Your earning potential in marketing is relatively limitless. Marketing itself is quite a broad term, and pursuing a career in marketing offers quite a few possibilities. Your marketing salary would depend on your specific area of specialisation. Choosing a career in marketing possibly offers more workplace flexibility than most, as remote or hybrid working is quite common in this field. We’ve conducted some research on your behalf, and below we’ll unpack the potential salary you could earn with a career in marketing.
The wide net of marketing
As a marketer, you can carve out a niche career depending on your interests, location and drive. The same goes for your earning potential. In addition to your marketing qualifications, you can complete additional online short courses to enhance your skills further.
Marketing Manager
According to Payscale “An entry-level marketing manager with less than one year of experience can expect to earn an average total compensation (including bonus and overtime pay) of R203,000. An early-career marketing manager with one to four years of experience earns an average total compensation of R252,000. A mid-career marketing manager with five to nine years of experience earns an average total compensation of R422,000. An experienced marketing manager with ten+ years of experience earns an average total compensation of R543,000. In their late career (20 years and higher), employees earn an average total compensation of R622,000.
*Payscale- Based on 960 salary profiles (last updated 2024)
Social media manager
Starting as a junior social media manager, you will set up a content calendar plan, design social media posts, and schedule these posts. The average social media manager's salary in South Africa is R290,707 gross per year. The highest salaries can exceed R674,000. You could work remotely or in the office as a social media manager. This career offers flexibility.
Marketing communications
A marketing communications manager creates messaging strategies and marketing campaigns to teach consumers more about the company and its products. Responsibilities include handling online and offline promotional resources and managing the business's social media content across channels. This role requires professionals to use their creativity, adapt to consumer preferences, and create innovative content. An early-career marketing communications manager with one to four years of experience earns an average total compensation of R182,000. A mid-career account manager with five to nine years of experience earns an average of R470,000.
Here is a list of other marketing-related jobs that you could enter:
- Digital community manager
- Web content development
- SEO Specialist
- Public Relations Manager
- Content Manager
- Marketing Strategist
- Brand Management
- Digital Marketing Coordinator
- Project Management
- Direct Marketing
- Business Development
By better understanding your salary expectations within the marketing field in South Africa, you can gain insights into your earning potential. You can determine your earning potential according to your specific marketing area of specialisation and location here.
Where to study?
You have quite a few options for studying marketing in South Africa. Most universities will offer a marketing course and a post-graduate diploma in marketing within the commerce faculty. For example, you could study for a Bachelor of Business Science in Marketing or a BCom degree through UCT. Vega offers the opportunity to study digital marketing as a degree or as an add-on short course. They also offer an online short course in social media management. If you’re interested in marketing, business, project management, sales management or supply chain management. IMM and AAA offer marketing qualifications from diplomas up to masters level.
Preparing for your interview
As a graduate, before applying for a job, it is vital to get your basics right: Once you’ve completed your degree, focus on your CV and cover letter. This will set the tone for your professionalism before you reach the interview phase. Here are 5 tips to get your cover letter read by recruiters and set you on the right path to earning the potential that you deserve.
RecruitAGraduate for graduates
At RecruitAGraduate we’ve got your back. We are one of the largest online graduate recruitment agencies in South Africa. Companies use us to hire marketing graduates and interns like you for permanent or contract-based positions and internships. To be informed about the latest marketing jobs on RecruitAGraduate register a job-seeker profile with us, and you will receive the latest job alerts. And remember to follow us on LinkedIn too.