Marketing Careers: Job Options, Job Titles, and Descriptions

This illustration shows marketing job titles including "Market Research Analyst," "Advertising Director," "Brand Strategist," "SEO Manager," and "Public Relations Coordinator."

 Evan Polenghi / The Balance

Are you interested in a marketing career? In a marketing job, you will help your employer create and publicize an image, sell products, and promote their brand across platforms.

If a company is engaged in selling a product or service, they need marketing support. As a result, there are marketing roles in nearly every industry, including professional and technical services, finance, manufacturing, and wholesale trade.

In addition to selling products, marketers can help to devise promotional and branding strategies, optimize corporate communications, nurture client relationships, and manage products or brands.

Companies of all sizes require marketing support, and so there are many different job opportunities for people with an interest in marketing.

Marketing Career Options

As new platforms spring into existence, companies gain additional opportunities for promotion—and thus, more need for marketers’ help. Therefore, it's not surprising that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts faster-than-average growth in the field, with the number of employment opportunities anticipated to increase 6% by 2029.

The marketing profession can be lucrative, as well. In 2019, the most recent year for which data is available, the median pay for advertising, promotions, and marketing managers was $135,900 per year.

Types of Marketing Strategies

The internet has changed the ways in which companies market themselves and brand their offerings. Marketing strategies include:

Inbound Marketing

Also known as “permission marketing” or “content marketing,” inbound marketing is the newest marketing strategy that has arisen with the growth of the internet and social media. Inbound marketing attracts customers by creating awareness, raising interest, and generating demand using blog posts, newsletters, and social media content and engagement.

To be effective, this approach requires extensive research by market analysts to define target audiences and their interests and needs. Inbound marketers then use social media platforms and SEO/SEM to disseminate their brand messages and to educate prospects about their offerings.

Outbound Marketing

The traditional marketing approach used before the rise of the internet, outbound marketing is when companies initiate contact with prospects through paid advertising (as opposed to inbound social media marketing, where the goal is to attract customers to them). Tools of this sort of marketing include television, newspaper and radio advertising, cold calling, billboards, and internet advertising including banner, display, and pop-up ads.

While specific aspects of marketing may have shifted, many of the core principles and skills remain the same. If you are applying for a marketing position, take some time to review this marketing skills list so you can emphasize the ones you have in your cover letter and resume.

You can also review digital marketing skills and social media skills. If you have strong writing and communications talents, career possibilities in the marketing field are abundant—all you have to do is look for the type of marketing work that is the best fit for you.

Types of Marketing Jobs

See below for a list of marketing job titles for a variety of different positions in marketing, advertising, and public relations, including content marketing, account and brand management, communications, digital marketing, and more.

As in many fields, job titles can differ from company to company, even as responsibilities remain similar.

And of course, many marketing skills will be applicable and helpful for very different roles in the marketing world.

Marketing Job Titles

Just a decade ago, many now-common job titles and roles such as SEO manager or social media manager did not exist. Thanks to the internet's explosion of platforms (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, etc.), there are now many more places for companies to market their products.

Advertising / Promotions Job Titles

Advertising and promotions are typically the most expensive element of a comprehensive marketing strategy, requiring the combined creative skills of graphic designers, writers, art directors, and media specialists.

  • Advertising Director
  • Account Coordinator
  • Account Executive
  • Advertising Manager
  • Art Director
  • Copywriter
  • Creative Assistant
  • Creative Director
  • Marketing Promotions Specialist
  • Media Buyer
  • Media Assistant
  • Media Planning Assistant
  • Media Director
  • Media Planner
  • Media Researcher
  • Project Manager
  • Junior Project Director
  • Promotions Director
  • Promotions Assistant
  • Promotions Coordinator
  • Promotions Manager
  • Creative Marketing Assistant
  • Advertising Intern
  • Advertising Coordinator
  • Advertising Assistant
  • Marketing Assistant
  • Assistant Media Buyer
  • Traffic Manager
  • Advertising Sales Representatives
  • Junior Copywriter
  • Senior Copywriter
  • Copywriter Intern
  • Creative Advertising Intern
  • Digital Advertising Intern
  • Assistant Account Executive
  • Graphic Designer
  • Junior Graphic Designer
  • Marketing and Promotions Manager

Brand Marketing Job Titles

Brand marketing is an essential part of creating an immediately recognizable market identity for companies and the products or services they sell.

  • Assistant Brand Manager
  • Assistant Product Manager
  • Associate Brand Manager
  • Brand Assistant
  • Brand Manager
  • Brand Strategist
  • Senior Product Manager
  • Product Manager
  • Product Marketing Manager
  • Senior Brand Manager
  • Brand Marketing Specialist
  • Brand Marketing Representative
  • Brand Marketing Manager
  • Assistant Brand Marketing Manager
  • Brand Marketing Associate
  • Junior Brand Manager
  • Brand Activation Manager
  • Brand Marketing Intern
  • Marketing Assistant
  • Brand Marketing Associate

Content Marketing Job Titles

Content marketing requires a wide range of team members who specialize in the different areas of digital content strategy, development, execution, and integration.

  • Content Marketing Manager
  • Content Writer
  • Digital Brand Manager
  • Digital Marketing Manager
  • Director of Digital Marketing
  • Internet Marketing Coordinator
  • Internet Marketing Director
  • Internet Marketing Specialist
  • SEO Manager
  • Social Media Marketing Analyst
  • Social Media Marketing Coordinator
  • Social Media Marketing Manager
  • Content Marketing Specialist
  • Marketing Content Writer
  • Social Media Marketing Intern
  • Web Content Marketing Specialist
  • Online Marketing Assistant
  • Content Marketing Coordinator
  • Marketing Assistant
  • Digital Content Specialist
  • Content Marketing Producer
  • Marketing Content Assistant
  • Content Marketing Intern

Direct Marketing Job Titles

Direct marketing is when companies approach individual customers “in person.” They do this through telemarketing, by sending physical market materials (such sales catalogs or coupons or flyers) to their homes, or by sending them targeted emails.

  • Marketing and Promotions Manager
  • Marketing Promotions Specialist
  • Marketing Specialist
  • Marketing Assistant
  • Marketing Associate
  • Direct Marketing Manager
  • Analyst Performance Marketing
  • Database Marketing Analyst
  • Direct Marketing Specialist
  • Direct Marketing Representative
  • Direct Marketing Intern
  • Direct Mail Coordinator
  • Digital Marketing Specialist
  • Direct Marketing Coordinator
  • Digital Marketing Associate
  • Direct Marketing Analyst
  • Assistant Director, Direct Marketing
  • Operations Assistant

E-Commerce Marketing Job Titles

E-commerce marketing seeks to draw the attention of internet users to the brands and products offered by online stores through pay-per-click advertising (PPC), search engine marketing (SEM), search engine optimization (SEO), display advertising, affiliate marketing, and email marketing.

  • E-Commerce Marketing Director
  • E-Commerce Marketing Manager
  • E-Commerce Marketing Specialist
  • E-Commerce Content Specialist
  • E-Commerce Editor
  • E-Commerce Associate
  • E-Commerce Coordinator
  • E-Commerce Fulfillment Specialist
  • E-Commerce Marketing Analyst
  • E-Commerce Analyst
  • E-Commerce Assistant
  • E-Commerce Merchandising Specialist
  • E-Commerce Production Assistant
  • E-Commerce Merchandising Coordinator
  • Email Marketer
  • Online Product Manager

Market Research Job Titles

Market research is essential to the development of all marketing strategies; these jobs require strong analytical, needs assessment, and problem-solving skills.

  • Market Research Analyst
  • Market Research Assistant
  • Marketing Analyst
  • Marketing Data Analyst
  • Marketing Research Intern
  • Marketing Research Associate
  • Marketing Research Lead
  • Marketing Assistant
  • Associate Project Manager/Market Research
  • Marketing Research Specialist
  • Marketing Manager, Research Intelligence
  • Qualitative Research Assistant
  • Research Assistant
  • Marketing Research Analyst
  • Digital Marketing Analyst
  • Insights Analyst
  • Search Engine Marketing Analyst
  • Analyst, Product Research
  • Market Research Interviewer

Public Relations / Corporate Communications Job Titles

Corporate communications and public relations departments utilize traditional and online marketing tools not to sell a product, but rather to enhance their company’s visibility and influence upon the public, investors, employees, business affiliates, and the media.

  • Vice President for Marketing
  • Marketing Director
  • Assistant Marketing Director
  • Associate Marketing Director
  • Marketing Manager
  • Business Development Representative
  • Communications Assistant
  • Corporate Communications Specialist
  • Corporate Communications Coordinator
  • Marketing Communications Coordinator
  • Marketing Communications Director
  • Marketing Communications Manager
  • Marketing Communications Specialist
  • Marketing Consultant
  • Corporate Communications Assistant
  • Marketing Coordinator
  • Media Relations Coordinator
  • Media Relations Director
  • Media Relations Associate
  • Outside Sales Representative
  • Public Relations Assistant
  • Public Relations Coordinator
  • Public Relations Director
  • Public Relations Manager
  • Public Relations Representative
  • Public Relations Specialist
  • Publicity Assistant
  • Publicity Director
  • Publicity Manager
  • Public Relations Intern
  • Corporate Communications Intern

Sales Job Titles

Despite the growth of content and e-commerce marketing, there is still a large demand for talented sales representatives who can engage clients in person, either face-to-face or through telephone and internet customer service technologies.

  • Account Coordinator
  • Account Executive
  • Assistant Account Executive
  • Business Development Analyst
  • Business Development Associate
  • Business Development Representative
  • Business Development Director
  • Inside Sales Representative
  • Marketing Associate
  • Outside Sales Representative
  • Regional Account Manager
  • Regional Sales Manager
  • Relationship Manager
  • Retail Sales Representative
  • Sales Assistant
  • Sales Associate
  • Sales Consultant
  • Sales Director
  • Sales Engineer
  • Senior Sales Representative
  • Sales Representative
  • Territory Manager