Chicago · Occupational wage benchmark

Marketing Managers Salary in Chicago

Name: Marketing Managers wages in Chicago
Creator: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
License: https://www.bls.gov/opub/copyright-information.htm

What Marketing Managers actually earn in the Chicago metro area — the published BLS median, what it is worth after local costs, and how it ranks against other major metros.

Direct answer

Marketing Managers in the Chicago metro area earn a median of $165,340 per year (-0.9% vs national, #16 of 46 major metros). Because the area price level is 103.6 against a U.S. average of 100, that salary carries roughly the purchasing power of $159,602 nationally. These are BLS occupational wage benchmarks across all workers — not MBA-graduate-specific outcomes.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2024 estimates (published April 2025)), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI metro estimates for SOC 11-2021; cost-of-living adjustment from U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities by Metropolitan Statistical Area (MARPP) (2024). Occupational wage benchmarks across all workers, not MBA-specific outcomes.

Median annual wage: $165,340; Marketing Managers in Chicago
Adjusted for cost of living: $159,602; Chicago price level 103.6 (U.S. = 100)
Rank among metros: #16 of 46; #15 after cost of living
Workers employed: 17,400; in metro Chicago

What Marketing Managers earn in Chicago, adjusted for what it costs to live there

A headline wage only means something next to local prices. Once local prices are accounted for, Chicago moves up 1 place — the paycheck stretches further than the nominal figure suggests.

Metro	Median (nominal)	Adjusted for cost of living
San Jose	$231,370	$209,531
San Francisco	$220,480	$190,705
Boston	$213,910	$197,578
New York	$192,840	$171,317
Denver	$182,470	$172,496
Washington DC	$181,260	$166,471
Seattle	$175,850	$158,234
San Diego	$174,840	$156,265
Richmond	$174,130	$177,942
Minneapolis	$173,040	$165,080
Portland	$172,610	$163,734
Los Angeles	$171,900	$151,366
Raleigh	$167,640	$170,788
Philadelphia	$166,310	$162,168
Charlotte	$166,200	$170,728
Chicago	$165,340	$159,602
Austin	$164,920	$168,172
Sacramento	$164,270	$153,998
Atlanta	$163,500	$163,405
Hartford	$163,210	$158,848

Nominal medians: BLS OEWS, May 2024 estimates (published April 2025) — occupational wage benchmarks across all workers, not MBA-specific outcomes. Adjusted column: SalaryMBA estimate, computed as nominal ÷ (metro RPP ÷ 100) using BEA MARPP 2024 regional price parities.

The national pay range for Marketing Managers

BLS publishes the full percentile distribution nationally. The spread within the occupation is usually far wider than the gap between metros.

Percentile (national)	Annual wage	Reading
10th percentile	$90,260	Entry / early-career end
25th percentile	$123,020
Median (50th)	$166,790
75th percentile	$216,410
90th percentile	$293,610	Senior / top-market end

Other MBA-relevant roles in Chicago

Chief Executives $344,960 Computer and Information Systems Managers $173,760 Financial Managers $168,810 Sales Managers $158,690 Human Resources Managers $156,770 Industrial Production Managers $129,840 Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $124,120 Medical and Health Services Managers $123,090 Personal Financial Advisors $113,210 General and Operations Managers $109,390 Data Scientists $107,640 Project Management Specialists $105,320 Management Analysts $105,090 Financial and Investment Analysts $101,750 Operations Research Analysts $86,500 Accountants and Auditors $82,360 Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $80,400 Logisticians $79,900

How to read the Chicago number

The $165,340 median means half of Marketing Managers in the Chicago area earn less and half earn more. It is measured across everyone in the occupation — every experience level, industry, and level of education. It is not the salary of a recent MBA graduate, and it is not a starting salary.

BLS counts roughly 17,400 people in this role in the Chicago area. To compare against the state and national picture, see Marketing Managers nationally or model your own economics with the MBA ROI calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How much do Marketing Managers make in Chicago?

Marketing Managers in the Chicago metro area earn a median of $165,340 per year, according to BLS OEWS May 2024 estimates (published April 2025). That is -0.9% vs national, ranking Chicago #16 of 46 major metros we track for this role. This is an occupational wage benchmark across all workers in the metro, not an MBA-graduate-specific salary.

Is $165,340 a good salary in Chicago?

It depends on local prices. The Chicago area price level is 103.6 against a U.S. average of 100, so $165,340 there carries roughly the purchasing power of $159,602 nationally — about $5,738 less than the headline number implies. Once local prices are accounted for, Chicago moves up 1 place — the paycheck stretches further than the nominal figure suggests.

Do Marketing Managers in Chicago need an MBA?

These BLS figures cover everyone in the occupation regardless of degree, so they cannot isolate what an MBA adds. Marketing Managers is a role MBA graduates commonly target, and an MBA can affect where you land within the range through network, function, and seniority — but any precise MBA premium for this role in Chicago would not be supported by this data.

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