Like almost any business today, creative agencies rely heavily on data to inform their strategies and decision-making. Many top agencies now have or are expanding teams dedicated to data analytics. As a result, they need marketing analytics specialists and other pros who have the skills to examine massive data sets and surface actionable insights from that data.

In fact, Robert Half’s latest Salary Guide reports that marketing analytics specialists are among the most in-demand roles for 2022 in the marketing and creative industry. And because they possess more advanced analytics skills, one particularly hot job right now is marketing analytics manager.

Here is a closer look at this position, including the skills needed to succeed in this role and what the job typically pays.

Duties and expectations for marketing analytics managers

The marketing analytics manager leads teams who work with data from marketing automation, customer relationship management (CRM) software and other business intelligence tools to get insights on marketing campaign performance and the return on investment.

Sam Fortenbery, an assistant vice president with Robert Half in Charlotte, N.C., notes that there are generally two types of marketing analytics managers:

  • Those who have a wealth of technical knowledge. That knowledge may include an in-depth understanding of the processes behind data mining, modeling and management, and strategic planning. These marketing analytics managers have the chops to extract data using programming languages such as SQL, R or Python and know how to organize the information they’ve pulled.
     
  • Those with more marketing savvy. These marketing analytics managers are less technical but have outstanding communication and presentation skills. They excel at telling the story of the data — gleaning insights on successes and failures from the numbers — and can make strategic recommendations based on their findings.

Marketing analytics managers who are adept in both areas are growing in number, though. Market demand is rising for candidates who can handle responsibilities from both sides of the discipline, including:

  • Developing and maintaining data and reporting processes
  • Overseeing market research studies to understand customer behavior
  • Providing guidance on measurement and goals for other teams across the organization
  • Creating and monitoring reporting dashboards
  • Developing and maintaining client databases
  • Collaborating with other teams to implement new systems and tracking
  • Analyzing data and presenting trends, insights and strategic recommendations
  • Managing teams of analytics professionals
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Professional experience and skills in demand

Employers hiring marketing analytics managers will often seek candidates who have advanced Excel skills, basic knowledge of SQL, and experience working with data visualization tools like Domo and Tableau. Depending on how technical the role is designed to be, they may also look for candidates with degrees in computer science or data engineering, or digital marketing or communications.

Employers also seek candidates with polished soft skills, including strong communication, presentation and leadership abilities. And as the job title suggests, marketing analytics managers need to be analytical masters with stellar critical-thinking and management skills.

Because these professionals often work across departments, collaborative capabilities are a must. Marketing analytics managers must be able to develop and foster professional relationships both within their teams and across the entire company. Employers prize candidates who value these relationships and invest the time necessary to cultivate them.

As technology continues to evolve, companies will likely be more inclined to hire forward-thinking candidates who are willing to embrace change. Likewise, employers are looking for leaders who can help them leverage tech solutions available both now and in the future. As such, they appreciate marketing analytics managers who will step up to motivate and train their teams on new technologies to improve productivity and long-term cost savings.

Marketing analytics manager salary

The latest Salary Guide from Robert Half lists average starting salary projections for the marketing analytics manager role in the United States. The rate of compensation for this job can vary, depending on the local market and your skills and experience.

According to the guide, starting compensation for a marketing analytics manager this year is $100,250. This is a midrange starting salary that a candidate with average experience and most of the necessary skills for the job could expect.