Marketing Specialist salary in Harrisonburg, VA
Hiring a marketing specialist costs less in Harrisonburg than in Virginia or the country as a whole. The median is $61,950 a year1: 19.5% below the Virginia statewide median of $76,980 and 21.3% below the US median of $78,760. Nationally it ranks #287 of 516 areas. The market is small, about 290 people, 1% of the Virginia total, so expect few local candidates at a time.
BLS occupation 13-1161, area Harrisonburg, VA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Harrisonburg against Virginia and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisonburg, VA | $36,660 | $61,950 | $106,160 | |
| Virginia | $40,100 | $76,980 | $153,300 | |
| United States | $43,390 | $78,760 | $155,480 |
The middle half of marketing specialists in Harrisonburg earns $47,820–$78,860. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $106,160, only 2.9 times the bottom tenth, against 3.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($67,270) is 9% 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 $31,040 wide, against $48,690 across Virginia and $49,960 nationally: employers in Harrisonburg 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 | $36,660 | $3,055 | $17.62 | $47,303 |
| 25th percentile | $47,820 | $3,985 | $22.99 | $61,703 |
| Median | $61,950 | $5,162 | $29.78 | $79,935 |
| 75th percentile | $78,860 | $6,572 | $37.91 | $101,755 |
| 90th percentile | $106,160 | $8,847 | $51.04 | $136,981 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $16,910 a year in pay and about $21,819 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $14,130 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 Harrisonburg, and the Virginia statewide median of $76,980 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Harrisonburg
At the $61,950 median, a local hire costs about $79,935 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $17,985 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 Harrisonburg
Of the 16 roles we track in Harrisonburg, this one ranks #5 by median pay, between recruiters ($62,310) and sales development representatives ($61,120). Project Coordinator is the highest at $84,680.
| Role | Median | vs marketing specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Manager | +11.1% | 540 | |
| Recruiter | +0.6% | 240 | |
| Marketing Specialist | this role | 290 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -1.3% | 310 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -8.3% | 50 |
Measured against the US median, marketing specialists rank #15 of the 16 roles we track in Harrisonburg (-21.3%), between paralegals (-19.1%) and executive assistants (-26.4%). The typical role here is at -10.6%, so, measured against the US, marketing specialists cost less in Harrisonburg than the area's general pay level would suggest. Marketing specialists hold 5.9% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Harrisonburg, 6.0% across Virginia and 5.7% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Virginia
Across the 13 areas of Virginia with data for this job, the median runs from $58,720 in the Northwest Virginia nonmetro area to $81,660 in Richmond, a gap of $22,940 a year. Of the 7 areas in Virginia with more marketing specialists than Harrisonburg, 2 pay less: Lynchburg, VA ($60,310) and the Southwest Virginia nonmetro area ($61,550).
| Area | Median | vs Harrisonburg | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roanoke, VA | +3.9% | 700 | |
| Northeast Virginia (Nonmetro) | +2.8% | 140 | |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg, VA | +1.4% | 270 | |
| Harrisonburg, VA | this area | 290 | |
| Southwest Virginia (Nonmetro) | -0.6% | 300 | |
| Southside Virginia (Nonmetro) | -1.1% | 290 | |
| Lynchburg, VA | -2.6% | 430 |
Harrisonburg against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Harrisonburg is #290 of 514 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Virginia, Salisbury and Eau Claire pay just above Harrisonburg and La Crosse-Onalaska and Kalamazoo-Portage just below. All four are within $130 a year of the median in Harrisonburg. Of the three markets with about as many marketing specialists, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Harrisonburg | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gainesville, GA | +4.2% | 290 | jobs | |
| Eau Claire, WI | +0.1% | 460 | pay | |
| Salisbury, MD | +0.1% | 160 | pay | |
| Harrisonburg, VA | this area | 290 | ||
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | -0.0% | 370 | pay | |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | -0.2% | 610 | pay | |
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | -3.9% | 290 | jobs | |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | -4.8% | 290 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a marketing specialist in Harrisonburg, VA?
About $79,935 a year at the median, or $6,661 a month: $61,950 in pay plus about $17,985 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do marketing specialists earn in Harrisonburg?
The median was $61,950 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $36,660, the 90th $106,160, and the middle half earned $47,820 to $78,860.
Is Harrisonburg cheaper than the rest of Virginia for marketing specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $61,950 against $76,980 statewide. The next area up in Virginia is Blacksburg-Christiansburg at $62,790, the next down the Southwest Virginia nonmetro area at $61,550.
How many marketing specialists work in Harrisonburg?
BLS counts about 290 in the May 2025 survey. That is 1% of the Virginia total of 25,610. 7 areas in Virginia have more; the closest in size is the Southwest Virginia nonmetro area, with about 300.
Does a marketing specialist cost more than a sales development representative in Harrisonburg?
Yes: $830 a year more at the median. The medians are $61,950 and $61,120.
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 2026-11-13.