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Marketing Specialist salary in the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area

The Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area is a lower-cost market for marketing specialists: the median of $68,860 a year1 is 21.3% below the Minnesota statewide median of $87,510, and 12.6% below the US median of $78,760. Among US areas it comes in at #135 of 516. BLS counts about 320 people in this job here, 2% of the Minnesota total.

$5,738median pay per month in the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area
$7,404employer cost per month with benefits
$33.11median pay per hour
320people in this job in the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area

BLS occupation 13-1161, area Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

Pay in the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area against Minnesota and the US

Range10thMedian90th
Southwest Minnesota (Nonmetro)$41,750$68,860$119,100
Minnesota$50,400$87,510$143,180
United States$43,390$78,760$155,480
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of marketing specialists in the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area earns $55,200–$93,240. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $119,100, only 2.9 times the bottom tenth, against 3.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($75,210) 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 $38,040 wide, against $59,870 across Minnesota and $49,960 nationally: employers in the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area pay within a narrower band.

What to budget for a marketing specialist here

Point in the local rangePer yearPer monthPer hourEmployer cost per year
10th percentile$41,750$3,479$20.07$53,871
25th percentile$55,200$4,600$26.54$71,226
Median$68,860$5,738$33.11$88,852
75th percentile$93,240$7,770$44.83$120,310
90th percentile$119,100$9,925$57.26$153,677

Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $24,380 over the median, the 25th only $13,660 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $31,458 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 the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area, and the Minnesota statewide median of $87,510 falls there too.

What a hire really costs in the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area

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 $19,992 to the $68,860 median and brings it to $88,852 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.

$88,852local hire, first year incl. benefits
$13,888remote hire, first year incl. fee
$74,964difference in year one
84%of the local cost saved

Other roles in the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area

Of the 15 roles we track in the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area, this one ranks #5 by median pay, between executive assistants ($71,340) and office managers ($67,710). Project Coordinator is the highest at $80,840.

The 5 roles closest in pay. All 15 roles in Southwest Minnesota (Nonmetro)
RoleMedianvs marketing specialistJobs
Recruiter
$73,630
+6.9%410
Executive Assistant
$71,340
+3.6%130
Marketing Specialist
$68,860
this role320
Office Manager
$67,710
-1.7%680
Paralegal
$62,300
-9.5%100

Measured against the US median, marketing specialists rank #14 of the 15 roles we track in the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area (-12.6%), between sales development representatives (-11.3%) and project coordinators (-21.0%). The typical role here is at -0.9%, so, measured against the US, marketing specialists cost less in the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Marketing specialists hold 4.0% of the jobs in these 15 roles in the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area, 7.3% across Minnesota and 5.7% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.

Other areas in Minnesota

Across the 9 areas of Minnesota with data for this job, the median runs from $61,460 in the Northeast Minnesota nonmetro area to $97,910 in Minneapolis-St. Paul, a gap of $36,450 a year. Of the 5 areas in Minnesota with more marketing specialists than the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area, 2 pay less: the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area ($64,300) and Duluth, MN-WI ($63,380).

AreaMedianvs the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro areaJobs
Southeast Minnesota (Nonmetro)
$73,270
+6.4%590
Mankato, MN
$73,020
+6.0%230
St. Cloud, MN
$73,000
+6.0%350
Southwest Minnesota (Nonmetro)
$68,860
this area320
Northwest Minnesota (Nonmetro)
$64,300
-6.6%590
Duluth, MN-WI
$63,380
-8.0%330
Northeast Minnesota (Nonmetro)
$61,460
-10.7%70

the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area against other US metro areas

By number of jobs, the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area is #270 of 514 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Minnesota, Wenatchee-East Wenatchee and Wilmington pay just above the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area and Rocky Mount and Anchorage just below. All four are within $620 a year of the median in the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many marketing specialists, two pay more.

Metro areaMedianvs the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro areaJobsClose in
Niles, MI
$75,470
+9.6%320jobs
Chico, CA
$70,820
+2.8%320jobs
Wilmington, NC
$69,480
+0.9%880pay
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA
$69,160
+0.4%160pay
Southwest Minnesota (Nonmetro)
$68,860
this area320
Rocky Mount, NC
$68,730
-0.2%160pay
Anchorage, AK
$68,720
-0.2%380pay
Bozeman, MT
$65,990
-4.2%320jobs

Questions

How much does it cost to hire a marketing specialist in Southwest Minnesota (Nonmetro)?

About $88,852 a year at the median, or $7,404 a month: $68,860 in pay plus about $19,992 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.

What do marketing specialists earn in the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area?

The median was $68,860 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $41,750, the 90th $119,100, and the middle half earned $55,200 to $93,240.

Is the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Minnesota for marketing specialists?

Yes, it costs less: a median of $68,860 against $87,510 statewide. The next area up in Minnesota is St. Cloud at $73,000, the next down the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area at $64,300.

How many marketing specialists work in the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area?

BLS counts about 320 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Minnesota total of 21,280. 6 areas in Minnesota have more; the closest in size is Rochester, with about 320.

Does a marketing specialist cost more than an office manager in the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area?

Yes: $1,150 a year more at the median. The medians are $68,860 and $67,710.

Sources

4 sources, with links
  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-1161: bls.gov
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
  3. Stafka pricing: stafka.com
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.