SEO Specialist Salary Guide 2023 (2023)

Are you considering starting an SEO career or do you currently hold an SEO position? If you're looking to get into the field you'll probably want to know your earning potential, and if you're already in this field, knowing the market value of your position is crucial so you can negotiate effectively at job interviews or salary review meetings. . This knowledge is necessary, regardless of whether you work as a freelancer or in an internal team.

The salary of an SEO specialist varies by location, industry and experience. There can be big differences, but it's generally a high-paying field that gains recognition over time. This recognition will lead to increased demand for SEO specialists in all types of organizations and better compensation.

In this article, we compare the average salaries of SEO specialists based on various factors so that you have a clear guide. We will cover the following:

1. What Does an SEO Specialist Do?
2. SEO Specialist Salary by Location
3. SEO Specialist Salary by Industry
4. Salary as SEO specialist after many years of experience
5. How to become an SEO specialist
6. Next Steps

You can use the clickable menu to jump to each section. Let us begin!

1. What does an SEO specialist do?

An SEO specialist works to help their client's website rank high for relevant results on search engines like Google and Bing. This usually leads to increased website traffic, which creates an opportunity for more profit.

SEO specialists use various strategies to achieve high search engine rankings. This typically includesOnPage-SEO,OffPage-SEOand technical SEO. Most specialists are familiar with all three types, but some may only focus on one. They often perform tasks like keyword research for content, tracking website performance, and improving domain authority through link outreach.

An SEO specialist typically works within the marketing team but may also need to work with other teams such as development and product teams. The aim is to drive the company's growth and profits. The specific scope of your role generally depends on the overall organization of the marketing team.

For example, working with an in-house SEO team can streamline your work as an SEO specialist, but being a one-person SEO team can yield more results.

Learn more about the role of an SEO specialist in this post:

2. SEO Specialist Salary by Location

Location can be an important factor in SEO specialist salary. This is due to the impact of factors such as the demand for an SEO specialist, the cost of living and local tax rates. An increase in the cost of living and local tax rate is more likely to result in a salary increase for the same position. So if you work for a company that adjusts wages based on location, you may be making less than your peers who live in a more expensive area.

This is worth considering before closing the wage gap; the cost of living can match them.

Let's compare the predictions for the average SEO specialist salary by location. All salaries are in United States Dollars (USD).

• US.:53.872 $(As a matter of fact)
• Great Britain:35.556,83 $(Glass door)
• United Arab Emirates:16.952 $(As a matter of fact)
• Swiss:108.396,60 $(Lohnscale)
• If:$3.625,85(Lohnscale)
• France:49.794,76 $(Glass door)
• Australia:85.830 $(As a matter of fact)
• You have:64.468 $(As a matter of fact)
• Japan:40.423,43 $(Glass door)
• Deutschland:62.244 $(Salario.com)
• Spain:44.166 $(Salario.com)
• Greece:33.208 $(salary expert)

These numbers differ by city or state within a country. For example, according to Indeed, the average salary for an SEO specialist in California is60.736 $, which is relatively higher than the average salary of49.458 $in Wyoming. Although location is a very important factor in determining salary, these salaries also vary by industry and experience.

3. SEO Specialist Salary by Industry

The salary of an SEO specialist varies by industry due to the profit margins of some industries and the amount of SEO work they require. The size of the company is also important as a multinational company usually has more money to spend on SEO than a small company.

Laut Glassdoor, the following industries pay more for SEO specialists.

• Pharmacy and Biotechnology: $84,131
• Human resources and staff: $79,021
• Information Technology: $74,758
• Management Consulting: $70,404
• Media and Communications: $68,448

Even in these industries, wages are still low, so read the job description carefully and the estimated compensation and benefits.

4. SEO specialist salary after years of experience

Employers also consider the amount of relevant experience you have in a role or similar position before making an offer. In general, more years of experience require a higher salary.

This is what the average SEO specialist salary can look like based on years of experience.

Starting salary as SEO specialist

Entry-level SEO specialists typically require up to two years of experience. Typically, your employer expects you to do tasks like keyword research, site audit, on-page SEO, and have a solid understanding of analytics tools. You will learn a lot on the job.

Here is what the average starting salary for SEO specialists in the US looks like in general:

• $45.060 (salario.com)
• $53.689 (glass door)
• $46.989 (Talent)

It's not a bad start, and these salaries tend to increase as you gain more experience.

Mid-level SEO Specialist Salary

Mid-level SEO specialists typically require 2-5 years of experience. By this point, you should be able to work independently with SEO tools and implement and monitor SEO strategies. It has been difficult to find average salary figures for mid-level SEO specialists, but a reasonable estimate is between $50,000 and $60,000.

Senior SEO Specialist Salary

High-level positions are often among the highest-paying positions in a company. They require between 5 and 8 years of experience in SEO or SEO related roles.

At this stage, your employers expect you to have advanced SEO skills, drive SEO strategies and tactics for the company, and report SEO performance to clients and stakeholders. You're probably leading a team with a job title likeHead of SEO.

Here is the average salary for top-level SEO specialists in the US:

• Lohnskal: 64.546 $
• glass door: 78.796 $
• salario.com: 67.918 $
• As a matter of fact: 72.939 $

Performance bonuses that experienced SEO specialists receive can significantly increase these numbers for some companies.

5. How to become an SEO specialist

No four-year degree makes you an SEO specialist. SEO is always evolving, and a degree can become obsolete before you graduate.

However, when applying for jobs, employers often require a bachelor's degree in a related field such as marketing, communications, and business, or experience in a related position. Others may require a set amount of experience in the field.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to becoming an SEO specialist, but these are important steps to get there.

Learn the basics of SEO

If you are new to SEO, learning the basics should be your first step. You must understand topics such as how search engine algorithms work and how to conduct keyword research. You can read various articles on the subject, but for a more intensive and in-depth approach, you should take courses, either paid orFree SEO Courses– or by attending a boot camp.

Take oneCourse Digital MarketingIt will not only give you the basics you need to be successful in SEO, but in digital marketing in general, making you more valuable to any business you join in the future.

The certificates you typically receive at the end of these programs show employers that you are familiar with SEO concepts. However, experience in this area is highly valued.

Create portfolio

Now that you've theoretically learned the concepts and techniques, it's time to get your hands dirty. Become familiar with using SEO tools like analytics software and keyword tools. Start a blog and apply the various strategies and techniques you've learned. After a while, this site can serve as your portfolio and you will have gained relevant experience.

Apply for internships

Now that you have hands-on experience, you can apply for internships with a digital marketing team or SEO agency. You will learn to work with people, which is an important aspect of being an SEO specialist, and with agencies in particular, you will learn the ins and outs of working with clients from different industries. In this way, you will gain a broader range of experience that will give you more confidence in your abilities.

Stay up to date with SEO trends

Remember that SEO is constantly evolving, so you need to keep up with the trends. Follow industry news, read SEO blogs, sign up for SEO newsletters, follow experts sharing information on their social media pages, listen to SEO podcasts, watch YouTube videos and actively participate in forums and communities.

6. Next steps

Now that you know the different salaries for SEO specialists and how they vary by location, industry and experience, you can have realistic expectations. Be confident enough to ask about your worth in terms of skills and experience. Keep in mind that the salary of a freelance SEO specialist can differ significantly from the average figures depending on the number of projects they take on.

Earning potential is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a career. This salary guide shows that an SEO specialist is a well-paying career with potential for growth.

If you want a hands-on introduction to digital marketing first, try thisFree 5-day short course. You may also be interested in the following articles:

• What is CRM?
• The definitive guide to digital marketing in B2B
• What are the best entry-level digital marketing jobs?