Marketing Specialist salary in Rochester, NY
Rochester is a lower-cost market for marketing specialists: the median of $77,170 a year1 is 21.7% below the New York statewide median of $98,580, and 2.0% below the US median of $78,760. Only 48 of 516 US areas pay more for this job. About 2,550 marketing specialists work here, 3% of the New York total.
BLS occupation 13-1161, area Rochester, NY. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Rochester against New York and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester, NY | $46,030 | $77,170 | $127,620 | |
| New York | $56,070 | $98,580 | $165,920 | |
| United States | $43,390 | $78,760 | $155,480 |
The middle half of marketing specialists in Rochester earns $58,490–$100,390. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $127,620, only 2.8 times the bottom tenth, against 3.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $41,900 wide, against $56,830 across New York and $49,960 nationally: employers in Rochester 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 | $46,030 | $3,836 | $22.13 | $59,394 |
| 25th percentile | $58,490 | $4,874 | $28.12 | $75,471 |
| Median | $77,170 | $6,431 | $37.10 | $99,574 |
| 75th percentile | $100,390 | $8,366 | $48.26 | $129,535 |
| 90th percentile | $127,620 | $10,635 | $61.36 | $164,671 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $23,220 a year in pay and about $29,961 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $18,680 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 Rochester, and the New York statewide median of $98,580 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Rochester
At the $77,170 median, a local hire costs about $99,574 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $22,404 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 Rochester
Of the 17 roles we track in Rochester, this one ranks #3 by median pay, between accountants ($80,890) and recruiters ($76,590). Project Coordinator is the highest at $103,520.
| Role | Median | vs marketing specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +34.1% | 3,350 | |
| Accountant | +4.8% | 4,370 | |
| Marketing Specialist | this role | 2,550 | |
| Recruiter | -0.8% | 2,460 | |
| Executive Assistant | -6.4% | 2,830 |
Measured against the US median, marketing specialists rank #9 of the 17 roles we track in Rochester (-2.0%), between administrative assistants (-1.6%) and e-commerce order specialists (-2.2%). The typical role here is at -2.0%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Marketing specialists hold 4.8% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Rochester, 7.3% across New York and 5.7% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in New York
Across the 16 areas of New York with data for this job, the median runs from $58,410 in Elmira to $100,520 in New York-Newark, a gap of $42,110 a year. The one area in New York with more marketing specialists, New York-Newark, NY-NJ ($100,520), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs Rochester | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark, NY-NJ | +30.3% | 79,290 | |
| Ithaca, NY | +2.1% | 240 | |
| Rochester, NY | this area | 2,550 | |
| Syracuse, NY | -0.1% | 1,180 | |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie, NY | -1.1% | 970 | |
| Albany-Schenectady, NY | -1.3% | 2,160 | |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | -1.5% | 2,520 |
Rochester against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Rochester is #54 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 New York, Nashville-Murfreesboro and Bend pay just above Rochester and Detroit-Warren and Columbus just below. All four are within $160 a year of the median in Rochester. Of the three markets with about as many marketing specialists, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Rochester | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville-Springdale, AR | +7.6% | 2,590 | jobs | |
| Bend, OR | +0.1% | 510 | pay | |
| Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN | +0.1% | 5,510 | pay | |
| Rochester, NY | this area | 2,550 | ||
| Detroit-Warren, MI | -0.1% | 11,710 | pay | |
| Columbus, OH | -0.2% | 5,880 | pay | |
| Madison, WI | -11.9% | 2,640 | jobs | |
| Birmingham, AL | -19.4% | 2,660 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a marketing specialist in Rochester, NY?
About $99,574 a year at the median, or $8,298 a month: $77,170 in pay plus about $22,404 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do marketing specialists earn in Rochester?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $77,170 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $46,030, the 90th $127,620, and the middle half earned $58,490 to $100,390.
Is Rochester cheaper than the rest of New York for marketing specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $77,170 against $98,580 statewide. The next area up in New York is Ithaca at $78,810, the next down Syracuse at $77,110.
How many marketing specialists work in Rochester?
BLS counts about 2,550 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the New York total of 80,500. Only New York-Newark has more in New York.
Does a marketing specialist cost more than a recruiter in Rochester?
Yes: $580 a year more at the median. The medians are $77,170 and $76,590.
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.