Marketing
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Types of Degrees Marketing Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many marketing graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Master’s Degree | 2,939 |
Graduate Certificate | 338 |
Doctor’s Degree | 31 |
What Marketing Majors Need to Know
In an O*NET survey, marketing majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.
Knowledge Areas for Marketing Majors
According to O*NET survey takers, a major in marketing should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
- Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Skills for Marketing Majors
When studying marketing, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Abilities for Marketing Majors
Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a marketing student include the following:

- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
What Can You Do With a Marketing Major?
Below is a list of occupations associated with marketing:
Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Advertising and Promotions Managers | 5.4% | $117,130 |
Business Professors | 18.0% | $83,960 |
Green Marketers | 5.4% | $117,130 |
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 23.2% | $63,120 |
Marketing Managers | 10.1% | $134,290 |
Sales Managers | 7.5% | $124,220 |
Survey Researchers | 2.1% | $57,700 |
Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Marketing?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of marketing majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 112 |
Black or African American | 238 |
Hispanic or Latino | 383 |
White | 982 |
International Students | 990 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 234 |
Geographic Diversity
Students from other countries are interested in Marketing, too. About 33.7% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:
- China
- South Korea
- Saudi Arabia
- India
- Taiwan
How Much Do Marketing Majors Make?
Master’s Degree Starting Salary
The median starting salary of students who graduated in 2015-2017 with a master’s degree in marketing was $45,500 per year. These stats come from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $45,500 (25th percentile) and $59,000 (75th percentile).

It’s important to note that just because the people reporting these salaries have a degree in marketing, it does not mean that they are working in a job related to their degree.
Salaries According to BLS
Average salaries range from $70,960 to $140,320 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to marketing. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.
To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Marketing
Some careers associated with marketing require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.
How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to marketing have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
Less than a High School Diploma | 1.0% |
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 2.4% |
Some College Courses | 2.4% |
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 3.7% |
Bachelor’s Degree | 38.5% |
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. | 2.3% |
Master’s Degree | 17.2% |
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. | 0.7% |
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. | 2.4% |
Doctoral Degree | 16.2% |
Post-Doctoral Training | 0.6% |
Online Marketing Programs
In the 2018-2019 academic year, 1,137 schools offered some type of marketing program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
---|---|---|
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 163 | 46 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 112 | 31 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 2 | 0 |
Associate’s Degree | 266 | 98 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 58 | 25 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 163 | 46 |
Master’s Degree | 169 | 50 |
Post-Master’s | 17 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 17 | 1 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
Is a Degree in Marketing Worth It?
The median salary for a marketing grad is $103,330 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 159% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,268,600 after 20 years!

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Majors Related to Marketing
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to marketing.
Major | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Business Administration & Management | 135,757 |
Accounting | 21,904 |
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods | 14,136 |
Human Resource Management | 10,770 |
General Business/Commerce | 10,236 |
Finance & Financial Management | 6,277 |
Management Information Systems | 3,158 |
International Business | 2,417 |
Entrepreneurial Studies | 1,778 |
Taxation | 1,611 |
Other Business, Management & Marketing | 1,240 |
Real Estate | 1,186 |
Hospitality Management | 1,072 |
General Sales & Marketing | 637 |
Construction Management | 507 |
Business/Managerial Economics | 267 |
Specialized Sales, Merchandising & Marketing | 221 |
Insurance | 173 |
Business/Corporate Communications | 80 |
Telecommunications Management | 38 |
Business Support & Assistant Services | 0 |
References
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
- Image Credit: By Nick Youngson under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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