What is a marketing lead and how to become one

Q: How long does it take to become a marketing manager?

It takes 6-8 years to become a marketing manager of a decent-sized company, combining education and work experience. The title marketing manager typically refers to higher-level management and will take several years of work experience to be considered an ideal candidate.

Q: How much does a marketing lead make?

A marketing lead makes about $75,000 a year, on average. This encompasses a wide range of salary levels, with new marketing leads making around $70,000 a year and experienced marketing leads making around $90,000 in a year.

Q: What are five careers in marketing?

Five careers in marketing that are in high demand are market research analysts, marketing directors, marketing managers, business development managers, and public relations specialists. All five of these marketing careers have significant room for career growth, the potential for high salaries, and are in demand.

Q: What is a digital marketing lead?

Digital marketing leads are the individuals who are in charge of all events and contact platforms used to promote a company's digital brand or merchandise. They plan digital publicity campaigns and oversee the creation of digital promotional materials.

Q: What is the difference between a marketing lead and a marketing manager?

The difference between a marketing lead and a marketing manager is their level in the company and their focus. Marketing managers are focused on developing the marketing strategy for the entire company, while marketing leads implement the strategy and typically focus on one or multiple marketing campaigns.

Q: What qualifications do you need for marketing?

The qualifications you need for marketing are the right combination of educational background and real work experience. Although most employers require a bachelor's degree, marketing specialists must possess an associate degree in marketing or related disciplines.

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted Experts

Ella Andreasen,

Richard Tate

A marketing lead generates and manages leads for a business. They work with the sales team to identify potential customers and develop strategies to convert them into paying clients. Marketing leads create and execute marketing campaigns, analyze market trends, and track customer behavior. They also collaborate with product development and customer service departments to ensure the company's offerings meet the needs of its target audience. Overall, a marketing lead drives revenue growth and builds brand awareness.

What general advice would you give to a Marketing Lead?

Ella Andreasen

Marketing Coordinator, Hiniker

Marketing is a dream job for me, and I'm thrilled with my decision. I recommend tailoring your classes to what you view you may need, not just taking standard, required courses. For example, I was not required to take Graphic Design, but I thought it would help me be more well-rounded, and it has helped me quite a bit. I'd also recommend trying out different internships, with companies of various sizes, to gauge if you enjoy being a big part of a little company or a small part of a big company.

ScoreMarketing LeadUS Average

Salary

7.7

Avg. Salary $104,664

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 49.21%

male 50.79%

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

What are the pros and cons of being a Marketing Lead?

Pros

Potential for high salary and bonuses
Opportunities for growth and advancement
Possibility for flexible work hours and remote work options
Chance to attend industry events and conferences
Potential for job satisfaction from seeing successful campaigns

Cons

High levels of stress and pressure to meet deadlines
Possibility of long work hours, including evenings and weekends
Responsibility for managing budgets and ensuring ROI on campaigns
Risk of burnout from constant demand for results
Possibility of working in a highly competitive industry with high turnover rates

Key steps to become a marketing lead

Explore marketing lead education requirements

Most common marketing lead degrees

Bachelor's

72.3 %

Master's

14.3 %

Associate

7.2 %

Start to develop specific marketing lead skills

Skills	Percentages
Digital Marketing	14.61%
Marketing Campaigns	5.28%
Project Management	5.09%
Integrated Marketing	3.43%
Healthcare	3.10%

Complete relevant marketing lead training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New marketing leads 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 marketing lead based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real marketing lead resumes.

Research marketing lead duties and responsibilities

Launch new cloud services and manage execution across functions to reach sellers, current customers, prospects and influencers.
Re-Brand and manage secondary Instagram account focuse on product across multiple store locations.
Develop and manage marketing programs and partner integration for industry marketing in government, healthcare and education markets.
Re-Design marketing materials, Facebook page, LinkedIn page and website.

Get marketing lead experience

Generally, it takes 8-10 years to become a marketing lead. The most common roles before becoming a marketing lead include marketing manager, internship team lead and account executive.

Prepare your marketing lead resume

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

Choose From 10+ Customizable Marketing Lead Resume templates

Build a professional Marketing Lead 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 Marketing Lead resume.

Apply for marketing lead jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a marketing lead job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

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

How do marketing leads rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Marketing Lead reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2020

Pros

The ability to do tasks in a lot of different areas of marketing

Cons

Having to work with clients

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019

Cons

Unreasonable deadlines.

Pros

Overseeing printing For direct mail. Packaging design Developing hot mail list.

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019

Pros

Autonomy, relationship biolding

Cons

Meetings needs of all parties can be difficult but good negotiation helps!

Marketing Lead FAQs

What is a marketing lead and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a Marketing Lead?

What are the pros and cons of being a Marketing Lead?

Marketing Lead career paths

Key steps to become a marketing lead

Explore marketing lead education requirements

Most common marketing lead degrees

Start to develop specific marketing lead skills

Complete relevant marketing lead training and internships

Research marketing lead duties and responsibilities

Get marketing lead experience

Prepare your marketing lead resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Marketing Lead Resume templates

Apply for marketing lead jobs

How Did You Land Your First Marketing Lead Job

Average marketing lead salary

How do marketing leads rate their job?

Marketing Lead reviews

Marketing Lead FAQs

How long does it take to become a marketing manager?

How much does a marketing lead make?

What are five careers in marketing?

What is a digital marketing lead?

What is the difference between a marketing lead and a marketing manager?

What qualifications do you need for marketing?

Search for marketing lead jobs