We were recently engaged by a client to conduct a search for a Product Marketing Manager. Our client is a Series A funded startup, with a B2B2C native mobile app in the ed tech space, selling across North America.
Our client was looking for someone who had owned Product Marketing for a similar business—specifically a B2B2C native mobile app. Their ideal candidate was someone who was comfortable in an agile startup environment, had completed a significant number of releases in market, and who could work out of their downtown office.
We presented a range of candidates to our client:
The Senior Super-Star: Base salary of $120K, plus bonus.
- Had 7 years experience working in Product Marketing, as well as an MBA.
- Excelled working in large cross functional teams.
- Experience was largely in software companies selling enterprise applications to enterprise customers.
The Hybrid Marketing Marvel: Base salary of $110K, plus bonus.
- Had 3 years experience working in a hybrid Product Marketing and Product Management role, as well as an MBA.
- Demonstrated success with multiple product launches, and marketing software products for enterprise customers.
- Experience working in a client facing, non-technical role, focused on the go to market plan for the release of products.
The Pragmatic Product Marketer: Base salary of $105K, plus bonus
- Had 2 years of Product Marketing experience, and was Pragmatic Certified.
- Worked for a similar company marketing a B2B2C product.
- Strong subject matter expertise in our client’s industry.
The Hire: Base salary of $90K, plus bonus.
- Had 5 years Product Marketing experience, and is a Certified Scrum Product Owner.
- Employed at a company whose business model and product is very similar to our clients, and had excelled in a startup environment as one of the first hires.
- Significant experience launching and marketing new product releases. Had the war stories and lessons learned and success metrics behind him.
To attract the candidate they hired, our client offered a base salary of $95K, plus a $15K bonus.
As you can see, compensation for these candidates varies significantly based on the length and scope of experience, as well as their ability to thrive in similar environments.
For organizations and job seekers alike, it can be challenging to understand what a particular position should pay. Often, it’s a calculation between salary surveys that lack all context, what a person has earned in the past, and ad hoc conversations with others in the field.
We’re sharing market insights into current compensation packages for key roles in the tech industry. Our recruiters conduct targeted searches on behalf of our clients, seeking out candidates who fit the requirements of the role, and diligently qualifying them to present only the very best talent. These posts are meant to highlight the contextual elements that make up compensation, and to help our clients and candidates better understand the current market forces that affect earning potential.
Are you getting ready to grow your Product team? We’ve created a free checklist to help you refine your requirements, plan the interview process, and get aligned on competitive compensation.