Marketing Specialist salary in Richmond, VA
Richmond is the most expensive place in Virginia to hire a marketing specialist. The median is $81,660 a year1, 6.1% above the Virginia statewide median of $76,980 and 3.7% above the US median of $78,760. Nationally that is #22 of 516 areas, in the top tenth. With about 4,550 marketing specialists, 18% of the Virginia total, no area in Virginia employs more.
BLS occupation 13-1161, area Richmond, VA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Richmond against Virginia and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond, VA | $45,080 | $81,660 | $170,120 | |
| Virginia | $40,100 | $76,980 | $153,300 | |
| United States | $43,390 | $78,760 | $155,480 |
The middle half of marketing specialists in Richmond earns $59,080–$128,620. The top tenth earns $170,120 or more, 3.8 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 3.6 times. The mean ($96,240) is 18% 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 $69,540 wide, wider than in Virginia as a whole ($48,690) and the US ($49,960), so what a marketing specialist earns in Richmond depends more on the employer.
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 | $45,080 | $3,757 | $21.67 | $58,168 |
| 25th percentile | $59,080 | $4,923 | $28.40 | $76,232 |
| Median | $81,660 | $6,805 | $39.26 | $105,368 |
| 75th percentile | $128,620 | $10,718 | $61.84 | $165,961 |
| 90th percentile | $170,120 | $14,177 | $81.79 | $219,510 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $46,960 over the median, the 25th only $22,580 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $60,594 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 25th percentile and the median in Richmond, and the Virginia statewide median of $76,980 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Richmond
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 $23,708 to the $81,660 median and brings it to $105,368 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 Richmond
Of the 17 roles we track in Richmond, this one ranks #3 by median pay, between accountants ($84,220) and recruiters ($79,340). Project Coordinator is the highest at $102,170.
| Role | Median | vs marketing specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +25.1% | 6,380 | |
| Accountant | +3.1% | 7,920 | |
| Marketing Specialist | this role | 4,550 | |
| Recruiter | -2.8% | 4,540 | |
| Executive Assistant | -5.1% | 2,060 |
Measured against the US median, marketing specialists rank #3 of the 17 roles we track in Richmond (+3.7%), between HR assistants (+4.2%) and payroll specialists (+3.0%). The typical role here is at +0.1%, so, measured against the US, marketing specialists cost more in Richmond than the area's general pay level would suggest. Marketing specialists hold 6.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Richmond, 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. No other area in Virginia has as many marketing specialists, and all 12 others pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Richmond | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond, VA | this area | 4,550 | |
| Charlottesville, VA | -11.8% | 700 | |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | -14.7% | 160 | |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC | -14.8% | 3,500 | |
| Winchester, VA-WV | -18.1% | 330 | |
| Roanoke, VA | -21.2% | 700 | |
| Northeast Virginia (Nonmetro) | -22.0% | 140 |
Richmond against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Richmond is #36 of 514 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside Virginia, Trenton-Princeton and Charlotte-Concord pay just above Richmond and Napa and Bridgeport-Stamford just below. All four are within $1,270 a year of the median in Richmond. Of the three markets with about as many marketing specialists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Richmond | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +1.6% | 9,500 | pay | |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | +0.6% | 1,140 | pay | |
| Richmond, VA | this area | 4,550 | ||
| Napa, CA | -0.3% | 390 | pay | |
| Bridgeport-Stamford, CT | -0.8% | 3,460 | pay | |
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | -3.7% | 4,470 | jobs | |
| Las Vegas-Henderson, NV | -8.6% | 4,600 | jobs | |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | -9.5% | 4,610 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a marketing specialist in Richmond, VA?
About $105,368 a year at the median, or $8,781 a month: $81,660 in pay plus about $23,708 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do marketing specialists earn in Richmond?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $81,660 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $45,080, the 90th $170,120, and the middle half earned $59,080 to $128,620.
Is Richmond the most expensive area in Virginia for marketing specialists?
Yes. Its median of $81,660 is the highest of 13 areas in Virginia. Charlottesville comes next at $72,010.
How many marketing specialists work in Richmond?
BLS counts about 4,550 in the May 2025 survey. That is 18% of the Virginia total of 25,610. No other area in Virginia has as many.
Does a marketing specialist cost more than a recruiter in Richmond?
Yes: $2,320 a year more at the median. The medians are $81,660 and $79,340.
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.