Content Marketing Manager Salary: How Much Could You Be Paid In 2023?

Time to seek out the job opening of your dreams. And what better role to step into than a content marketing manager? It sounds like a high-earning profession with a lot of responsibility, doesn’t it? 

Many of us need an occupation with a decent salary to combat the harsh new financial reality we live in. Don’t worry; we don’t think you are a money-grubbing Scrooge McDuck. We get it; times are hard. 

Disney's Scrooge McDuck dressed fancily knee deep in coins and bags of money, literally swimming in his own wealth.

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So, is a content marketing manager job a financially viable career? Or is there a similar job much more lucrative? Well, it isn’t a straightforward answer. As it turns out, content marketing management jobs salaries are incredibly fluctuant. 

Come with us as we look at the factors affecting these content marketing manager salary ranges. Including one factor that you won’t find talked about in many other places, the company itself.

Key takeaways

  • A content marketing manager is responsible for the content marketing strategy and has many diverse tasks.
  • Education can affect a salary but is not the be-all and end-all.
  • Experience is what truly matters. The more experience you have in the field, the more your salary will grow.
  • Skills such as; strong attention to detail, being a people person, and problem-solving ability can influence salary. A decent salary will follow if you have the right skills for the job.
  • If you are employed by a smaller business, expect a smaller salary. However, if you are fortunate enough to work for a mega-business in a marketing hotspot, then watch your salary rise. As of now, the wage gap due to employer size is currently at 35%.

What does a content marketing manager do?

In the marketing world, you will hear many similar-sounding roles, but there are some key differences. 

Job title Role
Content marketing manager Manages the entire content marketing strategy and implementation.
Content operations manager Manages the daily operations of a content team.
Digital marketing manager Focusing solely on the online marketing strategy. 
Project manager  A project manager is in charge of the execution of a specific project in a business. 

So, what does the role of a content marketing manager entail? Well, let’s look at what content marketing is, for starters. 

Content marketing is the process of creating interest in a brand or product. Simple, right? This is usually done by using engaging online content. Online content ranges from social media posts to email marketing. Whether you are a content manager of a financial service or an eCommerce brand, brand awareness is your primary goal. 

A content marketing manager’s job description includes many varied tasks. They are essentially the juggling act of the marketing world.

An infographic highlighting some of the tasks of a content marketing strategist. For instance, identifying KPIS, coming up with a marketing strategy, manage their team and reach a target audience with fantastic content.

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 These tasks center around four areas:

  1. Content creation: A content marketing manager will need to be involved in the creation of content. These tasks can vary from writing and editing SEO-rich content to establishing style guides. In fact, most of a marketing manager’s day is centered around content from creation to publication. 
  2. Content strategist: They also must create a successful marketing strategy. This will include campaign goals, budget, types of content, delivery channels, and timeframe. This should be influenced by the brand, KPIs, and target audience to be the most effective. 
  3. Team management: This individual is in charge of a marketing team of content writers and other employees. Whether you are the head of a large or small team, a manager must deliver a clear message of their content marketing strategy and ensure it is followed. Daily tasks include providing feedback, motivating the team, mentoring employees, and assigning content. 
  4. Monitor progress: Another aspect of the role is to monitor the success of the current content strategy. This is done by analyzing a few central metrics, which include website traffic, conversion rates, backlinks,  SEO ranking, and social media reach. It is also essential to have a set of clear KPIs to measure your success to ensure you are hitting targets. 

The four key factors that influence salary 

What is the most common content marketing manager salary? Trust us on this; that is the wrong question to ask. But here is the answer, $76,106 per annum. This is per Glassdoor, which has found the national average of the most recent content marketing manager salaries. 

Why were we so hesitant to give you this average of yearly salaries? Take a look at the infographic below. The ‘most likely range’ comprises wages within the 25th and 75th percentile. However,  the ‘possible range’ is vast, ranging from $47k to $123k. But why?

This image shows that the average wage for a content marketing manager is $76,106. However, the range varies from $47k to $123k.

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In almost every job description for a content marketing manager, the salary has a ‘-’ between two figures. This indicates a potentially fluctuant wage available depending on a few key factors.

An example of a content marketing manager job listing with a hyphen in between pay grades. This shows how much variation there can be in wages.

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As it turns out, four key factors affect content marketing manager salaries:

  1. Education
  2. Experience
  3. Skills
  4. The company 

An infographic showing 'the ideal content marketing manager' which has three essential attributes: experience, skills, and education.

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Education

Do you have the relevant qualifications for the role? If yes, you are on your way to the big bucks. 

Some pertinent subjects that are good to have qualifications in include:

  • Marketing
  • Business
  • Creative writing
  • Data analytics
  • People management 

No, a degree is not the be-all and end-all.  In fact, 50% of US businesses state that they would happily consider candidates with the right skills or desire to learn them.

But having a relevant qualification is beneficial. It is estimated that 57% of employers look for degrees when recruiting. A degree means less training, management, and resources are needed to be invested in you to get you up to scratch. It also acts as a soft guarantee that you can deliver the goods. 

A chart showing earnings in relation to educational attainment. An individual with a high school diploma will earn about $809 a week whilst a bachelor's degree will earn $1,334.

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As it turns out, individuals with a degree in the UK are expected to earn an extra 100-130k in their lifetime. So, a relevant degree can drastically influence your wage. But don’t expect to earn higher-end salaries straight away because experience is key. 

Experience

One of the key influencers on salary is how many years of experience a potential employee has in the field.

Harold Geneen, the deceased President of the ITT Corporation, stated:

“In the business world, everyone is paid in two coins: cash and experience. Take the experience first; the cash will come later.”

This rings true in the marketing world. A senior marketing candidate with years of experience can expect to haul in a hefty wage. But a fresh graduate with limited real-world experience will earn considerably less. An entry-level role will start at about 25k, while a more senior role could reach up to 40k. 

A graph showing the rise in salary with years of experience. A marketing manager with less than one year of experience can expect to be on £25k but a more experienced manager can expect about £40k.

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But, what if you have no experience whatsoever? Do not fret; there are plenty of ways to gain experience. 

  • Become a freelancer or try a related job to gain experience
  • Take a course and achieve a form of certification
  • Look at going through higher education
  • Train yourself in SEO
  • Build and manage your own website

With this said, if you have limited knowledge of content marketing, then expect to, receive the lower end of the pay scale. But the more experience you obtain, this figure will only climb.

Skills

So, you have the degree and the experience but do you have the skills required to be a successful manager? After all, a degree does not equal skill. 

In fact, 51% of Gen-Z believe that a CEO in 2050 will not need a degree. And 69% believe that the use of soft skills will be the leading way to reach the top jobs. 

To be honest, they might already be correct. Some of the most significant business owners the world has ever seen do not have a degree. Here are a few of them:

  • Mark Zuckerberg – Meta
  • Michael Dell – Dell
  • Steve Jobs – Apple
  • Larry Ellison – Oracle Corporation
  • Walt Disney – Disney
  • Richard Branson – Virgin group
  • Bill Gates – Microsoft

But what they did have was a lot of valuable skills that translated to success. 

The top common skills of a content marketing specialist include: communication, writing, sales, presentation, management and many more.

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Some essential skills for a content marketing manager are

  • Communication expertise
  • Writing prowess 
  • Creative mentality
  • Strong proofreading
  • Social media savvy
  • Being a people person
  • Knowledge of marketing software
  • Apt at problem-solving

It would appear that the skills of a potential employee are incredibly important in how successful they can be and therefore, how much they earn. So, don’t underestimate your charming charisma or problem-solving ability; it could earn you a considerable wage. 

The company 

It may not be as obvious, but the company itself can be a massive factor in the expected salary. 

A new face on the startup scene or a lesser-known brand may not be able to offer an employee an enormous starting wage. For instance, Babbel, a well-known language business, recently provided a salary between $85,000-105,000 per annum. While a much smaller company like Sky from Florida offers much less at  $37,000-47,000. 

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What is more, the location of a business can drastically shift the wage of a content marketing manager. 

Locations that offer above-average base salaries are New York, Los Angeles, and Seattle. While in places like Salt Lake City and Portland, the salary of a content marketing specialist is 8-19% less than the national average.

Location Percentage above/below national average salary
San Francisco +43%
Chicago +8%
Washington, DC +30%
Portland -8%
Seattle  +13%
Salt Lake City -19%
San Francisco +44%

While these previously discussed factors are about you, this one is not. It would seem like the business itself can make a massive difference to a content marketing manager’s salary. But the ball is still in your court as you can choose who to work for. 

Conclusion

The title of content marketing manager sure sounds fancy and lucrative. But, is it? Well, we have established that the answer is not quite so straightforward. There are a fair few factors that influence the salary, from education to experience that make the average content marketing manager salary somewhat redundant. 

So, is the role of a content marketing manager worth it in the harsh financial landscape? Yes, it is. Regardless of where you start, the pay is undeniably good. What is more, there is room to grow. The more experience you gain and the more you demonstrate your skills, the more likely your salary will rise. 

With this in mind, it is time to stretch your fledgling marketing manager wings and apply for your new, lucrative dream job

Rachel Green, from the iconic Friends show, excitedly exclaiming 'I'm gonna go get one of those job things!'

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How would you define the role of a content marketing manager? Do you think skills are more important than education? What is the minimum salary you would expect for a content marketing manager role?