Performance Marketing Manager: Facts, Skills, and Next Paths
A Performance Marketing Manager plans, executes, and optimizes paid digital campaigns across search, social, and programmatic channels. Day-to-day work involves analyzing campaign data to improve return on ad spend, running A/B tests on creative and audience segments, and managing budgets to meet acquisition and revenue targets.
This role sits at the intersection of analytical insights and creative strategy, often reporting within a larger marketing or growth team. For example, at Cardinal Health the manager develops campaigns through paid media outlets to exceed business objectives, while at Capital One the role leads SEO and cross-channel strategies for banking products. Core responsibilities include bid management, conversion tracking, and reporting performance to stakeholders.
The median salary for this role is roughly $120,095. The most frequently requested skills in current job postings are Digital Marketing (100%), Paid Media (70%), User Acquisition (40%), A/B Testing (30%), and Automation (30%).
$70,000 – $137,500
Avg. Salary
18 paths
Adjacent Paths
57% avg. match
Avg. Match Score
15.2 shared skills
Shared Foundation
The Skill Blueprint for Performance Marketing Manager
The core competencies employers ask for. Use them to strengthen your resume, spot gaps, and compare related career options.
Paid Search (Google Ads)
technicalManaging and optimizing search campaigns
Paid Social (Meta, LinkedIn)
technicalRunning social advertising campaigns
ROAS Optimization
analyticalMaximizing return on ad spend across channels
Conversion Tracking
technical 10% of live postingsSetting up pixels, attribution, and event tracking
A/B Testing
analytical 30% of live postingsTesting creatives, audiences, and landing pages
Budget Management
strategic 10% of live postingsAllocating spend across channels and campaigns
Analytics Platforms
technical 10% of live postingsUsing GA4, Mixpanel, or Amplitude for measurement
Programmatic Advertising
technicalBuying display and video ads through DSPs
Audience Segmentation
strategicDefining and targeting high-value user segments
Creative Strategy
marketing 20% of live postingsBriefing and optimizing ad creative for performance
Where Else Can Performance Marketing Manager Skills Take You?
Build toward this role and you may be building toward several others. Explore the paths that share the same foundation.
Adjacent Paths from Performance Marketing Manager
Showing the top 18 of 45 transitions — explore the rest via the Network map.
Why People Explore Performance Marketing Manager
High Impact Visibility
Performance Marketing Managers sit at a critical intersection in the organization. Your work directly ties to key business metrics — making your impact visible across teams and to leadership.
Resume Signal
The skills behind Performance Marketing Manager — Paid Search (Google Ads), Paid Social (Meta, LinkedIn), ROAS Optimization — give you concrete language for resumes, interviews, and adjacent roles.
Option Value
This is a high-demand function where strong performers can advance quickly. With 45+ adjacent paths available, your career options stay open.
Roles With Similar Day-to-Day Work
Ranked by how similar the day-to-day work reads in live job postings — not just shared skills.
Frequently Asked Questions
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See how Performance Marketing Manager skills match with every career path in our network.