What is a product marketing manager and how to become one

Q: Product Manager vs. Product Marketing Manager

A product manager is responsible for leading the creation of a product, while the product marketing manager is responsible for leading the go-to-market for that product. A product manager is usually responsible for setting the product vision including creating the product roadmap. They identify which customer pain points to target and articulate the business value of the product. They manage the stakeholders and ensure the product aligns with their product strategy.

Q: Do marketing managers make a lot of money?

Yes, marketing managers make a lot of money. The highest earning 25th percentile has a salary of over $185,000. New York, New Jersey, Virginia and Colorado have the highest mean salary for marketing managers.

Q: Do you need an MBA to be a product marketing manager?

No, you do not need an MBA to be a product marketing manager. There are several paths towards becoming a product marketing manager, including but not limited to earning an MBA. Although an MBA is not a prerequisite to being a product manager, a significant aspect of being an effective product manager is analyzing and prioritizing a wide range of opportunities against constraints. An MBA can be one means of gaining a business and financial framework, but it is not the only way to get there.

Q: How much does a marketing product manager make?

A marketing product manager makes $106,627 a year. This can start as low as $71,000 a year to as high as $160,000 a year. Factors such as location and company type impact how much you can earn as a marketing product manager.

Q: Is marketing manager higher than product manager?

Yes, a marketing manager is usually higher than a product manager. Product managers are responsible for leading the creation of a product, while product marketing managers are responsible for leading the go-to-market (GTM) for that product.

Q: What degree do you need to become a marketing manager?

You need a bachelor's degree to become a marketing manager, preferably in marketing, business, or a related field. Your degree coursework should include classes in marketing and sales, communication, and the visual arts.

Q: What is the role of product marketing?

The role of a product marketing manager is to create demand for products through effective positioning, messaging, and marketing programs. A product marketing manager ensures the product is aligned to the company vision and its target customer base.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Experts

Tobias Sellier,

Sachin Tuli

A product marketing manager promotes and sells a company's products to potential customers. They work closely with product development teams to ensure that the products meet customer needs and are marketed effectively. A product marketing manager conducts market research, identifies target customers, develops marketing strategies, and creates marketing materials such as product descriptions, brochures, and advertisements. They also collaborate with sales teams to create sales plans and provide training on how to sell products effectively.

What general advice would you give to a Product Marketing Manager?

Tobias Sellier

Senior Director, American Public Power Association

There are exciting opportunities to work for community-owned, not-for-profit, hometown public power. From engineers and customer service representatives to lineworkers and administrative professionals, there are many opportunities. And utility employees, being essential workers, even during these challenging times, there are still many jobs that will need to be filled.

ScoreProduct Marketing ManagerUS Average

Salary

7.9

Avg. Salary $112,220

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 38.44%

male 61.56%

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 Product Marketing Manager?

Pros

Exposure to various departments within the company
Chance to work on high-profile projects
Direct impact on product success
Ability to develop and implement marketing strategies
Potential for flexible work arrangements

Cons

Balancing multiple projects simultaneously
Frequent changes in priorities and direction
Managing stakeholder expectations
Dealing with difficult customers or clients
Possible travel requirements

Key steps to become a product marketing manager

Explore product marketing manager education requirements

Most common product marketing manager degrees

Bachelor's

75.4 %

Master's

18.4 %

Associate

4.0 %

Start to develop specific product marketing manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Digital Marketing	6.92%
Product Management	6.83%
Project Management	6.06%
Marketing Campaigns	4.90%
Market Research	4.19%

Complete relevant product marketing manager training and internships

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

Research product marketing manager duties and responsibilities

Manage IP and IPX VPN solutions, including definition of next generation ipsec-base products.
Manage execution of retail signage (POS) and cross promotions for grocery partners.
Lead a global team representing the commercial interests of the Americas, Europe and Asia.
Define, design and manage next generation intranet product incorporating HTML, CGI, and JAVA.

Prepare your product marketing manager resume

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

Choose From 10+ Customizable Product Marketing Manager Resume templates

Build a professional Product Marketing Manager 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 Product Marketing Manager resume.

Apply for product marketing manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a product marketing manager 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 product marketing managers rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Product Marketing Manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2023

Pros

Solve tough problems, work on agile teams, outlet for creativity,

Cons

high expectations, constantly evolving technology, broad range of topics to learn (product management specifics, industry, technology, software development methods

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2022

Pros

Reviewing Brand Performance and competitive information. Also, I enjoying identifying the white space and opportunities to grow.

Cons

Super tight deadlines.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020

Pros

Its not a specific job, As a product manager your job responsibilities cover many different areas and that's what i love about it.

Cons

all other teams think that they are doing a task for you instead of thinking that they are part of a team on a project

What is a product marketing manager and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a Product Marketing Manager?

What are the pros and cons of being a Product Marketing Manager?

Product Marketing Manager career paths

Key steps to become a product marketing manager

Explore product marketing manager education requirements

Most common product marketing manager degrees

Start to develop specific product marketing manager skills

Complete relevant product marketing manager training and internships

Research product marketing manager duties and responsibilities

Prepare your product marketing manager resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Product Marketing Manager Resume templates

Apply for product marketing manager jobs

How Did You Land Your First Product Marketing Manager Job

Average product marketing manager salary

How do product marketing managers rate their job?

Product Marketing Manager reviews

Product Marketing Manager FAQs

Product Manager vs. Product Marketing Manager

Do marketing managers make a lot of money?

Do you need an MBA to be a product marketing manager?

How much does a marketing product manager make?

Is marketing manager higher than product manager?

What degree do you need to become a marketing manager?

What is the role of product marketing?

Search for product marketing manager jobs

Product Marketing Manager jobs by state