Cover letter examples

Cover letters that open the door.

Occupation-specific cover letter starting points — grouped by industry, tuned to the skills and keywords each role actually rewards. Build yours free, in your voice.

The gallery

A cover letter is a pitch, not a formality. The right one mirrors the role's real priorities — the skills, tools, and outcomes that hiring team is screening for. Pick your occupation below to read a full written example tuned to that role, then start a tailored draft free in the Marqee cover letter builder — and when you're ready, a real strategist will write and submit on your behalf.

9 industries54 occupations live1,000+ rolling outATS-ready & recruiter-tested

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TECH

Technology

22 roles

Engineering, data, and product roles where a parser-clean resume and the right keyword density decide whether a human ever sees you.

Software Engineer

Typical US range$98,000 – $168,000

Ship-record proof: systems designed, latency cut, and the languages a screen filters on.

PythonJavaGoREST / gRPC APIs
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Data Analyst

Typical US range$62,000 – $112,000

Turn raw tables into decisions — SQL fluency, dashboards, and a metric you moved.

SQLExcelTableauPower BI
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Data Scientist

Typical US range$112,000 – $190,000

A model that shipped — the metric it moved, the rigor behind it, and the stack the posting names.

Pythonscikit-learnSQLA/B testing
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Product Manager

Typical US range$108,000 – $182,000

Outcomes over output: a roadmap you owned, a launch you shipped, a number it lifted.

product roadmapuser researchA/B testingagile / Scrum
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Web Developer

Typical US range$60,000 – $122,000

Accessible, fast front-ends — frameworks, Core Web Vitals, and shipped sites you can point to.

JavaScriptReactHTML5CSS
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UX Designer

Typical US range$76,000 – $134,000

Research-to-prototype proof: flows, usability findings, and a metric your design moved.

Figmawireframingprototypinguser research
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DevOps Engineer

Typical US range$104,000 – $172,000

Reliability you built — pipelines, infra-as-code, uptime, and deploy frequency.

KubernetesDockerTerraformCI/CD
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Frontend Developer

Typical US range$88,000 – $158,000

Interfaces that ship — component architecture, Core Web Vitals, and accessibility you can prove.

ReactTypeScriptaccessibility (WCAG)Core Web Vitals
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Backend Developer

Typical US range$96,000 – $168,000

Services that scale — APIs designed, data modeled, latency cut, and uptime you held.

Node.js / Java / GoREST / gRPC APIsPostgreSQLdistributed systems
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QA Engineer

Typical US range$72,000 – $128,000

Quality you can measure — test coverage, escaped-defect rate, and releases you safeguarded.

SeleniumCypresstest suitesCI/CD
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Cybersecurity Analyst

Typical US range$80,000 – $138,000

Threats you contained — SIEM monitoring, incident response, and risk you measurably reduced.

SIEMincident responseSecurity+vulnerability management
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Machine Learning Engineer

Typical US range$120,000 – $200,000

Models in production — training pipelines, deployment, and the business metric they moved.

PyTorchTensorFlowMLOpsmodel deployment
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IT Support Specialist

Typical US range$44,000 – $72,000

Tickets resolved fast — first-call resolution, SLA adherence, and users you kept productive.

help deskticketing (ServiceNow)Active DirectoryCompTIA A+
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Systems Administrator

Typical US range$70,000 – $118,000

Infrastructure you kept up — uptime held, patches managed, and environments you hardened.

Linux / Windows ServerVMwarePowerShell / BashActive Directory
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Cloud Engineer

Typical US range$110,000 – $185,000

Cloud you architected — infra-as-code, cost cut, and uptime you held at scale.

AWS / Azure / GCPTerraformKubernetesCI/CD
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Mobile Developer

Typical US range$92,000 – $162,000

Apps that shipped — store ratings, crash-free rate, and features users actually adopted.

Swift / KotlinReact NativeiOS / Android SDKApp Store / Play deployment
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Database Administrator

Typical US range$84,000 – $140,000

Data you kept safe and fast — uptime, query tuning, backups, and recovery you proved.

SQL Server / OraclePostgreSQL / MySQLperformance tuningbackup / recovery
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Network Engineer

Typical US range$80,000 – $138,000

Networks you kept up — uptime held, latency cut, and infrastructure you scaled.

Cisco / JuniperCCNA / CCNPBGP / OSPFfirewalls / VPN
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Data Engineer

Typical US range$104,000 – $172,000

Pipelines that scale — data modeled, throughput raised, and reliability you held.

Python / SQLSparkAirflowETL / data warehousing
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Solutions Architect

Typical US range$120,000 – $200,000

Systems you designed end-to-end — architecture decisions, scale, and business value delivered.

solution designAWS / Azuremicroservicesstakeholder management
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Scrum Master

Typical US range$92,000 – $150,000

Teams you unblocked — velocity, predictable delivery, and impediments you cleared.

Scrum / AgileCSM / PSMJirasprint facilitation
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Technical Writer

Typical US range$66,000 – $112,000

Docs that ship products — API references, guides, and support tickets you cut.

documentationMarkdown / DITAAPI docsdocs-as-code
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HEALTH

Healthcare

16 roles

Clinical and patient-care roles where licensure, certifications, and specialty experience must surface in the first six lines.

Registered Nurse

Typical US range$66,000 – $104,000

License-forward: BLS/ACLS, EHR charting, patient ratios, and the unit you ran.

RN licenseBLS / ACLSpatient assessmentEHR / Epic
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Medical Assistant

Typical US range$36,000 – $52,000

Front-and-back office proof: CMA cert, vitals, EHR, and clinic throughput you kept moving.

CMA / RMA certifiedvital signsphlebotomyEHR scheduling
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Physical Therapist

Typical US range$80,000 – $108,000

DPT licensure plus outcomes — treatment plans, mobility gains, and caseload.

DPT licenseplan of caremanual therapytherapeutic exercise
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Occupational Therapist

Typical US range$78,000 – $102,000

OTR/L plus functional outcomes — evaluations, ADL goals, discharge readiness, and caseload.

OTR/LADL retrainingSection GGdischarge planning
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Pharmacist

Typical US range$112,000 – $152,000

PharmD + accuracy: verification, immunizations, MTM, and prescriptions filled error-free.

PharmDRPh licensemedication therapy managementimmunizations
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Nurse Practitioner

Typical US range$104,000 – $142,000

Advanced-practice proof: board certification, prescriptive authority, panel size, and outcomes.

FNP-BC / AGNPDEA licensedifferential diagnosisEHR / Epic
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Physician Assistant

Typical US range$108,000 – $138,000

PA-C plus scope — specialty rotations, procedures performed, and patient volume you carried.

PA-C / NCCPAclinical procedurespatient assessmentEHR charting
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Dental Hygienist

Typical US range$70,000 – $98,000

RDH licensure plus chairside proof: prophylaxis, periodontal charting, and patient retention.

RDH licensescaling & root planinglocal anesthesiaDentrix / Eaglesoft
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Radiologic Technologist

Typical US range$62,000 – $92,000

ARRT credential plus imaging proof: modalities, positioning accuracy, and dose safety.

ARRT certifiedradiographic positioningPACSradiation safety
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Physician

Typical US range$208,000 – $360,000

Board-certified proof: licensure, specialty, patient outcomes, and the care you led.

board certifiedstate medical licenseclinical outcomesEHR / Epic
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Dentist

Typical US range$140,000 – $240,000

License-forward proof: DDS/DMD, clinical procedures, and patients you kept healthy.

DDS / DMDstate dental licenserestorative dentistrypatient care
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Veterinarian

Typical US range$100,000 – $160,000

DVM licensure plus care proof: diagnoses, surgeries, and animals you treated.

DVMstate veterinary licensesurgerydiagnostics
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Phlebotomist

Typical US range$36,000 – $52,000

Certification plus draw proof: stick accuracy, volume, and patients you put at ease.

CPT certifiedvenipuncturespecimen handlingpatient care
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Surgical Technologist

Typical US range$48,000 – $72,000

CST credential plus OR proof: sterile technique, case volume, and procedures supported.

CST certifiedsterile techniqueOR setupsurgical instrumentation
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Respiratory Therapist

Typical US range$62,000 – $94,000

RRT credential plus care proof: ventilator management, ABGs, and patients you stabilized.

RRT credentialmechanical ventilationABG analysisBLS / ACLS
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Dietitian

Typical US range$58,000 – $84,000

RD credential plus outcomes: nutrition assessments, care plans, and patient progress.

RD / RDNmedical nutrition therapynutrition assessmentpatient counseling
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FINANCE

Finance & Business

13 roles

Numbers-and-process roles where certifications, modeling depth, and quantified business impact carry the resume.

Accountant

Typical US range$58,000 – $98,000

Close-and-comply proof: GAAP, reconciliations, month-end speed, and CPA progress.

GAAPgeneral ledgeraccounts payable / receivablemonth-end close
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Bookkeeper

Typical US range$40,000 – $63,000

Clean-books-on-time proof: QuickBooks, reconciliations, AP/AR, payroll, and trust.

QuickBooks Onlinebank reconciliationaccounts payable / receivablepayroll
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Tax Accountant

Typical US range$60,000 – $100,000

Returns-and-compliance proof: CPA/EA, busy-season volume, ASC 740, and liability cut.

CPAForm 1120-SCCH AxcessASC 740
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Financial Analyst

Typical US range$70,000 – $124,000

Forecast-and-model proof: variance analysis, FP&A cycles, and decisions you informed.

financial modelingforecastingvariance analysisExcel (advanced)
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Business Analyst

Typical US range$66,000 – $112,000

Requirements-to-results: process mapping, stakeholder asks, and efficiency you delivered.

requirements gatheringprocess mappingSQLstakeholder management
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Project Manager

Typical US range$78,000 – $138,000

On-time, on-budget proof: scope owned, risks managed, and a PMP/Scrum credential.

PMPAgile / Scrumbudget managementrisk management
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Auditor

Typical US range$62,000 – $108,000

Controls-and-findings proof: risk assessments, SOX testing, and remediations you drove.

internal controlsSOXrisk assessmentCPA / CIA
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Management Consultant

Typical US range$95,000 – $190,000

Engagement impact: hypotheses tested, executive recommendations, and value you delivered.

strategyfinancial modelingstakeholder managementchange management
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Investment Banker

Typical US range$120,000 – $250,000

Deal proof: transactions closed, valuations modeled, and capital you helped raise.

financial modelingM&Avaluation (DCF / LBO)pitch decks
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Financial Advisor

Typical US range$70,000 – $160,000

Book-and-trust proof: AUM grown, plans built, and clients you retained.

CFPSeries 7 / 66portfolio managementfinancial planning
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Credit Analyst

Typical US range$62,000 – $108,000

Risk you sized right: credit assessments, portfolios reviewed, and losses you flagged early.

credit analysisfinancial statement analysisrisk assessmentunderwriting
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Actuary

Typical US range$90,000 – $170,000

Exam progress plus proof: pricing models, reserves set, and risk you quantified.

ASA / FSA examsactuarial modelingrisk analysisSQL / R / Python
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Loan Officer

Typical US range$52,000 – $120,000

Volume-and-compliance proof: loans originated, approval rate, and borrowers you guided.

NMLS licensedloan originationunderwriting guidelinesmortgage / commercial lending
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GROWTH

Marketing & Sales

12 roles

Demand-and-revenue roles where pipeline, conversion lift, and channel proof matter more than adjectives.

Marketing Manager

Typical US range$74,000 – $142,000

Campaign-to-pipeline proof: budgets owned, CAC moved, and growth you can attribute.

campaign managementmarketing strategybudget ownershipSEO / SEM
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Sales Representative

Typical US range$48,000 – $96,000

Quota-attainment proof: pipeline built, deals closed, and quota crushed by %.

quota attainmentB2B salesCRM (Salesforce)prospecting
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Account Executive

Typical US OTE range$110,000 – $250,000

Full-cycle closing proof: quota vs. OTE, self-sourced pipeline, and multi-threaded deals.

quota attainmentfull-cycleMEDDPICCself-sourced pipeline
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Digital Marketing Specialist

Typical US range$52,000 – $92,000

Channel-performance proof: paid/organic results, CTR, and a funnel you optimized.

Google AdsMeta AdsSEOGoogle Analytics (GA4)
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Content Writer

Typical US range$46,000 – $86,000

Traffic-and-engagement proof: published work, SEO rankings, and a CMS portfolio.

content strategySEO writingcopywritingediting
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Social Media Manager

Typical US range$54,000 – $98,000

Audience-and-engagement proof: follower growth, engagement rate, and campaigns that converted.

content calendarpaid socialcommunity managementanalytics
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SEO Specialist

Typical US range$58,000 – $104,000

Rankings-and-traffic proof: organic growth, technical fixes, and keywords you moved to page one.

technical SEOkeyword researchGoogle Search ConsoleAhrefs / Semrush
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Brand Manager

Typical US range$84,000 – $150,000

Brand-equity proof: positioning owned, launches led, and share or awareness you grew.

brand strategygo-to-marketP&L ownershipmarket research
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Copywriter

Typical US range$54,000 – $98,000

Words that convert — campaigns shipped, a portfolio, and lift you can point to.

copywritingbrand voiceconversion (A/B)portfolio
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Public Relations Specialist

Typical US range$54,000 – $98,000

Coverage you earned — placements landed, messaging owned, and reputation you protected.

media relationspress releasesearned mediacrisis communications
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Sales Engineer

Typical US range$110,000 – $190,000

Technical wins — demos delivered, POCs closed, and revenue you helped unlock.

technical salessolution demosPOC / pre-salesquota attainment
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Marketing Coordinator

Typical US range$48,000 – $72,000

Campaigns you kept moving — calendars run, channels coordinated, and metrics you tracked.

campaign coordinationemail marketingCRM / HubSpotanalytics
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OPS

Admin & Operations

8 roles

Coordination-and-systems roles where the resume must prove you keep complex things running on time and on budget.

Administrative Assistant

Typical US range$38,000 – $58,000

Keep-it-running proof: calendars, travel, vendors, and an exec you made faster.

calendar managementMicrosoft Officeschedulingtravel coordination
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Operations Manager

Typical US range$72,000 – $134,000

Throughput-and-cost proof: process improvement, P&L exposure, and a team you led.

process improvementteam leadershipP&LKPIs
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Human Resources Manager

Typical US range$74,000 – $132,000

People-program proof: hiring built, retention moved, and SHRM/compliance credibility.

talent acquisitionemployee relationsHRIS (Workday)onboarding
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Customer Service Representative

Typical US range$36,000 – $52,000

Resolution-and-CSAT proof: tickets handled, satisfaction scores, and a CRM you mastered.

customer satisfaction (CSAT)CRM (Zendesk)call handlingconflict resolution
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Office Manager

Typical US range$48,000 – $78,000

Run-the-office proof: vendors managed, budgets owned, and operations you kept humming.

office operationsvendor managementbudgetingQuickBooks
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Executive Assistant

Typical US range$60,000 – $98,000

C-suite-support proof: complex calendars, board prep, travel, and an exec you made faster.

calendar managementtravel coordinationboard meeting prepdiscretion
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Supply Chain Manager

Typical US range$88,000 – $148,000

End-to-end proof: cost reduced, lead times cut, and a network you optimized.

demand planningprocurementERP (SAP)inventory optimization
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Logistics Coordinator

Typical US range$46,000 – $72,000

On-time-shipment proof: carriers coordinated, costs trimmed, and deliveries you kept on schedule.

freight / carrier managementshipment trackingWMS / TMSinventory control
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BUILD

Engineering & Design

7 roles

Make-and-design roles where tools, standards, and a tangible portfolio of shipped work carry the screen.

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