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What is a vice president of marketing & communications and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Tobias Sellier,
Jody McBrien

The Vice President of marketing and communications of a company's main function is providing strategic marketing, communications, and media outreach techniques to improve the company's image and increase profit. The vice president of marketing and communications is tasked with directing the activities of junior staff, overseeing all aspects of public and community relations, and planning campaigns and advertisements. Beyond all these, you are also to prepare and review budgets, conduct market research, monitor trends to help improve sales and ensure targets are met. You will also need to track competitor's activities and assist with the hiring and training of new staff.

A bachelor's degree in marketing, business administration, or a similar field is required to get this job. However, a master's degree is highly preferred by some employers and companies. Notwithstanding, you must also have the willingness to work long hours and must showcase strong leadership and observational skills. Vice presidents of marketing and communications earn on average $148,989 annually or $71.63 per hour.

What general advice would you give to a vice president of marketing & communications?

Tobias SellierTobias Sellier LinkedIn profile

Senior Director, American Public Power Association

There are exciting opportunities to work for community-owned, not-for-profit, hometown public power. From engineers and customer service representatives to lineworkers and administrative professionals, there are many opportunities. And utility employees, being essential workers, even during these challenging times, there are still many jobs that will need to be filled.
ScoreVice President Of Marketing & CommunicationsUS Average
Salary
9.1

Avg. Salary $156,841

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 47.04%

male 52.96%

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

Vice president of marketing & communications career paths

Key steps to become a vice president of marketing & communications

  1. Explore vice president of marketing & communications education requirements

    Most common vice president of marketing & communications degrees

    Bachelor's

    79.8 %

    Master's

    15.7 %

    Associate

    2.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific vice president of marketing & communications skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Digital Marketing9.20%
    Communications Strategy9.06%
    Marketing Campaigns5.02%
    Integrated Marketing4.02%
    Market Research3.91%
  3. Complete relevant vice president of marketing & communications training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New vice presidents of marketing & communications 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 vice president of marketing & communications based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real vice president of marketing & communications resumes.
  4. Research vice president of marketing & communications duties and responsibilities

    • Manage social media components including the SportSims' blog and Facebook page.
    • Manage all internal company-wide communications, including company intranet, quarterly all- company meetings broadcast to all locations and executive communications.
    • Identify and develop high ROI programs with media, marketing partners and external properties that drive partner and consumer engagement.
    • Utilize salesforce for lead generation and financial accuracy.
  5. Get vice president of marketing & communications experience

    Generally, it takes 8-10 years to become a vice president of marketing & communications. The most common roles before becoming a vice president of marketing & communications include marketing director, vice president team lead and director of communications and marketing.
  6. Prepare your vice president of marketing & communications resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your vice president of marketing & communications 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 vice president of marketing & communications resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable vice president of marketing & communications resume templates

    Build a professional vice president of marketing & communications 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 vice president of marketing & communications resume.
    Vice President Of Marketing & Communications Resume
    Vice President Of Marketing & Communications Resume
    Vice President Of Marketing & Communications Resume
    Vice President Of Marketing & Communications Resume
    Vice President Of Marketing & Communications Resume
    Vice President Of Marketing & Communications Resume
    Vice President Of Marketing & Communications Resume
    Vice President Of Marketing & Communications Resume
    Vice President Of Marketing & Communications Resume
  7. Apply for vice president of marketing & communications jobs

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

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

How did you land your first vice president of marketing & communications job

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Average vice president of marketing & communications salary

The average vice president of marketing & communications salary in the United States is $156,841 per year or $75 per hour. Vice president of marketing & communications salaries range between $102,000 and $240,000 per year.

Average vice president of marketing & communications salary
$156,841 Yearly
$75.40 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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