benefits such as perks (e.g., work culture, work-life balance, self-fulfillment, good colleagues, networking). Try to optimize your benefits across this multi-dimensional perspective rather than by simply focusing on salary. That stated, some job opportunities have scope for negotiation on salary. First, identify if the job that you are applying for has scope for negotiation, in which case, there's no harm in negotiating if done ethically, professionally, and reasonably. If the job is not one in which there's scope for negotiation, don't worry. Instead, focus on performance and making a case for yourself at the time of annual evaluations and/or salary hikes (which should be done even if there were salary negotiations before joining). Similar suggestions apply if you are thinking of switching roles/organizations.
What Senior Marketing Program Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Ajay Abraham Ph. D.: Everyone is talking about AI these days, so I will start off by joining the bandwagon, but with some nuance. It's important to know how to use artificial intelligence tools in order to be better or more effective at one's job. This doesn't mean that everyone needs to become an AI expert, but that we should be able to harness the power of AI tools to improve the quality and efficiency of our work. This requires being fluent enough with AI tools to understand, discuss, and make decisions involving AI or about AI output (even if we don't actually use those tools in a hands-on manner). This should be done while also being able to bridge the gap for those who are less fluent (perhaps those in more senior-level roles who are even less hands-on with these tools). That apart, as more of the workforce focuses more of their time on technical and similar skills, "softer" skills such as integrity, professionalism, self-awareness, and team-orientation will become even more important as differentiators.
What will help Senior Marketing Program Managers increase their earning potential?
Ajay Abraham Ph. D.: Earning a fair salary is important, although what exactly is fair might vary based on individual perceptions. More important, think of a job as offering a combination of financial and other non-monetary benefits such as perks (e.g., work culture, work-life balance, self-fulfillment, good colleagues, networking). Try to optimize your benefits across this multi-dimensional perspective rather than by simply focusing on salary. That stated, some job opportunities have scope for negotiation on salary. First, identify if the job that you are applying for has scope for negotiation, in which case, there’s no harm in negotiating if done ethically, professionally, and reasonably. If the job is not one in which there’s scope for negotiation, don’t worry. Instead, focus on performance and making a case for yourself at the time of annual evaluations and/or salary hikes (which should be done even if there were salary negotiations before joining). Similar suggestions apply if you are thinking of switching roles/organizations.
What general advice would you give to a Senior Marketing Program Manager?
Jennifer D'Angelo Ph.D.: Brands across many product categories are facing an increasing level of competition. Brands may struggle with rising brand parity, where brands and their competitors are seen as similar to one another. Therefore, to stand out from competitors, it has become increasingly important for brands to have marketing managers that create value for consumers and communicate that value to consumers.
What Senior Marketing Program Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jennifer D'Angelo Ph.D.: The ever-changing landscape of consumer trends and technological advancements in how to market to consumers often makes the job exciting and fast-paced. However, with the increased emphasis on results, marketers must be conscious of how to measure and demonstrate the value of their work.
What will help Senior Marketing Program Managers increase their earning potential?
Jennifer D'Angelo Ph.D.: Brands across many product categories are facing an increasing level of competition. Brands may struggle with rising brand parity, where brands and their competitors are seen as similar to one another. Therefore, to stand out from competitors, it has become increasingly important for brands to have marketing managers that create value for consumers and communicate that value to consumers.
Ahmad Asady
Assistant Professor of Management Faculty Scholar, Challey Institute for Global Innovation and GrowthNorth Dakota State University
Marketing
What general advice would you give to a Senior Marketing Program Manager?
Ahmad Asady: The role of a Marketing professional is as rewarding as it is demanding. On one hand, it offers the chance to unleash creativity, see the direct impact of your work, and enjoy a variety of experiences across different projects and industries. On the other hand, it comes with its fair share of challenges, such as the pressure to perform under tight deadlines and budgets, the constant need to stay ahead in a fast-evolving field, and the stress of quantifying the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Despite these challenges, the role remains appealing for those drawn to a career that demands both strategic thinking and creative innovation, underscored by the powerful tool of persuasion to shape consumer behavior and drive business success.
What Senior Marketing Program Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Ahmad Asady: Now is an exciting time to enter the field of marketing. The digital age has transformed how brands connect with consumers, opening up a plethora of channels and tools for innovative engagement strategies. This digital expansion, coupled with the shift towards a more consumer-centric marketing approach, has made the role of a Marketing professional more crucial and impactful than ever. Professionals in this field enjoy the privilege of working at the intersection of creativity and analytics, where they can make significant contributions to a brand's growth and adapt to new challenges and technologies, ensuring a career that is both stable and filled with opportunities for continuous learning.
What will help Senior Marketing Program Managers increase their earning potential?
Ahmad Asady: A Marketing professional's day is a blend of art and science, filled with the pursuit of understanding and engaging the target audience. Their daily activities revolve around creating and managing content that resonates with consumers, conducting market research to stay ahead of trends, analyzing data to refine strategies, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure a unified brand message. Persuasion lies at the heart of their role, as they must continuously convince both internal stakeholders and external audiences of the value and relevance of their brand's offerings.
S.Sinem Atakan
Assistant Professor of MarketingSiena College
Marketing Department
What skills will help Senior Marketing Program Managers earn the most?
S.Sinem Atakan: The most important skills for marketing graduates, especially given the remote working conditions due to the pandemic, are self-motivation, communication, and digital marketing skills. Creativity and analytical skills are always important in marketing, but pandemic has highlighted the importance of being able to work independently and motivate yourself even when external forces are not directly present. Communication skills are crucial to work remotely and be on the same page with your team members. Digital marketing was big but getting even bigger with this breakthrough changes in consumer behavior. Hence, the rising stars of the marketing job market will be graduates who can combine all these skills seamlessly
Soyoung Joo
Assistant Professor of MarketingSiena College
Marketing Department
What skills stand out on Senior Marketing Program Manager resumes?
Soyoung Joo: Communication and time management skills are valuable skills for marketing managers.
What soft skills should all Senior Marketing Program Managers possess?
Soyoung Joo: Creativity and intellectual curiosity (willingness to keep learning) can be added to the above soft skills.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Senior Marketing Program Managers?
Soyoung Joo: Being able to interpret the consumer data and identify the true needs and wants of the consumer is imperative for marketers.
What skills will help Senior Marketing Program Managers earn the most?
Soyoung Joo: Being able to work well with people from diverse backgrounds can be added to the above skills.
Allison Lauenstein
Teaching Instructor of MarketingSiena College
Marketing Department
What hard/technical skills are most important for Senior Marketing Program Managers?
Allison Lauenstein: Project Management and being able to connect the dots around the data and insights are critical. You have to analyze a situation and uncover insights from the customer, the competitors, and the industry.
What skills will help Senior Marketing Program Managers earn the most?
Allison Lauenstein: Leadership and collaboration will go a long way. The best ideas can come from anywhere, and it's not always about who has the best idea but who can execute the idea the best. Good marketers must understand that if you cannot successfully execute or effectively communicate a great idea, it may not be so great.
What skills stand out on Senior Marketing Program Manager resumes?
Allison Lauenstein: Skills that stand out show that the candidate has had some experience leading projects and project teams. Marketing is a collaborative effort, and it is critically important for upcoming managers to understand how to manage and motivate a team to achieve its objectives.
What soft skills should all Senior Marketing Program Managers possess?
Allison Lauenstein: Listening and asking questions are some of the most important skills. As Marketers, you not only have to listen to what people say, but you have to try to understand what they are not saying. How do their actions differ from what they are saying?
Kimberly McNeil Ph.D.
Associate Professor of MarketingNorth Carolina A&T State University
Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management
What skills will help Senior Marketing Program Managers earn the most?
Kimberly McNeil Ph.D.: Critical thinking skills and interpersonal skills layered with staying current are critically important. Having the skills to assess, critically analyze, and offer solutions are essential. Equally important is communicating effectively (in person and virtually) and collaborating with others in various settings and situations. Staying current is understanding the different tools and tactics used in the industry and having a presence on LinkedIn. Having the initiative to stay current and present will have companies seeking you for positions instead of searching for the next career advancement opportunity.
Roland Leak Ph.D.
Associate Professor of MarketingNorth Carolina A&T State University
Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management
What soft skills should all Senior Marketing Program Managers possess?
Roland Leak Ph.D.: By far, the ability to communicate is the most important soft skill. This goes from communicating recommendations to communicating with customers to understand their desires. Also, this communication has to be layered on top of code-switching - speaking in the tone and tenor your audience understands.
What skills will help Senior Marketing Program Managers earn the most?
Roland Leak Ph.D.: The communication thing is vital here as well in a very specific sense. Marketers need to communicate to their bosses how they are strategically vital to an organization. Marketers (any employee really) are an asset, and a company needs to see a positive ROA. Marketers need to be able to communicate how they are enhancing their "personal ROA."
Jennifer Burton Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Marketing, Vice President of the Faculty SenateThe University of Tampa
Marketing Department
What soft skills should all Senior Marketing Program Managers possess?
Jennifer Burton Ph.D.: The soft skills that are most important are the same as in any business profession - communication, teamwork, and leadership. In a job like marketing, communication is probably the number one thing as you are often in charge of communicating to colleagues and large numbers of customers. Creativity is also especially important in marketing because there are a lot of people who have the technical skills, but those that are able to implement them with a flare of creativity will be the most successful.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Senior Marketing Program Managers?
Jennifer Burton Ph.D.: The hard skills required for a successful career as a marketing specialist are those involved with building a marketing plan. A candidate needs to be able to: 1) use marketing segmentation to select the target audience, 2) develop a strong positioning strategy and execute it, 3) establish good objectives that align with business goals, 4) execute strategies regarding products, channels, pricing, and promotion. To do these things, you need to have a good understanding of marketing research and be able to use the results to identify the right business strategies to move the company ahead.
Abhijit Roy
Professor of MarketingUniversity of Scranton
School of Management
What soft skills should all Senior Marketing Program Managers possess?
Abhijit Roy: These are very important, yet harder to quantify skills, not only for marketing professionals but for business graduates in general. They include the ability to make sound decisions under pressure, having a high emotional intelligence quotient (EQ) as embodied by having empathy towards coworkers and subordinates, delegating appropriately, mentoring, communicating, time management, maintaining positivity despite setbacks and adapting to unforeseen challenges, being flexible, being persuasive and assertive at appropriate moments, yet being collaborative, seeking feedback, and the ability to negotiate and resolve conflicts when needed, amongst others.
Soft skills are typically more instrumental in enabling candidates to fit into an organization's culture and be strong candidates for promotion. Most marketing jobs involve candidates representing their brand initiatives and building strong client relationships, so interpersonal, and other soft skills are often valued more than hard skills. The strongest case for having excellent soft skills is that they are more easily transferable across various jobs and industries.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Senior Marketing Program Managers?
Abhijit Roy: The Marketing field has undergone a major paradigmatic shift with the growth of digitization. Hence, hard/technical skills in performing data-driven marketing, social media and data analytics, data visualization, Search Engine Optimization (SEO)/Search Engine Marketing (SEM), content creation and storytelling, and omnichannel communication are critical hard skills that are in great demand today.
What skills stand out on Senior Marketing Program Manager resumes?
Abhijit Roy: In general, companies will look to see whether or not the candidate can overall market the company's products. Given the depth and breadth of marketing jobs, the specific skill requirements will vary. For example, a sales manager position will require individuals with high interpersonal skills, advertising positions will look for individuals with creativity, while marketing research positions will demand strong analytical skills. Overall, most companies today are looking for individuals with strong digital marketing and social media skills.
Job market candidates must look for the job descriptions in the ads and ensure they have relevant matching skills that they can include in their resumes.
What skills will help Senior Marketing Program Managers earn the most?
Abhijit Roy: The above skills are in high demand and also currently pay the most. Still, I strongly recommend that students focus not on skills that will help them earn the most but on the skill sets that each individual possesses and think of how they can best leverage that in the marketplace to have a long sustained, and enjoyable career.
Dr. Richard Conde Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Houston - Downtown
Marilyn Davies College of Business
What skills stand out on Senior Marketing Program Manager resumes?
Dr. Richard Conde Ph.D.: Showcasing the balance between people management and analytical skills. Marketing today relies on a substantial amount of data, which requires marketing managers to possess strong analytical skills. At the same time, leaders have to motivate, inspire, and guide employees. In the last 3-5 years, I have seen a greater emphasis on analytical skills.
What soft skills should all Senior Marketing Program Managers possess?
Dr. Richard Conde Ph.D.: Leaders need to lead. A leader who is curious, vulnerable, transparent, and inclusive generally has better success. The challenge is to teach leaders to be authentically curious. That is a big challenge in leadership.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Senior Marketing Program Managers?
Dr. Richard Conde Ph.D.: First, understand A/B experiments. Marketers are consistently comparing different campaigns, and the ability to create thoughtful experiments is critical.
Second, go beyond averages and percentages and learn linear and logistic regression and more advanced analytical tools. The exposure to more complex analytics allows for more thoughtful outcomes and interpretation.
Third, be exposed to a programming language like R or Python. Not that you are going to code, but it allows you to speak the language of data.
What skills will help Senior Marketing Program Managers earn the most?
Dr. Richard Conde Ph.D.: It's a combination of skills, plus the patience to build those skills. Great people and leadership skills always seem to trump most other variables. I would encourage individuals to invest in their leadership skills and consider partnering with a leadership coach.
Dr. Richard Conde Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Houston - Downtown
Marilyn Davies College of Business
What soft skills should all Senior Marketing Program Managers possess?
Dr. Richard Conde Ph.D.: The need for soft skills are consistent through time. With our societal focus on social media, texting, emojis, etc. It appears to me companies are looking for the following:
- Active listening skills
- Willingness to be self-reflective and accept feedback
- Accept different perspectives. The collision of ideas creates knowledge
- Communicate to the listener (at their level). Flex communicators
- Cultural intelligence. Demographics changes will require better understanding of team member's, boss', customer's, etc. cultural context
Dr. Sooho Lee
Director, Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program, Professor of Public Administration and PolicyUniversity of West Georgia
Department of Civic Engagement & Public Service
What skills stand out on Senior Marketing Program Manager resumes?
Dr. Sooho Lee: The most important skills should be analytical, communication, strategic planning, and leadership skills.
What skills will help Senior Marketing Program Managers earn the most?
Dr. Sooho Lee: It depends on the nature of the job. Generally speaking, analytical competence, communication, strategic planning, and leadership skills will greatly help one earn more.
J. Ian Norris Ph.D.
Professor of Marketing and Fellow, American Council on EducationBerea College
Economics and Business Department
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Senior Marketing Program Managers?
J. Ian Norris Ph.D.: Digital marketing skills are essential for any area of marketing. Luckily there are many online certifications available for this purpose. On the research side, Google Analytics offers a certification. It will also be valuable to know the analytics platforms on social media sites such as facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Conversely, all of these sites also offer training on digital advertising and promotion, such as Google AdWords. Any coursework in digital marketing that provides instruction in Search Engine Marketing (SEM) will also be highly valuable. Finally, digital video and editing skills are also quite valuable, as all kinds of companies and organizations are using the short video format for storytelling and brand advertising.
What will help Senior Marketing Program Managers increase their earning potential?
Kristen Roberson: Beyond internships paid or unpaid, my recommendation is that recent marketing students need to spend time obtaining digital certifications that universities usually don't provide. Being able to put these on a resume could be the reason they get that Zoom interview over a similar degree student.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Senior Marketing Program Manager job market given the pandemic?
Jodi Smolen: Given the pandemic, new employees must be very proactive. They may be working from home--so they need to speak up, ask for advice and make sure they are delivering what is needed. They are missing out on those chance meetings in the hallway--so they may have to schedule Zoom sessions with peers or supervisors to touch base more often.
Students in marketing need to be savvy with social media. They need to be comfortable posting and following on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. Companies are looking for ways to meet their clients in comfortable spaces.
Given the pandemic, I think job trends are subject to change. Companies are still figuring out when/if they will be able to return to the office. Some firms are fully in-person while others are rotating staff in and out of the office, so they are not at full capacity. As business picks up for companies, I see they will be able and willing to hire more employees to handle the influx. At Touro College, our students receive a superior education. As marketing students, they should compile a portfolio of class projects as they move through their classes and add anything they create on their own time as well.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Senior Marketing Program Managers?
Angela Sebby Ph.D.: While jobs may be slower to return to the capacity pre-Covid, the industry and tourism employment will rebound as people still want to travel and explore diverse foods, cultures, and experiences. However, the enduring impact will be the rapid onset of technology that allowed for limited contact with employees and others has become the new norm. Although human interaction is an important aspect of service in the tourism industry, employers have found that they can reduce the number of personal interactions but still deliver an acceptable level of quality service. What would have taken years to adopt, COVID created an amplified adoption.
What technical skills for a Senior Marketing Program Manager stand out to employers?
Angela Sebby Ph.D.: Business, creative, and organizational skills - I would recommend that upcoming graduates are proficient in Word, Excel (highly used), Powerpoint, Outlook (especially how to send meeting requests and calendar organization), TEAMS, Gantt charts for team management, Mindmapping for creativity, and design software. Additionally, I would recommend that they learn how to properly utilize social media for marketing and PR, not just personal posting. Finally, email etiquette would be essential.
What soft skills should all Senior Marketing Program Managers possess?
TeWhan Hahn Ph.D.: Writing skills including email writing, being able to work in teams, and knowing the workplace etiquettes.