Marketing Manager to Business Development Manager

Summary: None of the 6 core skills listed for Business Development Manager match Marketing Manager word for word, but 2 build on related experience. The US median salary changes by +11% ($95K → $105K). Difficulty: Major Pivot, typically around 12 months of focused upskilling.

The two roles

Marketing Manager: Plan and execute marketing campaigns and brand strategy.

Business Development Manager: Identify and pursue new business opportunities and partnerships. Growth outlook +8%; AI-resistant. Typical education: bachelor. Typical experience: 3-6 years.

Skills that carry over

None of the listed skills match word for word, but the related experience below transfers.

Builds on related experience

• Lead Generation — builds on Marketing Strategy
• Market Research — builds on Marketing Strategy

Skills to learn for Business Development Manager

• Business Development
• Partnerships
• Strategy
• Networking

Salary comparison (median, estimated)

Salary figures are estimates benchmarked against public compensation data — see methodology.

Next steps

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Related

Marketing Manager career guide | Business Development Manager career guide

Other transitions to consider

• Marketing Manager to Operations Manager — 3 of the core skills carry over
• Marketing Manager to Chief Marketing Officer — 4 of the core skills carry over
• Marketing Manager to E-commerce Manager — 3 of the core skills carry over
• Marketing Manager to Influencer Marketing Manager — 4 of the core skills carry over
• Sales Manager to Business Development Manager — 3 of the core skills carry over
• Enterprise Sales Executive to Business Development Manager — 2 of the core skills carry over
• Account Executive to Business Development Manager — 2 of the core skills carry over
• Account Manager to Business Development Manager — 2 of the core skills carry over