Marketing Specialist salary in Chico, CA
Hiring a marketing specialist costs less in Chico than in California or the country as a whole. The median is $70,820 a year1: 25.2% below the California statewide median of $94,700 and 10.1% below the US median of $78,760. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#117 of 516). BLS counts about 320 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 13-1161, area Chico, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Chico against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chico, CA | $40,200 | $70,820 | $120,140 | |
| California | $48,440 | $94,700 | $181,600 | |
| United States | $43,390 | $78,760 | $155,480 |
The middle half of marketing specialists in Chico earns $50,600–$90,700. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $120,140, only 3.0 times the bottom tenth, against 3.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($76,540) is 8% 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 $40,100 wide, against $69,340 across California and $49,960 nationally: employers in Chico 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 | $40,200 | $3,350 | $19.33 | $51,871 |
| 25th percentile | $50,600 | $4,217 | $24.33 | $65,290 |
| Median | $70,820 | $5,902 | $34.05 | $91,381 |
| 75th percentile | $90,700 | $7,558 | $43.61 | $117,032 |
| 90th percentile | $120,140 | $10,012 | $57.76 | $155,019 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $19,880 a year in pay and about $25,652 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $20,220 in pay. 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 Chico, and the California statewide median of $94,700 falls between the 75th and 90th percentiles.
What a hire really costs in Chico
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $20,561 to the $70,820 median and brings it to $91,381 a year. 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 Chico
Of the 17 roles we track in Chico, this one ranks #5 by median pay, between recruiters ($73,910) and office managers ($70,420). Project Coordinator is the highest at $103,320.
| Role | Median | vs marketing specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Assistant | +7.0% | 170 | |
| Recruiter | +4.4% | 310 | |
| Marketing Specialist | this role | 320 | |
| Office Manager | -0.6% | 660 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -15.7% | 80 |
Measured against the US median, marketing specialists rank #16 of the 17 roles we track in Chico (-10.1%), between paralegals (-7.3%) and sales development representatives (-29.0%). The typical role here is at +0.9%, so, measured against the US, marketing specialists cost less in Chico than the area's general pay level would suggest. Marketing specialists hold 5.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Chico, 7.1% across California and 5.7% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in California
Across the 28 areas of California with data for this job, the median runs from $60,540 in El Centro to $141,960 in San Jose-Sunnyvale, a gap of $81,420 a year. Of the 19 areas in California with more marketing specialists than Chico, 6 pay less, the largest of them Riverside-San Bernardino, CA ($69,840), Fresno, CA ($62,880) and Bakersfield-Delano, CA ($69,910).
| Area | Median | vs Chico | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | +4.0% | 730 | |
| Vallejo, CA | +3.7% | 370 | |
| Modesto, CA | +1.1% | 580 | |
| Chico, CA | this area | 320 | |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | -0.1% | 80 | |
| Salinas, CA | -0.5% | 540 | |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | -1.3% | 740 |
Chico against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Chico is #266 of 514 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside California, Savannah and Gainesville pay just above Chico and Kenosha and Racine-Mount Pleasant just below. All four are within $160 a year of the median in Chico. Of the three markets with about as many marketing specialists, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Chico | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester, MN | +17.2% | 320 | jobs | |
| Niles, MI | +6.6% | 320 | jobs | |
| Gainesville, FL | +0.1% | 670 | pay | |
| Savannah, GA | +0.1% | 690 | pay | |
| Chico, CA | this area | 320 | ||
| Kenosha, WI | -0.2% | 380 | pay | |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | -0.2% | 280 | pay | |
| Bozeman, MT | -6.8% | 320 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a marketing specialist in Chico, CA?
About $91,381 a year at the median, or $7,615 a month: $70,820 in pay plus about $20,561 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do marketing specialists earn in Chico?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $70,820 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $40,200, the 90th $120,140, and the middle half earned $50,600 to $90,700.
Is Chico cheaper than the rest of California for marketing specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $70,820 against $94,700 statewide. The next area up in California is Modesto at $71,600, the next down Hanford-Corcoran at $70,720.
How many marketing specialists work in Chico?
BLS counts about 320 in the May 2025 survey. 19 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Visalia, with about 340.
Does a marketing specialist cost more than an office manager in Chico?
Yes: $400 a year more at the median. The medians are $70,820 and $70,420.
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.