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.
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
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | $41,750 | $68,860 | $119,100 | |
| Minnesota | $50,400 | $87,510 | $143,180 | |
| United States | $43,390 | $78,760 | $155,480 |
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 range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer 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.
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.
| Role | Median | vs marketing specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruiter | +6.9% | 410 | |
| Executive Assistant | +3.6% | 130 | |
| Marketing Specialist | this role | 320 | |
| Office Manager | -1.7% | 680 | |
| Paralegal | -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).
| Area | Median | vs the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Minnesota (Nonmetro) | +6.4% | 590 | |
| Mankato, MN | +6.0% | 230 | |
| St. Cloud, MN | +6.0% | 350 | |
| Southwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | this area | 320 | |
| Northwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -6.6% | 590 | |
| Duluth, MN-WI | -8.0% | 330 | |
| Northeast Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -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 area | Median | vs the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niles, MI | +9.6% | 320 | jobs | |
| Chico, CA | +2.8% | 320 | jobs | |
| Wilmington, NC | +0.9% | 880 | pay | |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | +0.4% | 160 | pay | |
| Southwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | this area | 320 | ||
| Rocky Mount, NC | -0.2% | 160 | pay | |
| Anchorage, AK | -0.2% | 380 | pay | |
| Bozeman, MT | -4.2% | 320 | jobs |
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
- 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.