Marketing Specialist salary in Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL
For this job Tampa-St. Petersburg sits right at the Florida figure, with a median of $75,210 a year1. That is about level with the Florida statewide median of $75,450, and 4.5% below the US median of $78,760. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#70 of 516). About 8,420 marketing specialists work here, 14% of the Florida total.
BLS occupation 13-1161, area Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Tampa-St. Petersburg against Florida and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL | $37,700 | $75,210 | $128,550 | |
| Florida | $38,830 | $75,450 | $130,570 | |
| United States | $43,390 | $78,760 | $155,480 |
The middle half of marketing specialists in Tampa-St. Petersburg earns $52,580–$95,610. The top tenth earns $128,550 or more, 3.4 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 3.6 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $43,030 wide, against $46,950 across Florida and $49,960 nationally: employers in Tampa-St. Petersburg 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 | $37,700 | $3,142 | $18.12 | $48,645 |
| 25th percentile | $52,580 | $4,382 | $25.28 | $67,845 |
| Median | $75,210 | $6,268 | $36.16 | $97,045 |
| 75th percentile | $95,610 | $7,968 | $45.97 | $123,368 |
| 90th percentile | $128,550 | $10,712 | $61.80 | $165,871 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $22,630 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $20,400, or about $26,323 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg, and the Florida statewide median of $75,450 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Tampa-St. Petersburg
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 $21,835 to the $75,210 median and brings it to $97,045 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg
Of the 16 roles we track in Tampa-St. Petersburg, this one ranks #3 by median pay, between accountants ($78,990) and recruiters ($65,580). Project Coordinator is the highest at $97,780.
| Role | Median | vs marketing specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +30.0% | 11,660 | |
| Accountant | +5.0% | 14,770 | |
| Marketing Specialist | this role | 8,420 | |
| Recruiter | -12.8% | 10,410 | |
| Executive Assistant | -14.0% | 3,140 |
Measured against the US median, marketing specialists rank #7 of the 16 roles we track in Tampa-St. Petersburg (-4.5%), between project coordinators (-4.4%) and medical administrative assistants (-4.7%). The typical role here is at -4.7%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Marketing specialists hold 5.1% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Tampa-St. Petersburg, 5.8% across Florida and 6.4% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Florida
Across the 24 areas of Florida with data for this job, the median runs from $59,020 in Sebring to $78,990 in Miami-Fort Lauderdale, a gap of $19,970 a year. The one area in Florida with more marketing specialists, Orlando-Kissimmee, FL ($72,860), pays less: a bigger pool at a lower median.
| Area | Median | vs Tampa-St. Petersburg | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville, FL | +2.0% | 4,380 | |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | +1.9% | 1,050 | |
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | +0.1% | 800 | |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL | this area | 8,420 | |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL | -2.5% | 1,040 | |
| North Port-Bradenton, FL | -2.6% | 1,590 | |
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | -3.1% | 110 |
Tampa-St. Petersburg against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Tampa-St. Petersburg is #19 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 Florida, Dallas-Fort Worth and Hickory-Lenoir pay just above Tampa-St. Petersburg and New Haven and Burlington-South Burlington just below. All four are within $520 a year of the median in Tampa-St. Petersburg. Of the three markets with about as many marketing specialists, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Tampa-St. Petersburg | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA | +13.5% | 8,130 | jobs | |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | +7.0% | 8,270 | jobs | |
| Hickory-Lenoir, NC | +0.3% | 590 | pay | |
| Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | +0.0% | 20,900 | pay | |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL | this area | 8,420 | ||
| New Haven, CT | -0.6% | 1,230 | pay | |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | -0.7% | 410 | pay | |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | -14.0% | 8,250 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a marketing specialist in Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL?
About $97,045 a year at the median, or $8,087 a month: $75,210 in pay plus about $21,835 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for marketing specialists in Tampa-St. Petersburg?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $75,210 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $37,700, the 90th $128,550, and the middle half earned $52,580 to $95,610.
Is Tampa-St. Petersburg cheaper than the rest of Florida for marketing specialists?
About the same: a median of $75,210 against $75,450 statewide. The next area up in Florida is Naples-Marco Island at $75,280, the next down Palm Bay-Melbourne at $73,350.
How many marketing specialists work in Tampa-St. Petersburg?
BLS counts about 8,420 in the May 2025 survey. That is 14% of the Florida total of 60,770. Only Orlando-Kissimmee has more in Florida.
Does a marketing specialist cost more than a recruiter in Tampa-St. Petersburg?
Yes: $9,630 a year more at the median. The medians are $75,210 and $65,580.
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.