Marketing Manager Jobs
Automotive marketing managers plan and run advertising and promotion for dealerships, dealer groups and automotive companies.
A dealership marketing manager spends the advertising budget, runs the website and social accounts, manages vendors and reports which spend produced leads, appointments and sold cars. Owners judge you on that last link. Marketing experience from other industries transfers, but you have to learn how a store sells and services vehicles.
Data as of October 20, 2026.
Open Marketing Manager positions
Also known as automotive marketing manager, dealership marketing director and digital marketing manager.
A day as a Marketing Manager
Mornings usually start with last night's leads: web forms, calls, chats and third-party listing inquiries. You check whether they were answered, where they came from and how many turned into appointments. Then come the vendors, who send reports that flatter themselves, and you compare them against the store's own sales log and the phone system.
The rest of the day is a mix of making things and checking things. You approve a service coupon, update inventory photos on the website, write a campaign for a model year-end event and file a co-op claim with the manufacturer, which reimburses part of approved advertising when the ad follows its rules. Sales and service managers drop in with requests, and you decide which ones pay.
The job suits people who like testing and trimming spend, and who can say no to a general manager's favorite radio spot. It does not suit someone who wants creative work without numbers. Every ad has to be traced back to a deal.
How to get in
Start in Digital Marketing or an Agency
Many dealership marketers come from agencies, vendors or in-house digital roles. You already run ads and read analytics. Learn the store's cycle: new, used and service customers want different messages, and inventory changes daily.
Move Over from the BDC or Sales
People who handled internet leads know which sources produce shoppers and which produce noise. Pair that with a marketing course or a portfolio of campaigns you ran, even on a small budget.
Bring Marketing from Another Industry
Retail, hospitality and local services marketing carry over. Expect a learning curve on manufacturer advertising rules, co-op, and the way a shopper moves from a listing site to a showroom visit. Say that you have studied them.
Skills and credentials
Channels
- Paid search and social ads aimed at local shoppers
- Dealer website and vehicle listing pages
- Email and text campaigns to the customer database, with consent handled under rules such as CAN-SPAM and the TCPA
- Review and reputation management
Measurement
- Tracking a lead from source to appointment to sale in the CRM
- Comparing cost per lead and cost per sold car by source
- Reading vendor reports critically
- Reporting results to the GM monthly
Dealership Rules
- Manufacturer advertising guidelines and co-op claims
- Advertised price disclosures, checking what your state requires
- Promoting service and parts as well as sales
- Working with sales and service managers on timing
How the job is paid
| Measure | United States | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Median | $166,790 | $132,580 |
| Middle half earns | $123,020 to $216,410 | $122,660 to $172,000 |
| Lowest-paid tenth | $90,260 or less | $87,510 or less |
| Highest-paid tenth | $293,610 or more | $224,700 or more |
BLS occupation: "Marketing Managers" (11-2021), all industries. BLS reports this occupation as "Marketing Managers" across every industry. Automotive marketing managers at dealership groups and manufacturers are included, along with marketing managers in many other fields.
Marketing managers are usually salaried, sometimes with a bonus tied to lead volume, appointments set or sales from marketing sources. Those targets are easy to game, so ask which number counts and who measures it. The closest BLS match is shown on this page with its wages. Use them as a reference rather than a dealership offer.
Ask how big the budget is for you to control. A marketer who owns spending decisions has a different job from one who executes the GM's choices. Ask who approves ads, what vendor contracts are in place and if you can end one that is not working.
Group roles often pay more and cover several stores, but the work becomes coordination and reporting. Ask which one you are interviewing for.
Build your AutoHire profile
- Make the headline specific: Dealership Marketing Manager, digital advertising and lead tracking. Employers search by title and keyword.
- In work history duties, write what you ran: channels, vendors managed, campaigns launched, reports delivered and the systems you used. Use real figures only if you can defend them in an interview.
- Add brand experience for each franchise you advertised, with years, since manufacturer rules and co-op programs differ.
- List platform certifications, courses or a marketing degree under certifications and education. There is no ASE test for this role.
- Set a target salary and willingness to relocate, then turn on open to work. Employers filter on both.
- Apply from each job page, answer a Spark or message promptly, and finish ID verification for the Verified badge.
Interview questions to expect
- Q1
How do you know which ad produced a sold car?
How to answerExplain tracking: call tracking numbers, lead source in the CRM, appointment records and a monthly match against the deal log. Admit what you cannot trace and how you estimate it.
- Q2
A vendor says results are strong, but sales say the leads are poor. What do you do?
How to answerPull the leads, check response times, sample calls, compare sold cars by source and take the findings to the vendor. Say what you would do if the vendor does not improve.
- Q3
How would you spend a limited budget in a slow month?
How to answerName priorities by inventory and service needs: aged units, service retention, high-intent search and the customer database. Show you would cut channels with weak results.
- Q4
What do you know about manufacturer co-op?
How to answerDescribe filing claims with approved ads, keeping proof and following the manufacturer's rules. If you have not used it, say how you would learn the program.
- Q5
The GM wants an ad you think will not work. What now?
How to answerShow the data, offer a small test and agree how it will be judged. Accept the call if the GM still decides.
Where the career goes
- 01
Marketing Director for a Group
Groups hire directors to set standards, negotiate with vendors and coach store-level marketers.
- 02
Digital or E-commerce Manager
Stores moving more of the sales process online want a specialist who owns the website and lead flow.
- 03
Manufacturer, Vendor or Agency Side
Dealer experience is valued at manufacturers, software vendors and agencies that serve dealers.
Terms you will hear
- Co-op
- Manufacturer money that helps pay for approved dealer advertising.
- CRM
- The customer relationship system holding leads, appointments and follow-up.
- Lead Source
- Where an inquiry came from, such as the website, a call or a listing site.
- VDP
- The vehicle detail page, where a shopper views one unit.
- Cost Per Sold Car
- Marketing spend divided by cars sold from that source.
- Third-party Leads
- Inquiries from outside listing or lead providers the store pays for.
- Conquest
- Marketing aimed at owners of competing brands.
Marketing Manager jobs: questions job seekers ask
What does a dealership marketing manager do?
Plans and manages advertising across digital and traditional channels, supervises vendors and measures how campaigns turn into leads and sales.
Do I need automotive experience to be a dealership marketing manager?
Not always. Marketing skills transfer, but knowing the sales and service cycle helps a lot.
Do I need a marketing degree?
Not usually. Employers look at campaigns you ran and results you can explain.
What tools do dealership marketers use?
Ad platforms, the website provider, the CRM, call tracking, email and text tools and listing sites.
Is dealership marketing different from regular marketing?
Yes. Inventory changes daily, ads must follow manufacturer and state rules, and success is measured in cars sold and service visits.
Can I work for a group instead of one store?
Yes. Group roles exist and focus on standards, vendors and reporting.
Sources
- BLS OEWS, Marketing Managers (11-2021) (data as of May 2025)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (data as of October 20, 2026)
Data as of October 20, 2026.
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