Side-by-side distribution
Marketing Manager
$143,881
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 40.9%
- Live roles
- 5,677
SEM
$94,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 36.9%
- Live roles
- 130
Highest-paying jobs
Head of Marketing - US Market
Sr. Affiliate Marketing Manager (Remote)
Head of Marketing & Sales
Product Marketing, Messaging Lead
Head of Marketing
Product Marketing Lead, API Models & Research
Partner Marketing Lead, Resellers
Field Marketing Lead, Public Sector
Head of Marketing, Fragrance & Beauty
Head of Community, Enterprise Marketing
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Manager, Paid Search
Growth Marketing Manager, Web & Search
Principal Growth Marketing Manager - SEO/GEO
Global Paid Search Marketing Manager
Senior Digital Marketing Manager, Paid Search
Product Manager - Paid Search / Acquisition
Sr. Manager, Paid Search (SEM)
SEM Manager
Paid Search Performance Marketing Manager
Manager of Marketing, Paid Search
Clients Blackbox, Inc.
Verkada
Abbott
Brex
BD
T-Mobile
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Monks
|
$75,000 | 7 |
Wpromote
|
$82,000 | 3 |
|
Ovative Group
|
$130,500 | 2 |
Omnicom Media
|
$92,500 | 2 |
| ZG Zeta Global | $85,000 | 2 |
Pearmill
|
$76,250 | 2 |
Pavago
|
$30,000 | 2 |
|
Gametime United
|
$198,500 | 1 |
Marketing Manager salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $184,000 | 354 |
| Seattle | $170,925 | 82 |
| Atlanta | $159,500 | 34 |
| New York | $155,000 | 511 |
| Denver | $152,125 | 56 |
| Los Angeles | $150,000 | 80 |
| Singapore | $148,804 | 4 |
| Austin | $146,188 | 94 |
| Boston | $144,438 | 102 |
| Chicago | $140,000 | 127 |
SEM salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $166,500 | 3 |
| New York | $105,500 | 12 |
| Chicago | $103,500 | 6 |
| Boston | $101,750 | 3 |
| Toronto | $72,593 | 3 |
Marketing Manager vs SEM: which pays more?
The median for Marketing Manager is $143,881 per year (typically $110,000–$175,000), versus $94,500 for SEM ($74,533–$118,850). That puts Marketing Manager about 52% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Marketing Manager and SEM are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.