Earning a Master's in Digital Marketing Online

What You’ll Learn & What You Can Do After Graduation

Should I Pursue a Master's in Digital Marketing Online?

Digital marketing continues to attract big investments from advertisers and disrupt legacy promotional strategies. For many students, an online master’s in digital marketing pays big dividends, as it offers access to a variety of lucrative, high-growth career paths. Graduates go on to work as digital specialists in the advertising, marketing, and product development industries. Common job titles include roles such as digital strategist, marketing research analyst, and digital marketing director.

Obtaining a master’s in digital marketing online delivers valuable advantages. You can enhance your academic credentials without giving up your current job, as online learning schedules easily accommodate evenings and weekends. Online learners can also take advantage of accelerated degree completion paths, allowing them to earn their degrees more quickly.

Successful marketing students share specific characteristics: creativity, adaptability, leadership, sales skills, and innovation-focused mindsets. If you hold these qualities and possess a strong interest in the subject, a digital marketing degree could be right for you.

Employment Outlook for Master's in Digital Marketing Graduates

Master's in Digital Marketing Salary

A digital marketing master’s puts many graduates on employment paths leading to marketing manager positions. This lucrative career pays wages that far outpace nationwide averages, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting a typical salary in excess of $145,000 per year. PayScale also notes excellent salaries at all stages of a marketing manager’s career, even at the entry level.

The following tables offer a snapshot of current employment, salary, and career marketing manager development trends in select U.S. states and nationwide.

Top Paying States for Marketing Managers

State Employment Annual Mean Wage
New York 16,430 $192,290
New Jersey 10,960 $177,070
Delaware 670 $169,610
Virginia 4,170 $167,490
California 33,380 $164,410
United States 218,970 $145,620

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Pay by Experience Level for Digital Marketing Managers

  • Entry-Level (0-5 Years):
    $55,000
  • Mid-Career (5-10 Years):
    $71,000
  • Experienced (10-20 Years):
    $83,000
  • Late-Career (20+ Years):
    $85,000

Source: PayScale

Master's in Digital Marketing Careers

Perceptive, creative problem-solvers with strong qualitative and quantitative analysis skills tend to fare well in digital marketing careers. An academic or professional background in sales also provides you with valuable insights that inform digital marketing strategies and campaigns, further enhancing your career prospects.

An online digital marketing master’s degree creates direct paths to careers in advertising, market research, market analysis, and related professions. Successful students frequently graduate into the positions highlighted below.

Digital Strategist

Annual Median Salary: $59,224

Projected Growth Rate: N/A

Digital strategists specialize in conceiving and guiding the long-term planning of coordinated internet marketing campaigns for products and services. In larger organizations, they also liaise with specialists covering marketing efforts in other media to create cohesive plans. Online marketing master’s programs delve into advanced strategy topics, giving learners competitive advantages in the job market.

Market Research Analyst

Annual Median Salary: $63,230

Projected Growth Rate: 23%

In the age of digital commerce, market research analysts draw on both traditional and internet-specific tools to gauge market conditions for particular goods. They quantify consumer appetite for brands, products, and services and conduct quantitative and qualitative research to determine how best to position a company’s product lineup.

Digital Marketing Manager

Annual Median Salary: $129,380

Projected Growth Rate: 10%

Digital marketing managers lead an organization’s internet marketing team. Receiving guidance from the company’s executive leadership, digital marketing managers implement and coordinate plans to keep with the short-term and long-term goals of the business. Because these positions demand advanced knowledge and leadership skills, a master’s in internet marketing acts as a major asset.

Digital Marketing Director

Annual Median Salary: $102,695

Projected Growth Rate: N/A

Functioning at the executive level, digital marketing directors typically earn their positions after years of successful performance in middle management roles. They lead digital marketing strategies, manage budgets, and work with internal departments, stakeholders, investors, and clients to further business interests and achieve sales goals. Aspirants typically require an MBA in internet marketing or a digital marketing master’s to reach these high-ranking positions.

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statstics / PayScale

What Can I Expect From an Online Master's in Digital Marketing Program?

Accredited digital and internet marketing master’s degree programs cover a full set of critical topics. You can expect to encounter coursework covering business analytics, business innovation, marketing platforms, branding strategies, and product placement strategies for digital media. Some programs lead to MBA degrees, while others culminate in master of science or master of arts designations.

Curriculum for an Online Master’s Degree in Digital Marketing

While exact details vary depending on the school and program you choose, the following sample curriculum illustrates core topics that are often taught in online digital marketing master’s.

Fundamentals of Marketing

Though unique in many ways, digital marketing still incorporates and relies on traditional marketing principles. This foundational course familiarizes learners with critical concepts including the so-called “four P’s" of marketing: product, pricing, placement, and promotion. It also covers key topics including identifying target markets, demographics, and building brand value.

Quantitative Analysis

Successful market researchers make heavy use of quantitative analysis. This course introduces methods and strategies used to extract useful insights from raw data. The best digital marketing master’s programs show how these principles apply to both traditional and emerging marketing platforms.

Social Media Marketing

Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn serve as critical marketing tools for companies seeking to connect with their millions of users. Comprehensive courses in social media marketing teach students how to leverage the platform-specific aspects of social media sites to market products and improve customer service.

Search Engine Optimization

Typically abbreviated as SEO, search engine optimization serves as a critical tool for gaining visibility in the highly competitive online marketplace. This course teaches students how to leverage tools like relevant keywords and web page data to earn higher rankings when users search for specific terms related to a company’s products, services, or operations.

Mobile Marketing

Marketing efforts that target smartphone and other mobile device users remains in its infancy, and many experts believe it represents the next major growth area for digital marketing. The top master’s in digital marketing programs provide students with cutting-edge knowledge of current best practices for conveying marketing messages to mobile device users. These programs also explore emerging technologies like near-field communications, which hold the potential to dramatically impact digital marketing in the imminent future.

Certifications and Licenses a Master’s in Digital Marketing Prepares For

Beyond a valuable degree designation, schools that offer accredited digital marketing master’s also prepare learners to earn widely recognized professional certifications that can advance their careers.

  • Google AdWords Certification: Google’s AdWords dominates the internet marketing industry. This valuable certification confirms your expertise with the techniques and strategies that digital marketers use to connect with consumers through the Google search engine. Available directly from Google, the certification requires candidates to pass comprehensive assessments in specific areas like search advertising, display advertising, video advertising, and shopping advertising.
  • Content Marketing Institute Online Certification: Digital marketing specialists can earn a highly respected and widely recognized certification in content marketing by completing a series of intermediate to advanced modules through CMI’s Content Marketing University workshop. Courses cover topics such as content branding, building online personas, creating brand stories, and major principles of business-to-business video marketing.