Professionals in the field of marketing are the eyes and the ears of a company. They are the link between consumer and product. Job titles in the field of marketing include Market Researcher, Survey Researcher, Advertising/Marketing Consultant, Marketing Coordinator, Marketing Assistant, Marketing Manager and Promotions Planner. These titles all have a multitude of varying tasks and responsibilities but all have one goal in mind, to learn as much as possible about the consumer in order to serve them better and increase the sale of the companies product or service.



Knowledge is key in the field of marketing. Most private sector marketing careers have a minimum requirement of a master's degree and this stipulation includes both employment and advancement. Entry-level positions are often filled by graduates with a bachelor's degree in marketing or some related field. These positions are frequently non-marketing related. Careers as a research assistant, administrative or management trainee, marketing interviewer all the way to sales person are often slotted for bachelor's degree holding candidates while executive and middle management positions are held for those with strong computer and quantitative skills, experience and an advanced degree.

Professionals in the field of marketing typically earn advanced degrees in business administration, marketing, statistics or communications. A liberal arts education can also be seen as useful. Courses like economics, psychology, English and sociology can enhance quantitative skills and courses in mathematics, sampling theory, survey design and computer science can aid in the science of data collection, which is critical in this field.

The area of annual rate of pay is where the discrepancy between having experience and an advanced degree and not having these things becomes more apparent. The median annual earnings of a market research analyst in 2002 were $53,810, while the median earnings of a survey researcher in 2002 were $22,200. For market research analysts the middle 50 percent earned between $38,760 and $76,310 while the lowest 10 percent earned less than $29,390 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $100,160. As for survey researchers, the middle 50 percent earned between $17,250 and $38,530, while the lowest 10 percent earned less than $15,140 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $57.080. Once the math is all finished there is only one poignant way of stating the obvious- in the marketing field is pays to continue your education.

Due to a competitive economy and the need for market research and strategy by a variety of different companies and industries, employment in the field of marketing is expected to grow between 21 and 35 percent, which is above average, through 2012. Career opportunities will be more plentiful and less competitive for candidates with advanced degrees. Those with bachelor's degrees will have to scramble for the limited number of available entry-level positions. However, a candidate with a bachelor's degree and strong computer and quantitative skills may be able to gain employment at private firms.