Few fields are as dynamic, fast-paced, and challenging as marketing. Professionals in the field are directly responsible for driving revenue, increasing market share, and generating business from new and existing customers. Marketers with the skills to execute on these objectives find opportunities to move into management and beyond. These are the skills that students acquire in the online Master of Business Administration (MBA) with Marketing Concentration program from the Emporia State University (ESU) — one of fewer than 6% of schools worldwide to receive AACSB accreditation.
ESU’s advanced program provides the training and tools necessary for marketing professionals to enter positions of higher authority and greater financial compensation. The online format is ideally suited to working professionals, enabling them to overcome the obstacles that have traditionally held back talented marketers from advancing their careers.
Opportunities As You Advance Into Marketing Management
Competition across many industries drives demand for marketers who can identify and analyze patterns and trends and strategize accordingly. These professionals have specialized training and sophisticated skill sets. Qualified personnel are in high demand in areas including market research, competitive positioning, product and brand management, advertising, public relations, consumer behavior, data analysis, and creative team management.
Employment and earnings prospects in marketing management are excellent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). BLS projects that employment of advertising, promotions, and marketing managers will grow 6% from 2022 to 2032 — faster than the average for all occupations. BLS reports that the median pay for this broad category was $138,730 per year in 2022.
Here are some of the management-level positions to consider if you are contemplating enrolling in a specialized MBA in marketing, along with salary data:
- Marketing managers oversee marketing activities and programs and develop marketing plans to meet business objectives. These professionals monitor the marketing environment and coordinate market research projects. According to BLS, the median annual salary for marketing managers in 2022 was $140,040.
- Brand managers analyze brand performance, brand competitiveness, and product trends in the marketplace and develop strategies for assigned brands based on research and analysis. ZipRecruiter reports that brand managers earn an average salary of $85,024 as of October 2023.
- Product managers focus on using market trend analysis to inform the design and release strategies for new products. They are often responsible for overseeing product strategy from the point of research and design through release and ongoing marketing campaigns. According to ZipRecruiter, product managers made an average salary of $153,698 as of October 2023.
- Advertising managers oversee the design and implementation of advertising campaigns to generate interest in a product or service. Promotions managers also oversee advertising activities, but they combine advertising strategies with purchasing incentives and brand loyalty programs to target audiences via various channels. BLS reports that advertising and promotions managers made a median annual salary of $127,830 in 2022.
Why Choose the Online Option?
Marketing professionals typically work 40 or more hours a week, leaving little time for professional development, let alone earning an MBA. If your work hours and responsibilities leave you hard-pressed for time, you do not have to postpone your educational and career ambitions. Neither your employer nor you benefit from a system in which professionals defer training for career advancement.
Accelerated online MBA programs offer advantages in both time and convenience — made possible by technology and outstanding faculty. Consider just a few of the advantages of choosing to earn your MBA online:
- Diverse learning resources: You may learn more efficiently through a variety of multimedia or when interacting with other students and contributing to a pool of learning resources. Today’s best online programs offer options for optimizing course content for your learning style.
- Accessibility: If you live in a remote area, are physically disabled, or have young children, online programs offer opportunities that were not available just a few years ago. Now, a marketing analyst in Dallas can earn an MBA in marketing from ESU in Kansas.
- Flexibility: You no longer must put your career on hold to earn your MBA. Study on your lunch break or at home after the kids go to bed. Online programs allow you to balance professional, educational, and personal obligations.
- Affordability: Because online programs do not require the overhead of expensive buildings and can attract students located anywhere, this model can often reduce the cost of tuition. But tuition is only the beginning; you will also save on commuting expenses and more. Plus, you can still work and make a salary while earning your degree, as opposed to quitting work and losing income while attending an on-campus program.
In the day-to-day rigor of balancing your career with personal obligations, it can be too easy to defer your academic and professional aspirations. Quality institutions like ESU understand this predicament and have online solutions that can work for you and your career.
Learn more about ESU’s online MBA with Marketing Concentration program.
