Marketing Specialist salary in St. Cloud, MN
St. Cloud is a lower-cost market for marketing specialists: the median of $73,000 a year1 is 16.6% below the Minnesota statewide median of $87,510, and 7.3% below the US median of $78,760. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#92 of 516). About 350 marketing specialists work here, 2% of the Minnesota total.
BLS occupation 13-1161, area St. Cloud, MN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in St. Cloud against Minnesota and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Cloud, MN | $47,340 | $73,000 | $117,540 | |
| Minnesota | $50,400 | $87,510 | $143,180 | |
| United States | $43,390 | $78,760 | $155,480 |
The middle half of marketing specialists in St. Cloud earns $55,630–$92,550. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $117,540, only 2.5 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 $36,920 wide, against $59,870 across Minnesota and $49,960 nationally: employers in St. Cloud 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 | $47,340 | $3,945 | $22.76 | $61,084 |
| 25th percentile | $55,630 | $4,636 | $26.75 | $71,781 |
| Median | $73,000 | $6,083 | $35.10 | $94,194 |
| 75th percentile | $92,550 | $7,712 | $44.50 | $119,419 |
| 90th percentile | $117,540 | $9,795 | $56.51 | $151,665 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $17,370 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $19,550, or about $25,226 once benefits are added. 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 St. Cloud, and the Minnesota statewide median of $87,510 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in St. Cloud
At the $73,000 median, a local hire costs about $94,194 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $21,194 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 St. Cloud
Of the 17 roles we track in St. Cloud, this one ranks #4 by median pay, between recruiters ($74,710) and office managers ($71,790). Project Coordinator is the highest at $96,390.
| Role | Median | vs marketing specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountant | +6.5% | 800 | |
| Recruiter | +2.3% | 480 | |
| Marketing Specialist | this role | 350 | |
| Office Manager | -1.7% | 820 | |
| Executive Assistant | -3.6% | 190 |
Measured against the US median, marketing specialists rank #15 of the 17 roles we track in St. Cloud (-7.3%), between accountants (-7.1%) and executive assistants (-8.1%). The typical role here is at -1.6%, so, measured against the US, marketing specialists cost less in St. Cloud than the area's general pay level would suggest. Marketing specialists hold 3.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in St. Cloud, 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 3 areas in Minnesota with more marketing specialists than St. Cloud, 1 pays less: the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area ($64,300).
| Area | Median | vs St. Cloud | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester, MN | +13.7% | 320 | |
| Southeast Minnesota (Nonmetro) | +0.4% | 590 | |
| Mankato, MN | +0.0% | 230 | |
| St. Cloud, MN | this area | 350 | |
| Southwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -5.7% | 320 | |
| Northwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -11.9% | 590 | |
| Duluth, MN-WI | -13.2% | 330 |
St. Cloud against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, St. Cloud is #246 of 514 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside Minnesota, North Port-Bradenton and Greenville pay just above St. Cloud and Wildwood-The Villages and Orlando-Kissimmee just below. All four are within $300 a year of the median in St. Cloud. Of the three markets with about as many marketing specialists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs St. Cloud | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville, NC | +0.4% | 270 | pay | |
| North Port-Bradenton, FL | +0.4% | 1,590 | pay | |
| St. Cloud, MN | this area | 350 | ||
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | -0.2% | 110 | pay | |
| Orlando-Kissimmee, FL | -0.2% | 8,780 | pay | |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | -0.6% | 350 | jobs | |
| Norwich-New London, CT | -14.1% | 350 | jobs | |
| Fayetteville, NC | -20.9% | 360 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a marketing specialist in St. Cloud, MN?
About $94,194 a year at the median, or $7,849 a month: $73,000 in pay plus about $21,194 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for marketing specialists in St. Cloud?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $73,000 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $47,340, the 90th $117,540, and the middle half earned $55,630 to $92,550.
Is St. Cloud cheaper than the rest of Minnesota for marketing specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $73,000 against $87,510 statewide. The next area up in Minnesota is Mankato at $73,020, the next down the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area at $68,860.
How many marketing specialists work in St. Cloud?
BLS counts about 350 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Minnesota total of 21,280. 3 areas in Minnesota have more; the closest in size is the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area, with about 590.
Does a marketing specialist cost more than an office manager in St. Cloud?
Yes: $1,210 a year more at the median. The medians are $73,000 and $71,790.
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.