Aquent and The American Marketing Association (AMA) announced the results of their annual salary survey, “2013 Aquent AMA Marketing Salary Survey.” The survey was created to help marketers pinpoint career opportunity by calling out the highest paying cities, most in-demand jobs and the most satisfying careers based on the responses from 2,600 marketers. The survey revealed some surprises, for instance, working in the big city doesn’t guarantee a big paycheck.
“When it comes to a career in marketing, the location and the field you choose can have an immense impact on your future satisfaction and salary,” said Ann Webster, president of Aquent. “Our salary survey empowers marketers to assess their value in the marketplace and decide if relocating or adding new skills to their portfolio is worthwhile for career advancement and quality of life.”
Big City Doesn’t Equal Big Paycheck
The survey revealed that the highest salaries in marketing jobs do not come from top markets like New York, Silicon Valley and Boston. Instead, based on the adjusted cost of living, marketers in Dallas, St. Louis and Atlanta are making more than their big city counterparts. While Silicon Valley tops the list with the highest average marketing salary of $107,802, when adjusted for cost of living, it adds up to $48,034. Surprisingly, the survey found that Dallas marketing professionals take home the biggest paycheck at $82,418, which really is more like $89,707 when adjusted for cost of living.
Happiest Cities and Happiest Jobs
While many turn to a career in marketing for its creativity and a wealth of opportunity, there are some cities and jobs that marketers find more satisfying than most. Topping the list of the cities with the happiest marketers were Phoenix, Indianapolis and Houston. And who doesn’t love satisfying work? Professionals working in public relations, web analytics and strategic planning were found to be most happy with their jobs.
Hottest Jobs In 2013
While location and satisfaction were the key takeaways, the survey also revealed that 25 percent of marketers predict social media marketing will be the most in-demand job in 2013. Closely following, 21 percent of marketers anticipated online content creation would be most in-demand while 17 percent projected that brand or product management would top the list. In addition, the survey found that social media and mobile marketing are expected to be the hottest jobs in the next two to three years.
Salaries To Increase
Additionally, the survey found that two-thirds of marketers anticipate salary increases in 2013, with one in five expecting an increase of 10 percent of more, showing optimism compared to recent years.
To download summary of “Marketing Salaries, Strategies and Trends for 2013” CLICK HERE.