Content Marketing Manager Earning $120,000/year

Welcome to another post in the $100k Club series. You can see the full series here. This is "My Morning Routine" for content marketing folks making six figures. The goal is to shed light on the skills and habits that enable people to achieve lucrative jobs and help get more people in this club.

These will be anonymous and updated regularly. If you make more than $100k/year and want to contribute, fill out the form here.

For more info on content marketing salaries, check out our salary report.

If you'd like to see more info on salary by job title, check out these resources: Content Marketing Manager Salary, Content Strategist Salary, Head of Content Salary, and Content Director Salary.

What was your first full-time job in content? What was the salary?

My first full-time job "in content" was working at an agency on the account side. I became more and more involved in writing during my time there, and eventually became the go-to writer on a team of 13 or so account leads.

List out your income by year for as long as you've been working in content marketing.

I'm a little fuzzy on some of these numbers, but I believe it goes like this..

• 2016: 35,000
• 2017: 42,000
• 2018: 45,000
• 2019: 60,000
• 2020: 72,000
• 2021: 80,000
• 2022: 88,000
• 2023: 95,000
• 2024: 120,000 (this jump was part of an overall compensation shift within my organization, less bonus structure, higher salaries)

How much do you earn today? What's your job title?

120k Content Marketing Manager

What's single biggest salary jump you've made? (either from job-hopping or a promotion/raise)

The recent jump from 95 to 120k, again this is partially attributed to the compensation structure shift within my organization.

What is your most valuable skill?

More of a soft skill, but I would say getting things done. I'm tasked with a wide variety of writing, editing, and strategic roles on our small (4-person) marketing team. The ability to get stuff done is highly regarded in our org.

What's the best book you've ever read on writing, marketing, sales, business or productivity? (Feel free to suggest more than one!)

I don't read a ton of industry books (something I'm trying to be better at doing :)), but I really enjoyed the War of Art. In the past I've struggled with procrastination as a result of imposter syndrome. I really resonate with Steven Pressfield's message of just sitting down and doing the work.

Have you had a career mentor/coach? If so, how did you find them and what have you learned from them?

I don't have a specific mentor or coach, but I've had a few people who have really helped and inspired me along the way. My old college advisor, my current manager. Both have taught me a lot about discipline, doing good work, and what is important in life.

What skills or habits help you thrive at work?

Communication. I'm always an advocate for increased communication. Asking a ton of questions is a habit I'm trying to get better at.

It sounds obvious, but writing. But not in the way you might think, I'm often the go-to if leadership needs something written or proofed, which gives me a lot of exposure to leadership and high-stakes projects.

Tell us about your current job. What does a week in your life look like? What are your primary responsibilities?

We have a small marketing team (4), so we all wear many hats. I'm responsible for the planning, creation, publication, distribution, measuring, and repurposing of content, along with our search performance and growth.

But every week can be different, from writing RFPs to being heads down on content for campaigns.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to join the $100k club?

Trust yourself. Move quickly but thoughtfully, and LISTEN. And always work to improve your writing. As I mentioned earlier, it can open doors to higher opportunities, even if you're just reviewing an email or Slack message your manager is about to send.

Where do you live?

Minneapols, MN