Marketing Specialist salary in Reading, PA
Reading is a lower-cost market for marketing specialists: the median of $63,040 a year1 is 8.3% below the Pennsylvania statewide median of $68,760, and 20.0% below the US median of $78,760. Among US areas it comes in at #255 of 516. BLS counts about 520 people in this job here, 2% of the Pennsylvania total.
BLS occupation 13-1161, area Reading, PA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Reading against Pennsylvania and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading, PA | $37,150 | $63,040 | $116,160 | |
| Pennsylvania | $34,160 | $68,760 | $128,810 | |
| United States | $43,390 | $78,760 | $155,480 |
The middle half of marketing specialists in Reading earns $49,120–$84,590. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $116,160, only 3.1 times the bottom tenth, against 3.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($71,500) is 13% 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 $35,470 wide, against $46,880 across Pennsylvania and $49,960 nationally: employers in Reading 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 | $37,150 | $3,096 | $17.86 | $47,935 |
| 25th percentile | $49,120 | $4,093 | $23.62 | $63,381 |
| Median | $63,040 | $5,253 | $30.31 | $81,342 |
| 75th percentile | $84,590 | $7,049 | $40.67 | $109,148 |
| 90th percentile | $116,160 | $9,680 | $55.85 | $149,884 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $21,550 over the median, the 25th only $13,920 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $27,806 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 Reading, and the Pennsylvania statewide median of $68,760 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Reading
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 $18,302 to the $63,040 median and brings it to $81,342 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 Reading
Of the 17 roles we track in Reading, this one ranks #6 by median pay, between executive assistants ($66,440) and sales development representatives ($60,880). Project Coordinator is the highest at $98,040.
| Role | Median | vs marketing specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Manager | +5.6% | 1,660 | |
| Executive Assistant | +5.4% | 290 | |
| Marketing Specialist | this role | 520 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -3.4% | 940 | |
| Paralegal | -7.1% | 200 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the lowest paid of the 17 roles we track in Reading (-20.0%); e-commerce order specialists come first (+8.0%). The typical role here is at -4.3%, so, measured against the US, marketing specialists cost less in Reading than the area's general pay level would suggest. Marketing specialists hold 3.6% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Reading, 5.4% across Pennsylvania and 5.7% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Pennsylvania
Across the 20 areas of Pennsylvania with data for this job, the median runs from $50,770 in Johnstown to $79,420 in Philadelphia-Camden, a gap of $28,650 a year. Of the 7 areas in Pennsylvania with more marketing specialists than Reading, 1 pays less: Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, PA ($60,440).
| Area | Median | vs Reading | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| York-Hanover, PA | +3.1% | 570 | |
| Lancaster, PA | +2.8% | 990 | |
| Pittsburgh, PA | +0.2% | 4,940 | |
| Reading, PA | this area | 520 | |
| Lebanon, PA | -2.0% | 120 | |
| Altoona, PA | -2.1% | 150 | |
| Williamsport, PA | -2.8% | 150 |
Reading against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Reading is #175 of 514 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Pennsylvania, Green Bay and Rome pay just above Reading and Honolulu and Provo-Orem just below. All four are within $80 a year of the median in Reading. Of the three markets with about as many marketing specialists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Reading | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bend, OR | +22.5% | 510 | jobs | |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | +10.7% | 520 | jobs | |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | +5.7% | 520 | jobs | |
| Rome, GA | +0.0% | 120 | pay | |
| Green Bay, WI | +0.0% | 830 | pay | |
| Reading, PA | this area | 520 | ||
| Honolulu, HI | -0.1% | 1,090 | pay | |
| Provo-Orem, UT | -0.1% | 3,270 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a marketing specialist in Reading, PA?
About $81,342 a year at the median, or $6,778 a month: $63,040 in pay plus about $18,302 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do marketing specialists earn in Reading?
The median was $63,040 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $37,150, the 90th $116,160, and the middle half earned $49,120 to $84,590.
Is Reading cheaper than the rest of Pennsylvania for marketing specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $63,040 against $68,760 statewide. The next area up in Pennsylvania is Pittsburgh at $63,190, the next down Lebanon at $61,770.
How many marketing specialists work in Reading?
BLS counts about 520 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Pennsylvania total of 31,040. 7 areas in Pennsylvania have more; the closest in size is York-Hanover, with about 570.
Does a marketing specialist cost more than a sales development representative in Reading?
Yes: $2,160 a year more at the median. The medians are $63,040 and $60,880.
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.