Maximize your product marketing manager salary

5 Ways to Boost Your Product Marketing Manager Salary

Last updated by Nahush Gowda on Oct 28, 2024 at 10:08 AM | Reading time:

To maximize your salary, you must understand the current salary outlook in the US, the factors that affect the salary, and what skills you must have to negotiate better. In this blog, we will delve into 5 ways to increase your Product Marketing Manager salary and help you get the salary you deserve.

Who is a Product Marketing Manager?

A Product Marketing Manager (PMM) is in charge of positioning the product within the market, creating demand, and making sure that the product is launched successfully. PMMs often collaborate closely with product development, sales, and marketing teams to develop messaging, and marketing strategies and carry out competitor analysis.

To effectively lead products to market success, a PMM needs insight into everything ranging from the product and its target audience down to competitors. This role requires a combination of technical knowledge with marketing acumen and cross-functional collaboration.

PMMs play a crucial role in marketing and launching a product. Naturally, you would be wondering about the salary one might expect in such a role. Let’s explore the product marketing manager salary in detail.

Average Product Marketing Manager Salary in the US

According to Glassdoor, the average salary for a Product Marketing Manager in the United States, as of 2024, is $168,000. The typical salary of a Product Marketing Manager can range anywhere between $132,000 to $214,000.

However, the salaries can vary widely depending on three main factors; location, experience, and the company.

Product Marketing Manager Salary by Location

Salaries may vary depending on the location (state). States like California attract the best talent because of the high concentration of tech companies in cities like San Francisco. Similarly, in states like New York and Washington, the salaries are typically higher than in other states because of the concentration of companies and higher living costs.

Here is a table breaking down the average salary of a Product Marketing Manager in different states.

State	Average Salary
California	$189,000
Washington	$183,000
Massachusetts	$170,000
New York	$169,000
Texas	$152,000
Michigan	$150,000

Product Marketing Manager Salary by Experience

PMMs can earn a lot as they gain more experience, skills, and knowledge. An entry-level PMM in the US typically earns about $110,000 to $125,000 according to ZipRecruiter. A senior-level PMM can earn an average of $181,000 or even higher depending on the company.

Here is a typical breakdown of Product Marketing Manager Salary in the US with experience level.

Experience	Average Salary
Fresher (0-1 years)	$141,000
Entry-level (1-3 years)	$157,000
Mid-level (3-7 years)	$168,000
Senior-level (7+ years)	$181,000

Factors Affecting Product Marketing Manager Salary

There are a variety of things that can impact the salary for A Product Marketing Manager,

Location: As mentioned, salaries are higher in cities and states where there are a lot of tech companies and have a higher cost of living.
Industry: PMMs in the tech and healthcare sector often have higher salaries, thanks to the speed of advancement and product releases.
Company size: Larger and well-established companies generally pay better but have more intricate roles and may be challenging to get into. Many startups provide competitive salaries along with equity and bonus plans to attract the best talent.
Experience and Skills: PMMs who are good at product launches, competitive analysis, and marketing strategies will usually get higher salaries than average.
Educational Credentials: An MBA or other advanced degrees as well industry specific certifications can have a big impact on what you are able to earn.

How to Maximize Your Product Marketing Manager Salary

Now that you understand the general outlook of the Product Marketing Manager salary in the US, here is how you can maximize your earning potential.

1. Leverage Location-Based Opportunities

Salary can vary quite a lot depending on the cities you choose to work in. Even though remote work is prevalent, job roles like Product Marketing Manager are often required to be in-office. In cities that are tech-hubs like San Francisco and Belmont, PMMs earn about $189,000 which is higher than the national average of $141,000.

Why does location matter?

Cost of Living: San Francisco, Seattle, and New York City have a higher cost of living, and employees here typically earn more than the national average or other cities. However, other smaller cities like Austin offer slightly lower salaries but they also have much lower cost of living.
Tech hubs: Big tech companies like Google, Apple, and Amazon are some of the largest employers here and they hire the best talent for niche roles at a much higher salary.

If you can, move to regions with a concentration of companies, you can earn higher but, you need to keep an eye on the cost of living as well. Cities like Seattle and Austin are growing more rapidly and still offer competitive salaries. Even if moving is not an option, you can still consider remote opportunities.

2. Expand Your Skills to Improve Your Product Marketing Manager Salary

The Product Marketing Manager Salary can also depend on the specific skills that you bring to the table. Product managers with good technical and analytical skills are really in high demand. PMMs skilled in data analytics, customer segmentation, product lifecycle management, and project management can leverage for much higher salaries.

Data Analytics: Learning how to use programs such as Google Analytics or Tableau will give you an upper hand in analyzing customer behavior and identifying if your marketing campaigns are achieving the results. For instance, a PMM with the ability to understand data trends might be moved into positions of more strategic value that typically earn higher salaries.

Go-To-Market (GTM) Strategy: This is probably one of the most valuable skills for any Product Marketing Manager. Experience in launching products, and managing cross-functional teams are often billed as key experiences for more senior PMM roles.

Digital marketing tools: The ability to use marketing automation tools such as HubSpot or Marketo is becoming more important. Having the knowledge and experience in using digital marketing tools can fetch you higher salaries.

You can work to update your skills or take the initiative at your current job to learn new skills. You can enroll in courses and certifications to learn these new skills. It not only validates your skills but, also shows that you are willing to learn new things and upskill yourself.

Also read: Data Analyst vs Business Analyst: Roles & Responsibilities

Pursue Advanced Education and Certifications

Education and certifications are one of the most effective ways for you as a PMM to rise in career growth. A Product Marketing Manager with an MBA degree or professional certification like the Certified Product Marketing Manager (CPMM) often gets higher salaries than average.

Salary Impact:

According to ZipRecruiter PMMs who possess an MBA can make up to $40,000 more on average per year, compared to PMMs who only have a Bachelor’s degree.
Similarly, PMMs with a CPMM certification often earn the top end of this scale of $160,000 to $180,000, especially at the senior level.

For top-level positions, a master's degree is standard and there are many MBA programs (particularly with tech-oriented tracks) that have been proven to pay off in the long run. Stanford or MIT business degrees drive salaries much higher, as you approach senior level.

Negotiate Effectively with Data-Backed Insights

Changing jobs isn’t the only option to increase your Product Marketing Manager salary. You can stay at the same job and get the maximum salary by negotiating well. Many PMMs fail to prepare well for negotiation or lack market research in this regard.

Why does salary negotiation matter?

Make use of salary insights and reports from platforms like Salary.com, ZipRecruiter, and Glassdoor. It will give you fairly accurate information on the regional average salaries and even by experience levels. This will help you gauge your salary against the market value and negotiate better.
Highlight the specific performance numbers and contributions you made to a successful product launch in the company. Quantify your achievements and keep track of all data like customer retention rates, improvement in lead generation, etc.

Understand the skills and unique strengths that you bring to the role and the company. Use reports and insights to understand market value and confidently ask for an increase in compensation.

Develop Niche Expertise in High-Growth Industries

This is one of the best ways to increase your Product Marketing Manager salary and develop authority in a particular sector. As you approach mid-level seniority in your career, you can focus on specializing in a particular high-growth industry or sector like AI, health tech, ed tech, etc.

For instance, generative AI is all the rage in 2024 and there are a lot of AI products that are launched in the market. These industries are poised to grow at an unprecedented rate and the AI market is expected to reach $500 billion by 2025. You can position yourself as an expert Product Marketing Manager specializing in AI products. Companies often pay large salaries to PMMs who bring specific expertise to their niche.

How to become an expert?

Upskill yourself with industry knowledge and gain technical knowledge. This will allow you to understand the products better and market them effectively.

Upskill Yourself and Earn More as a Product Marketing Manager With Interview Kickstart

A product Marketing Manager salary is very lucrative if you have the right skills and experience level. You can maximize your salary by upskilling yourself, moving to a tech hub, or specializing in a particular niche. Interview Kickstart’s Product Marketing Manager Course will help you upskill yourself and maximize your salary.

Led by industry experts (from the likes of Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn), our instructors will help you valuable skills, build a strong foundation in the subject, and give you all the tools required to be successful in your career or land your dream job.

You can check out some of the success stories of our alumni who have advanced their Product Marketing Manager careers with the help of Interview Kickstart.

FAQs

1. How much does a Product Marketing Manager make on average in the US? <h3>

The average compensation for a Product Marketing Manager in the US is around $141,000 annually.

2. How does location affect the Product Marketing Manager Salary? <h3>

Location is a big factor in the salary of a PMM. For example, PMMs in San Francisco have a high average of $189,000, while those in other states like Washington or Massachusetts will fall around $170,000.

3. What are the industries that pay Product Marketing Managers the highest?

The fastest-growing industries are the ones paying the most, especially in sectors like tech, AI, and cloud. For example, companies like Google, AWS, and NVIDIA pay 15-20% over the national average.

4. Exactly how much can advanced certifications and degrees affect salary? <h3>

Advanced degrees, such as an MBA, or certifications like the CPMM can increase salaries by $20-$40K on average, especially in senior positions.

5. What skills are in highest demand for Product Marketing Managers? <h3>

Data analytics skills, GTM strategy, and skills related to marketing tools, such as Salesforce or HubSpot, are in high demand and when used well, can increase earning potential.