What Is an Email Marketing Specialist?

Key takeaways

Email marketing specialists work in a larger marketing team to reach a business’s intended audience through email.

• The median total salary for an email marketing specialist is $76,000 [1].

• Email marketing specialists manage email campaigns, provide reports, and write and design email graphics.

• You can become an email marketing specialist by pursuing relevant certifications or earning a degree in a relevant field.

Explore a career as an email marketing specialist, including day-to-day responsibilities, average salary, job outlook, and the skills and education you’ll need to be successful in this role. Afterward, consider enrolling in the Google Digital Marketing and E-commerce Professional Certificate. You’ll have the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of digital marketing and e-commerce to gain the skills needed to land an entry-level job in as little as six months. 

What does an email marketing specialist do?

Email marketing specialists typically manage and create all aspects of a business's email marketing strategy. This job may include tasks such as writing emails, managing email contact lists, writing reports on email campaign results, and planning long-term email strategies.

As an email marketing specialist, you will help identify and draft the specific types of emails that are most effective for meeting your employer’s goals; types include:

• Welcome emails

• Blog roundups

• Surveys

• Promotional emails

• Milestone emails

While specific tasks vary based on a business’s needs, you can generally expect to perform the following:

• Create, implement, monitor, and manage email campaigns.

• Write email content or design email graphics.

• Manage email templates to ensure proper messaging.

• Build and maintain email contact lists.

• Assess campaign results and analyze performance.

• Provide reports to relevant stakeholders.

• Use email management software.

Email marketing specialist salary and job outlook

According to Glassdoor, the estimated total pay for email marketing specialists in the US is $76,000 per year [1]. This figure includes additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, or bonuses [1].

The outlook for this job is promising, with 6 percent growth expected through 2034, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics [2]. As more businesses across all industries embrace digital marketing, email marketers have become integral to business success. If a company tries to reach its customer base digitally, it will also likely look to employ email marketing specialists and other digital marketing professionals.

What degree do you need for email marketing?

Email marketers typically need at least a bachelor’s degree, though the exact requirements may vary based on your employer. If you choose to pursue a bachelor’s degree, consider subjects like marketing, business, or even graphic design as your major. 

How to become an email marketing specialist

Education, experience, and skills are at the heart of this career path, and you can enjoy several ways to enter the field. Many businesses look for candidates with a bachelor’s degree, typically in communication, marketing, or business. However, you may be able to start your career without a four-year degree, provided you can demonstrate your knowledge and skills.

Consider starting by reviewing your background to see how it fits the day-to-day responsibilities of the role. Many businesses look for professionals with a strong writing background or marketing experience. If you don’t already have one, build a portfolio to display your prior work, either for a company or on your own, to demonstrate you have the foundational skills needed to write marketing emails.

Professionals in similar roles, such as content creators, writers, or marketing specialists, can leverage their experience into an email marketing specialist role. It’s possible to move into the industry from something completely different, but you’ll need a strong resume outlining how your skills and background can transfer into email marketing.

Skills

You’ll need a robust skill set to navigate this role. Examples of an email marketing specialist’s skills include:

Workplace

• Communication skills

• Creative and critical thinking

• Time management

• Attention to detail

Technical

• Writing, editing, and basic design skills

• A/B and B testing

• Email metrics and analysis 

• Basic coding

• Search engine optimization (SEO)

• Project management 

• Familiarity with email marketing platforms

Education requirements

Employers may often require candidates to have at least a bachelor's degree. According to Zippia, 72 percent of email marketing specialists have a bachelor’s degree [3]. Relevant degree subjects include digital marketing, data analytics, or communications.

Certificates in email marketing or a similar industry can also help make you a more competitive candidate by showcasing your commitment to this career field. If a four-year degree isn’t an option, a marketing internship can give you hands-on experience and training to prepare you for this job. 

Experience

Email marketing specialists need to have experience in the marketing industry. A demonstrated ability to build and manage email lists, use email marketing software, and write professional and engaging copy will help you succeed. This experience can come from internships, online certifications, or on-the-job training.

Paths to becoming an email marketing specialist

You will find two primary paths to becoming an email marketing specialist. The first is to get an entry-level job in the field after completing a four-year degree. The second involves moving into a job from another industry. If you pursue the second route, you’ll want a strong portfolio to help demonstrate your knowledge and job-relevant skills.

Working on email campaigns for a current job can help you build the background needed to look into entry-level positions in the digital marketing field. Digital marketers, content creators, and social media managers can all move into an email marketing specialist role, either with their current company or as a move to a new employer.

Read more: How to Make a Portfolio to Land Your Next Job

Companies that hire email marketing specialists

Any company that is looking to reach its audience through email is going to need an email marketing specialist. Some of the more popular industries for this position include hospitality, wellness, beauty, and entertainment. Udemy, Vanguard, and Adobe are some of the top companies hiring email marketing specialists today, according to Glassdoor [1].

Email marketing specialist jobs: Career advancement

Once you’ve established yourself in an email marketing specialist role, you can expect to progress upward within the digital marketing industry. Some possible jobs you might consider include marketing specialists, marketing managers, and, finally, directors of digital marketing. Email marketing specialists may also transition into digital creation roles, such as content writing or social media management.

No-fluff help for when you’re stuck

Subscribe to our Career Chat newsletter on LinkedIn for industry updates, tips, and trends. Then, explore free, digital career resources:

• Watch on YouTube: 2 AI Email Hacks That Could Save You Hours

• Take a quiz: Career Test: What Career is Right for Me Quiz?

• Expand your vocabulary: Digital Marketing Terms Every Marketer Should Know

Whether you want to develop a new skill, get comfortable with an in-demand technology, or advance your abilities, keep growing with a Coursera Plus subscription. You’ll get access to over 10,000 flexible courses. 

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