Typical entry: Bachelor's degree
Digital marketing specialist
Digital marketing specialists run email, search, social, and e-commerce campaigns, write and schedule content, and read the analytics that show what worked. Agencies and small businesses hire generalists; larger companies specialize by channel.
By the Degreeless Jobs research deskUpdated Sep 7, 2026Sources: BLS, O*NET
What a digital marketing specialist makes
Median pay, May 2025, United States
$78,760
$37.87 an hour, median
- 25th percentile
- $58,350
- 75th percentile
- $108,310
- 90th percentile
- $155,480
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Wages of employed workers, not offers.
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- BLS
- Workers without a bachelor's
- 52%
- O*NET
- Growth, 2025 to 2035
- +7.0%
- BLS projections
- Openings a year
- 82,000
- BLS projections
Read this before you plan on it
How people get in without a degree
The Google Digital Marketing and E-commerce certificate covers the tools employers list (Google Ads, Analytics, email platforms, Shopify), and running a real campaign for a local business or your own project gives the results to show. The Meta Social Media Marketing certificate is the equivalent for social-first roles.
The work, as O*NET defines it: Research conditions in local, regional, national, or online markets. Gather information to determine potential sales of a product or service, or plan a marketing or advertising campaign. May gather information on competitors, prices, sales, and methods of marketing and distribution. May employ search marketing tactics, analyze web metrics, and develop recommendations to increase search engine ranking and visibility to target markets.
The next step
Google Digital Marketing and E-commerce Professional Certificate
- Typical cost
- $49 per month on Coursera, typically $150 to $300 total
- Time to complete
- About 6 months at 10 hours a week
Where to start Google Digital Marketing and E-commerce Professional Certificate
Costs and durations are ranges gathered from provider and state sources; confirm the current price and your state's rules before you pay anything. Never pay a fee to apply for a job.
Questions
Do you need a degree to be a digital marketing specialist?
Not always. BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry education, but 52% of workers in the occupation report less than a bachelor's degree (O*NET). Employers that hire without one look for the credential and the work described on this page.
How much does a digital marketing specialist make?
The median pay was $78,760 a year ($37.87 an hour) in May 2025, according to BLS. The middle half earned between $58,350 and $108,310, and the top 10 percent earned more than $155,480.
How long does it take to become a digital marketing specialist?
About 6 months at 10 hours a week. The typical cost is $49 per month on Coursera, typically $150 to $300 total.
Is digital marketing specialist work growing?
BLS projects employment to grow 7.0% from 2025 to 2035 with about 82,000 openings a year from growth and from workers leaving the occupation.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation code 13-1161.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 (Table 1.2).
- O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), CC BY 4.0. The share without a bachelor’s degree is our summary of O*NET’s education distribution; USDOL/ETA has not approved or endorsed it.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile