It’s a good time to be in marketing. Marketing managers make more than three times the national average salary with a median income of more than $141,000. Careers that involve marketing-related skills as key attributes are growing at a faster rate than the average occupation, with demand for some jobs, such as social media strategist and digital marketing analyst, growing by around 23% per year.
That’s all good news for marketers, but the story isn’t the same in all cities. Some U.S. cities have it a lot better than others when it comes to marketing jobs. But where are the best cities for marketing jobs, exactly? That’s precisely what we examine in this post. Read on to browse the best cities for marketing graduates in 2022.
Best Cities for Marketing Jobs in 2022
Any marketer can tell you that marketing happens everywhere, but it happens a lot more often and creates a lot more jobs in the list of 2022’s best cities for marketing jobs below.
1. New York City
It’s the most populous city in the U.S. and has long been considered the birthplace of modern advertising. It’s New York City, and on any list of the best cities for marketing jobs, it’s hard to beat. That’s because marketing is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the city. The number of marketing jobs in NYC is expected to increase by more than 26% by 2026. That growth rate is second only to the rate for software developers.
2. Phoenix
With a never-ending list of things to do, a large and growing population, and an unemployment rate that stands well below the national average at 2.8%, Phoenix is without a doubt a top city to work in marketing. And for those looking to land a big-fish marketing job or client, keep in mind that Phoenix was home to more than a dozen of the top 1,000 U.S. companies and several in the Fortune 500 in 2021.
3. Chicago
Illinois is second only to California in the number of marketing managers it employs, and it’s a safe bet that the majority of those highly paid marketing managers are sitting in corner offices in Chicago. Meanwhile, Chicago is in the top three metros for the employment of marketing specialists.
4. Seattle
More than 12 out of every 1,000 workers in the Seattle metro area are marketing specialists, making this city one of the top cities for employment in this field. The big draw for many marketing gurus and young professionals is likely the average salary of nearly $98,000.
5. Austin
Austin has been one of the fastest-growing cities in the country for a long time now, and its market for marketing professionals has been growing quickly, too. In March of 2021, marketing managers were in high demand — this type of position was one of the top five advertised in new job postings at that time.
6. Tucson
While the cost of living in Arizona is slightly higher than the national average, in Tucson, it’s quite a bit lower. If the national average cost of living was represented by a score of 100, Tucson would get a 91.2 — more than 8 percentage points lower than the rest of the country and more than 10 points lower than Arizona. That means the annual mean wage of $113,130 for marketing managers and $56,250 for marketing specialists will go a lot further in the Old Pueblo than in most other places.
7. Houston
Here are some fast facts to convince you that Houston is one of the best cities for marketing jobs in 2022: Houston has the third most Fortune 500 company headquarters of any U.S. city, nearly 40% of publicly traded oil and gas companies are in Houston, and more than 500 digital technology companies call Houston home. What does that mean for you? Each of these big companies needs big marketing help, and they have the big budgets to match it.
8. Minneapolis
More than 20,000 people in the Twin Cities — Minneapolis and St. Paul — work as marketing managers, marketing specialists, or market research analysts. And they make good money doing it, too. Marketing specialists and market research analysts in the Twin Cities make nearly $81,000 on average, while marketing managers fall just north of $150,000.
9. San Francisco
In San Francisco, even a near-entry level marketing specialist can make nearly six figures. Marketing specialists in the Bay Area make $96,150 on average. That’s likely due to a combination of factors, including big tech marketing gigs, high cost of living, and high competition. In any case, the factors come together to make San Francisco one of the best cities for marketing jobs in 2022.
10. St. Louis
St. Louis may not be the largest metro area, but it serves as a hub for a large swath of land in eastern Missouri and western Illinois. That means it’s the central location for jobs of many kinds, including marketing jobs.
St. Louis is primed and ready to start welcoming a ton of new marketing graduates. According to a recent report, marketing specialists and analysts will be in high demand all the way through 2028, with more than 600 job openings expected in the field each year.
Fast-Track Your Future in the Best Cities for Marketing Graduates
Armed with the list of the best cities for marketing jobs in 2022, you’re ready to take charge of your career and find the perfect position with an incredible company. For help doing that, take advantage of the many resources BestCompaniesAZ provides.
Browse the best companies in Arizona, check out our list of resources for job seekers, or contact us today.