Salary distribution
Where California marketing managers fall on the wage curve.
Distribution not available
The Bureau of Labor Statistics suppresses wage percentiles for this occupation and state when the surveyed cell has too few employers to publish without revealing individual firm pay. National figures and adjacent states below remain a useful reference.
Marketing Managers in California: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 819 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $195,000. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level I — entry | 151 | $133,682 |
| Level II — qualified | 205 | $190,445 |
| Level III — experienced | 127 | $227,760 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 127 | $280,987 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Marketing Managers in California. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| ByteDance Inc. | Product Manager | 40 | $239,000 |
| TikTok Inc. | Marketing Manager | 27 | $235,726 |
| Meta Platforms, Inc | Product Manager | 23 | $259,300 |
| Google LLC | Product Manager | 19 | $231,000 |
| Apple Inc. | Marketing Manager | 18 | $190,445 |
| Adobe Inc. | Product Manager | 15 | $212,820 |
| NVIDIA Corporation | Product Manager | 11 | $211,477 |
| Amazon.com Services LLC | Principal Product Management | 11 | $195,700 |
| Intuit Inc. | Staff Marketing Operations Manager | 10 | $196,651 |
| Cisco Systems, Inc. | Strategy & Planning Manager | 9 | $222,112 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- VICE PRESIDENT - BRAND at NATIONAL GRID USA SERVICE COMPANY, INC.$346,500MENLO PARKDecided Dec 30, 2025I-203-25356-502206
- Senior Business Development Manager at Guardant Health, Inc.$180,752IrvineDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-502152
- Marketing Manager I at The University of Southern California$85,696Los AngelesDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25353-498045
- SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CREATIVE MARKETING at Illumination Entertainment LLC$375,000SANTA MONICADecided Dec 29, 2025I-203-25353-499612
- Vice President, Product at Multiplier Technologies US Inc.$350,000OrindaDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25353-497776
- Vice President, Marketing at L'OREAL USA S/D, INC.$247,800El SegundoDecided Dec 29, 2025I-203-25353-499233
- Head of Delivery (Enterprise Implementation) at Valon Technologies, Inc.$300,000Los AngelesDecided Dec 26, 2025I-200-25352-494603
- Director of Marketing & Business Development at Esherick Homsey Dodge and Davis, Architects, A Professional Corporation$159,494San FranciscoDecided Dec 26, 2025I-203-25352-495993
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.
Marketing Managers pay by experience level in California
Each band reflects DOL Wage Levels I-IV mapped onto a four-step ladder. Click a level to see the disclosed-wage range for that segment.
Marketing Managers specialties in California
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 424 certified offers. The most common variant is Product Manager at a median of $206,500.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product Manager | ByteDance Inc. | 102 | $206,500 |
| Marketing Manager | TikTok Inc. | 73 | $176,749 |
| Director, Product Management | OMD USA LLC | 67 | $227,760 |
| Manager | Rubrik, Inc. | 56 | $183,102 |
| Product Marketing Manager | Rubrik, Inc. | 49 | $185,319 |
| VP, Marketing | Red Bull Media House North America, Inc. | 31 | $260,666 |
| Business Development Manager | PORTON USA LLC | 17 | $144,480 |
| Chief Marketing Officer | Green Bay Remodeling Inc. | 7 | $176,010 |
| Principal Product Management | Amazon.com Services LLC | 6 | $230,643 |
| Marketing Director | Tranzeal, Inc. | 6 | $183,547 |
| Associate Brand Manager | Killer Brownie LTD. | 5 | $117,500 |
| Director of Product Marketing | Splashtop Inc. | 5 | $225,000 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Marketing Managers in California, by industry
Median offered wage across 810 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Technology and software leads with a median of $211,994.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology and software | ByteDance Inc. | 402 | $211,994 |
| Manufacturing | Apple Inc. | 142 | $190,035 |
| Professional services | Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. | 117 | $180,000 |
| Retail and wholesale | Amazon.com Services LLC | 78 | $160,437 |
| Finance and insurance | Visa U.S.A. Inc. | 36 | $185,000 |
| Media and entertainment | OC Professional Soccer, LLC | 9 | $124,800 |
| Healthcare | Hinge Health, Inc. | 8 | $214,017 |
| Education | The University of Southern California | 5 | $109,262 |
| Real estate | Turo, Inc. | 5 | $220,000 |
| Nonprofit and civic | Manta Cares Inc. | 3 | $183,102 |
| Transportation and logistics | Federal Express Corporation | 2 | $213,734 |
| Government and public sector | Planet Labs PBC | 2 | $209,750 |
| Energy and utilities | NATIONAL GRID USA SERVICE COMPANY, INC. | 1 | $346,500 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in California over the past 2 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2024 dollars.
Typical entry
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
5 years or more
On-the-job training
None
Top skills (O*NET)
- 4.8 / 5
Sales and Marketing
Knowledge
- 4.5 / 5
English Language
Knowledge
- 4.0 / 5
Administration and Management
Knowledge
- 4.0 / 5
Oral Expression
Ability
- 4.0 / 5
Oral Comprehension
Ability
- 4.0 / 5
Written Comprehension
Ability
- 3.9 / 5
Critical Thinking
Cross-functional
- 3.9 / 5
Reading Comprehension
Basic skill
Common tasks (O*NET)
- 01
Identify, develop, or evaluate marketing strategy, based on knowledge of establishment objectives, market characteristics, and cost and markup factors.
- 02
Formulate, direct, or coordinate marketing activities or policies to promote products or services, working with advertising or promotion managers.
- 03
Evaluate the financial aspects of product development, such as budgets, expenditures, research and development appropriations, or return-on-investment and profit-loss projections.
- 04
Develop pricing strategies, balancing firm objectives and customer satisfaction.
- 05
Compile lists describing product or service offerings.
- 06
Direct the hiring, training, or performance evaluations of marketing or sales staff and oversee their daily activities.
- 07
Consult with product development personnel on product specifications, such as design, color, or packaging.
- 08
Use sales forecasting or strategic planning to ensure the sale and profitability of products, lines, or services, analyzing business developments and monitoring market trends.
10-year outlook
Growth 2024 → 2034
+6.6%
Projected annual openings
—
BLS outlook
Growing faster than average
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034 cycle.
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Explore coursesTop metros in California
Metro-level salary data for marketing managers in major California metropolitan areas.
- San Jose$228,580
- San Francisco$212,520
- San Diego$171,590
- Los Angeles$163,100
- Sacramento$155,670
- Riverside$140,650
Compare Marketing Managers pay across nearby states
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Marketing Managers in California?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Marketing Managers in California is $178,160.
- How does California compare to the national median for Marketing Managers?
- The California median is +15.5% versus the BLS national figure of $154,215.
- Is Marketing Managers a growing field?
- BLS Employment Projections show employment growing by 6.6% over the projection cycle. See the 10-year outlook section above for details.
- What education is required for Marketing Managers?
- BLS lists the typical entry-level education as Bachelor's degree. Many employers also weigh prior experience and credentials.
Information on this page is for general educational purposes only. It is not career, financial, or tax advice. Wage data reflects BLS estimates for the reference year shown and may not match individual offers, employer-specific ranges, or current market conditions. Confirm with a licensed professional before making career or compensation decisions.