The 2025 AMA Marketing Skills Report identifies the skills required to thrive as a marketer today and in the future. Based on a survey of 1,200+ marketers, over 450 job postings and interviews with industry experts, this report lays out the new realities shaping the field of marketing—including the AI transformation, shifting consumer expectations and unprecedented changes to marketing channels—as well as the skills marketers will need to stay ahead.
Key Findings
- In this age of automation, marketers who want to stay competitive should not lose sight of the importance of “human” skills—especially communication, innovation and adaptability.
- When it comes to job-specific skills, the largest current competency gaps are in digital marketing, data and analytics, proving ROI and data privacy and compliance. These are areas where marketers are not fully equipped to meet the demands of their roles today.
- Marketers report a high level of uncertainty about how skills related to technology and channels will change over the coming years. This volatility is most apparent in AI, data privacy, search and social media.
- Gen AI is the top rated future skill, with 43% of survey respondents predicting it will become more important in five years.
- Data privacy is quickly rising in importance as a skill for marketers, driven by a wave of comprehensive state-based regulations and mounting consumer pressure.
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FAQs
The AMA conducted this mixed-methods study drawing upon survey responses, job posting data, interviews with experts in the field, and secondary market data.
The research began with an analysis of more than 450 marketing job postings collected between February and August 2024, drawing from both Indeed and the AMA.org job board. Textual analysis identified which skills appeared most frequently, which informed an updated skills list that reflects how the industry has changed since the AMA’s previous study in 2021.
Before launching the survey, the questionnaire was tested through one-on-one interviews with professional marketers to ensure the language was clear and relevant. The survey was then distributed to 220,483 AMA subscribers in August 2024, generating 1,279 responses from marketing practitioners, with a margin of error of 3% at a 95% confidence level.
Respondents spanned all levels of seniority, from specialists and coordinators to C-suite executives. Company sizes were also well represented, ranging from freelance marketers to organizations with more than 1,000 employees.
It is worth noting that the sample skews toward North American marketers, AMA members, mid-level managers, and those working at small companies, as well as professionals in sectors like higher education. These groups were over-represented relative to the broader marketing profession, which should be considered when interpreting the findings. More detailed information about the survey respondents is available in the full report.
The skills list was built from the ground up using real-world job market data rather than assumptions about what marketers need. The research team analyzed over 450 job postings and consulted secondary market sources to identify emerging skills that weren’t captured in the AMA’s 2021 study.
This process resulted in meaningful updates to the skills included in the research. Some skills from 2021, such as podcasting and agile marketing, were removed. Newer capabilities, including data privacy and compliance and generative AI, were added to reflect where employer demand has shifted.
Director for Research and Innovation, American Marketing Association