Marketing Specialist salary in Akron, OH
Akron is a lower-cost market for marketing specialists: the median of $66,000 a year1 is 9.3% below the Ohio statewide median of $72,790, and 16.2% below the US median of $78,760. Among US areas it comes in at #165 of 516. About 1,480 marketing specialists work here, 5% of the Ohio total.
BLS occupation 13-1161, area Akron, OH. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Akron against Ohio and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron, OH | $37,790 | $66,000 | $120,190 | |
| Ohio | $39,860 | $72,790 | $129,270 | |
| United States | $43,390 | $78,760 | $155,480 |
The middle half of marketing specialists in Akron earns $50,620–$89,740. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $120,190, only 3.2 times the bottom tenth, against 3.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($73,430) is 11% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $39,120 wide, against $45,650 across Ohio and $49,960 nationally: employers in Akron pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a marketing specialist here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,790 | $3,149 | $18.17 | $48,761 |
| 25th percentile | $50,620 | $4,218 | $24.34 | $65,316 |
| Median | $66,000 | $5,500 | $31.73 | $85,161 |
| 75th percentile | $89,740 | $7,478 | $43.14 | $115,794 |
| 90th percentile | $120,190 | $10,016 | $57.78 | $155,084 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $23,740 over the median, the 25th only $15,380 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $30,632 a year in employer cost. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $78,760 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Akron, and the Ohio statewide median of $72,790 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Akron
At the $66,000 median, a local hire costs about $85,161 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $19,161 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for marketing specialists we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Akron
Of the 17 roles we track in Akron, this one ranks #4 by median pay, between recruiters ($69,900) and executive assistants ($65,240). Project Coordinator is the highest at $93,190.
| Role | Median | vs marketing specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountant | +19.0% | 2,840 | |
| Recruiter | +5.9% | 1,800 | |
| Marketing Specialist | this role | 1,480 | |
| Executive Assistant | -1.2% | 660 | |
| Office Manager | -2.1% | 2,660 |
Measured against the US median, marketing specialists rank #16 of the 17 roles we track in Akron (-16.2%), between executive assistants (-14.8%) and sales development representatives (-17.1%). The typical role here is at -6.1%, so, measured against the US, marketing specialists cost less in Akron than the area's general pay level would suggest. Marketing specialists hold 4.7% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Akron, 5.3% across Ohio and 5.7% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Ohio
Across the 16 areas of Ohio with data for this job, the median runs from $56,550 in Mansfield to $77,010 in Columbus, a gap of $20,460 a year. All 3 areas in Ohio with more marketing specialists than Akron also pay more, among them Cincinnati, OH-KY ($75,750) and Columbus, OH ($77,010).
| Area | Median | vs Akron | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus, OH | +16.7% | 5,880 | |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY | +14.8% | 7,080 | |
| Cleveland, OH | +8.1% | 5,440 | |
| Akron, OH | this area | 1,480 | |
| Dayton-Kettering, OH | -2.9% | 1,420 | |
| West Northwestern Ohio (Nonmetro) | -4.3% | 640 | |
| Toledo, OH | -4.6% | 1,080 |
Akron against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Akron is #74 of 514 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside Ohio, Sioux Falls and Ann Arbor pay just above Akron and Bozeman and San Antonio-New Braunfels just below. All four are within $210 a year of the median in Akron. Of the three markets with about as many marketing specialists, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Akron | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | +8.3% | 1,560 | jobs | |
| Ann Arbor, MI | +0.3% | 1,160 | pay | |
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | +0.1% | 760 | pay | |
| Akron, OH | this area | 1,480 | ||
| Bozeman, MT | -0.0% | 320 | pay | |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | -0.1% | 4,140 | pay | |
| Wichita, KS | -3.2% | 1,470 | jobs | |
| Tucson, AZ | -9.8% | 1,550 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a marketing specialist in Akron, OH?
About $85,161 a year at the median, or $7,097 a month: $66,000 in pay plus about $19,161 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for marketing specialists in Akron?
The median was $66,000 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $37,790, the 90th $120,190, and the middle half earned $50,620 to $89,740.
Is Akron cheaper than the rest of Ohio for marketing specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $66,000 against $72,790 statewide. The next area up in Ohio is Cleveland at $71,350, the next down Dayton-Kettering at $64,100.
How many marketing specialists work in Akron?
BLS counts about 1,480 in the May 2025 survey. That is 5% of the Ohio total of 27,370. 3 areas in Ohio have more; the closest in size is Cleveland, with about 5,440.
Does a marketing specialist cost more than an executive assistant in Akron?
Yes: $760 a year more at the median. The medians are $66,000 and $65,240.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-1161: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.