Business Development Manager vs Marketing Manager

Measured from each occupation's own live postings: related jobs with a real gap between them. Posted pay favors the business development manager by about $34k at the midpoint.

1,035 open business development manager jobs →2,652 open marketing manager jobs →

The short answer

$70k–$186kBusiness Development Manager
+$34kBusiness Development Manager, at the midpoint
$56k–$130kMarketing Manager

On pay, business development managers come out ahead by about $34k a year at the midpoint of posted bands: $70k–$186k against $56k–$130k for marketing managers. These are advertised figures from postings that state a salary, not estimates.

On skills, they are related jobs with a real gap between them. There is a shared core, and then each side asks for things the other rarely does. The readiness numbers further down say how far a typical profile on each side already reaches into the other, and which direction is the easier move.

Business Development Manager

Posted pay, middle half$70k–$186k
FieldBusiness
Postings read1,739
Open right now1,035 (334 remote)

Marketing Manager

Posted pay, middle half$56k–$130k
FieldBusiness
Postings read6,927
Open right now2,652 (923 remote)

Switching, both directions

The direction matters: business development manager → marketing manager reads 46% ready, the reverse only 30%. Skill overlap is not symmetric.

Business Development Manager → Marketing Manager

46% skill readiness

What marketing manager postings ask for that business development manager profiles usually lack: Product Marketing, Email Marketing, Sales Enablement, Demand Generation.

Run this direction on the instrument

Marketing Manager → Business Development Manager

30% skill readiness

What business development manager postings ask for that marketing manager profiles usually lack: Account Management, Sales, Negotiation, Procurement.

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Open business development manager roles

See all 1,035 business development manager jobs →

Open marketing manager roles

See all 2,652 marketing manager jobs →

See the whole board for both

3,687 open roles across the two.

Related comparisons

Which one do your skills favor?

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Quick answers

Which pays more, business development manager or marketing manager?

On pay, business development managers come out ahead by about $34k a year at the midpoint of posted bands: $70k–$186k against $56k–$130k for marketing managers. These are advertised figures from postings that state a salary, not estimates. By seniority and country: business development manager salary and marketing manager salary.

Are business development manager and marketing manager the same job?

On skills, they are related jobs with a real gap between them. There is a shared core, and then each side asks for things the other rarely does.

Can a business development manager become a marketing manager?

Yes, and the numbers say how far along you already are: a typical business development manager profile covers 46% of what marketing manager postings ask for. The instrument lists the exact skills that make up the rest.

Can a marketing manager become a business development manager?

Going the other way, a typical marketing manager profile covers 30% of what business development manager postings ask for. The two directions are not symmetric: business development manager to marketing manager is the easier move, 46% against 30%.

How many business development manager and marketing manager jobs are open right now?

Right now our board has 1,035 business development manager openings and 2,652 marketing manager openings, each linking to the original posting. The board refreshes every night, so the counts move with the market. Hiring the most business development managers at the moment: Direct employer (593), TransPerfect (3), Michael Page (3). For marketing managers: Direct employer (1498), Pavago (18), Jobup (12).

Pay is the posted middle half; readiness is how much of the other role’s skill demand a typical profile covers. Refreshed nightly.

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