SEO Salary Survey 2023 [Industry Research]

Listed here are the highest takeaways:

• The median annual wage for SEOs we polled was $49,211
• The very best annual wage we polled was $229,652
• To earn the upper salaries in search engine marketing you want be a technical SEO skilled—Heads of search engine marketing, search engine marketing Administrators and search engine marketing Leads all mentioned that their primary specialization was technical search engine marketing 
• Solely 5.4% of respondents discovered search engine marketing by means of a course—most discovered on the job (52.3%) or by themselves (42.3%)
• 36.9% described themselves as content material specialists, 30.6% described themselves as technical specialists, 6.3% described themselves as specializing in link-building
• 49.5% of respondents labored in SEO agencies, 42.3% in-house and eight.2% had been self-employed
• Most respondents (28.8%) labored in firms that had 11-50 individuals
• The common SEO experience of our respondents was 6.9 years
• Self-employed SEOs earned probably the most on common ($60,232k)—the median annual wage for in-house roles was barely decrease at $56,789, and company SEOs had the bottom median annual wage at $44,169

There have been additionally a number of surprises:

• Few SEOs in our survey mentioned that they specialised in hyperlink constructing in comparison with technical and content material. That is even supposing hyperlinks are nonetheless some of the essential Google ranking factors.
• The common degree of expertise between search engine marketing Administrators and Head of search engine marketing will not be that totally different—10.4 years for a search engine marketing Director and 10.6 years for a Head of search engine marketing—however the wage distinction between the roles was ~$11,552—fairly substantial.

Overview

Right here’s how annual salaries broke down throughout our respondents:

In keeping with the SEOs we polled, most of them discovered search engine marketing on the job or had been self-taught. 

Most of our respondents had a few years of expertise underneath their belts. The quantity of expertise Head of SEOs had versus search engine marketing Administrators was not that totally different, at round 10 years.

• Throughout all respondents, the common expertise was 6.9 years
• For Head of search engine marketing, the common expertise was 10.6 years
• For search engine marketing Director, the common expertise was 10.4 years
• For search engine marketing Lead, the common expertise was 7.4 years
• For search engine marketing Account Supervisor, the common expertise was 4.2 years
• For search engine marketing Marketing consultant, the common expertise was 6 years 
• For search engine marketing Govt, the common expertise was 3 years 
• For search engine marketing Analyst, the common expertise was 5 years

Technical and Content material had been the 2 high expertise that SEOs we surveyed specialised in.

The proportion of SEOs that mentioned they specialised in hyperlinks was a lot decrease regardless of hyperlinks being a serious rating issue.

Our survey confirmed an virtually 50/50 break up between the UK and Europe. 48.6% of respondents had been from the UK—maybe not shocking on condition that BrightonSEO is predicated within the UK.

A lot of the respondents we spoke to labored in businesses or in-house. It does imply, nevertheless, that our wage information was primarily targeted on these two employment varieties.

Throughout all respondents, the commonest firm measurement was 11-50. A big proportion of SEOs additionally labored for considerably bigger firms that had over 1000 staff.

Right here’s the total breakdown of every position.

Head of search engine marketing wage

It’s most likely not an excessive amount of of a shock that the Head of search engine marketing position was our highest-paying search engine marketing position surveyed. What’s extra of a shock was the variation in wage—our survey confirmed {that a} Head of search engine marketing can earn something from ~$25k to ~$229k. 

Common expertise

In keeping with our survey, a Head of search engine marketing has ~10.6 years of expertise.

Sort of firm

46.7% of respondents labored for an company, and 46.7% labored in-house. 6.7% had been self-employed.

Schooling

66.7% of respondents mentioned they had been self-taught, 26.7% mentioned they’d discovered on the job, and 6.7% mentioned that that they had discovered search engine marketing from a course.

Specialization

40% mentioned that they specialised in technical search engine marketing, 33.3% in Content material, and 13.3% mentioned they had been a generalist. The remaining 13.4% mentioned they targeted on individuals administration. 

That is shocking, because it implies that 73.3% of individuals in Head of search engine marketing roles are actively offering search engine marketing providers for his or her purchasers slightly than specializing in managing a crew.

Firm measurement

There have been two firm sizes that had been hottest for Head of SEOs to work in. 40% of respondents mentioned they labored in firms with 11-50 individuals, and 20% mentioned they labored in firms with over 1001 individuals. 

Location

40% of respondents had been from the UK, 13.3% had been from the Netherlands, and the rest had been from mainland Europe.

search engine marketing Director wage

The wage variation wasn’t fairly as excessive for search engine marketing Administrators, however salaries ranged from ~$42k to ~$121k—nonetheless fairly a distinction.

Common expertise

search engine marketing Administrators in our survey had 10.4 years of expertise on common.

Sort of firm

There was a 50/50 break up between search engine marketing Administrators’ backgrounds, with 50% from company and 50% from in-house

Schooling

62.5% of search engine marketing Administrators described themselves as self-taught, and 37.5% mentioned that they discovered search engine marketing on the job.

Specialization

75% of them specialised in technical search engine marketing, while 25% described themselves as generalists or Different.

Firm measurement

In keeping with our survey, search engine marketing Administrators usually work in medium to giant firms. 25% mentioned that they labored in firms that had over 1000 individuals, and 25% mentioned they labored in firms that had 51-100 staff.

Location

Most search engine marketing Administrators we surveyed had been from the UK (62.5%). The remainder had been equal splits between India, the U.S., and Germany (12.5%).

search engine marketing Lead wage

search engine marketing Leads usually have lots of expertise, however our survey exhibits that they solely earn barely extra on common than search engine marketing Specialists.

Common expertise

search engine marketing Leads in our survey had 7.4 years of expertise on common.

Sort of firm

50% of search engine marketing Leads got here from an company background, 41.7% got here from in-house, and eight.3% had been self-employed.

Schooling

69.2% discovered on the job, 23.1% had been self-taught, and seven.7% discovered search engine marketing by means of a course.

Specialization

30.8% of search engine marketing Leads specialised in technical search engine marketing, 23% specialised in content material, and 23.1% specialised in hyperlinks. 15.4% described themselves as generalists. The remaining 7.7% described themselves as specializing in SEO strategy.

Firm measurement

46.2% labored in firms that had 1001+ individuals, and the remaining 53.8% labored in smaller firms.

Location

23.1% of search engine marketing Leads got here from the UK, with the rest coming from the Netherlands, Italy, and Sweden (15.4% every) and 30.7% from different European nations.

search engine marketing Specialist wage

search engine marketing Specialists we surveyed had round 5-6 years of expertise, however they usually obtained paid higher than search engine marketing Leads. Based mostly on my expertise, this can be as a consequence of in-house roles paying higher than company roles within the UK.

Common expertise

search engine marketing Specialists in our survey had a mean of 5.8 years of expertise.

Sort of firm

41.2% of search engine marketing Specialists got here from an company background, whereas 58.8% mentioned that they had been from an in-house background.

Schooling

58.8% of search engine marketing Specialists mentioned that that they had discovered search engine marketing on the job, 35.3% mentioned that they had been self-taught, and 5.9% mentioned that that they had discovered search engine marketing by means of a course.

Specialization

52.9% of search engine marketing Specialists specialised in content material, 29.4% targeted on technical, 11.8% described themselves as all-rounders, and 5.9% described specialised in hyperlinks.

Firm measurement

41.2% of search engine marketing Specialists mentioned that they labored in firms that had 11-50 individuals. Solely 17.6% of respondents mentioned that they labored in firms that had 1001+ individuals. 23.6% mentioned they labored in firms between 51-500 individuals. The remaining 17.6% labored in smaller firms with lower than 10 individuals.

Location

23.5% of search engine marketing Specialists mentioned that they had been from the UK, with the rest from Europe.

search engine marketing Account Supervisor wage

search engine marketing Account Managers in our survey had been some of the constant wage bands incomes between ~$40k and ~$55k.

Common expertise

search engine marketing Account managers in our survey had 4.2 years of expertise on common.

Sort of firm

85.7% of respondents labored for an company, and 14.3% labored in-house.

Schooling

71.4% of respondents mentioned they discovered search engine marketing on the job, and 28.6% mentioned they had been self-taught.

Specialization

42.9% mentioned that they specialised in content material, 28.6% described themselves as an all-rounder, 14.3% mentioned they had been technical search engine marketing, and the remaining 14.2% mentioned they specialised in hyperlinks.

Firm measurement

42.9% of respondents mentioned they labored in firms with 11-50 individuals, and 28.6% mentioned they labored in firms with over 1001 individuals. The remaining 28.6% was break up equally between individuals who labored in firms with between 2-11 individuals or 51-100 individuals.

Location

85.7% of respondents had been from the UK, and 14.3% of the rest had been from Europe.

search engine marketing Marketing consultant wage

search engine marketing Consultants we surveyed earned as much as ~$87k, which was decrease than I used to be anticipating—as a result of our SEO pricing publish recommended that search engine marketing consultants cost between $100-150 per hour. 

However as the info is UK-focused, the doubtless motive for that is the £85k VAT tax threshold. 

Common expertise

search engine marketing Consultants in our survey had 6 years of expertise on common.

Sort of firm

63.3% of respondents labored for an company, and 36.7% labored in-house.

Schooling

45.5% of respondents mentioned they had been self-taught, 36.4% mentioned they’d discovered on the job, and 9.1% mentioned that that they had discovered search engine marketing from a course. The remaining 9% mentioned they’d discovered from different methods.

Specialization

27.3% mentioned that they specialised in technical search engine marketing, 27.3% in content material, and 27.3% mentioned they had been a generalist. The remaining 18.1% mentioned they targeted on administration and technique.

Firm measurement

search engine marketing Consultants usually labored on their very own or in smaller businesses in keeping with our survey — 36.4% of respondents mentioned they labored on their very own, and 27.3% mentioned they labored in firms with 51-100 individuals. The remaining 36.3% mentioned they labored in firms with between 2-50 individuals.

Location

36.4% of respondents had been from the UK, 27.3% had been from the Netherlands, and the remaining 36.3% had been from Europe.

search engine marketing Govt wage

Common expertise

search engine marketing Executives in our survey had 3 years of expertise on common.

Sort of firm

80% of respondents labored for an company, and 20% labored in-house.

Schooling

80% of respondents mentioned they had been self-taught, and 20% mentioned they’d discovered search engine marketing from a course.

Specialization

40% mentioned that they specialised in technical search engine marketing, 20% in Content material, and 40% mentioned they had been a generalist. 

Firm measurement

80% of respondents mentioned they labored in firms with 11-50 individuals, and 20% mentioned they labored in firms with 1001 or extra individuals.

Location

80% of respondents had been from the UK, and 20% had been from Belgium.

search engine marketing Analyst wage

search engine marketing Analysts usually had a number of extra years of expertise than search engine marketing Executives, but it surely seems to be like they earned roughly the identical as them.

Common expertise

search engine marketing Analysts in our survey had 5 years of expertise on common.

Sort of firm

33.3% of respondents labored for an company, and 66.7% labored In-house.

Schooling

33.3% of respondents mentioned they had been self-taught, and 66.7% mentioned they’d discovered on the job.

Specialization

33.3% mentioned that they specialised in technical search engine marketing, 33.3% in Content material, and 33.3% mentioned they specialised in Information search engine marketing.

Firm measurement

33.3% of respondents mentioned they labored in firms with 101-200 individuals, and 66.7% mentioned they labored in firms with over 201 individuals.

Location

search engine marketing Analysts got here from a spread of areas 33% of respondents had been from Portugal, 33.3% had been from Brazil, and the rest had been from Serbia.

Closing ideas

search engine marketing salaries aren’t usually mentioned intimately throughout the trade, so getting a snapshot of their present state from one of many greatest SEO conferences within the UK was insightful.

For our subsequent wage survey, we’ll be opening it as much as all SEOs. Should you’d like to participate—you possibly can enter here.

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