SEO consultant salary in U.S.
Based on 61 salaries, an entry-level Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialist with less than one year of experience can expect to make an average total compensation (tips, bonus, and overtime pay) of $42,730. Based on 723 salaries, an early career Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialist with 1-4 years of experience gets an average total salary of $49,208. Based on 154 salaries, a mid-career Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialist with 5-9 years of experience gets an average total salary of $62,402. Based on 26 salaries, an experienced Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialist with 10-19 years of experience gets an average total salary of $58,958. Employees in their late career (20 years and up) earn an average total salary of $68,400.
SEO consultant salary in U.K.
What does an London SEO Consultant earn? In London, the United Kingdom, the national average compensation for an SEO Consultant is £34,000 per year. To discover SEO Consultant salaries in your region, sort by location. Salary estimates are based on multiple anonymous salary submissions by SEO Consultants.
SEO consultant salaries USD/annum – by job titles
Internal SEOs
Because there is no industry standardisation, some of these are guaranteed to be imprecise estimates. Hopefully, the job descriptions will assist you determine individuals in your business would be a good fit for these positions.
Vice President/Director of Search Marketing
$100,000 – $350,000+
This person is ultimately responsible for defining the direction and strategies for huge corporations with earnings ranging from $25MM to $1Bil+. Because this job has the potential to produce or destroy enormous amounts of wealth for a company, wages will frequently reflect executive-level salary (just ask Joseph Morin, who turned down an offer on the high edge of this range). When a hiring manager from a large, Fortune 500 software business recently contacted to ask what I felt a reasonable salary would be, I told him I knew of a similar position with a pay level of $250K/year.
Organic Search Manager/Director
$75,000 – $150,000
This person is in charge of managing an in-house SEO team and reports to the VP of Marketing / CMO. Layers like this exist in large organisations, and someone like Disney’s Terry Cox (who oversees their in-house staff in Orlando) or MTV Networks’ Shimon Sandler would suit the bill.
SEO Lead/Guru
$50,000 – $100,000
The “guru” is often in charge of an SEO team (or may work as an independent) for a small-to-medium-sized corporation making $5-$50MM. They have ultimate power and responsibility for all SEO actions at a company, and for many businesses that rely on the Internet as a key sales channel, their decisions are game changers. They may report to a director of marketing or vice president of marketing, but they may also report directly to the CEO/President.
Campaign Manager
$55,000-$100,000
The campaign manager reports to a director but oversees a team that focuses on specific campaigns for a site, keyword set, content area, and so on. The salary could reach six figures, owing to bonuses, which are frequently awarded to campaign managers who continuously produce good outcomes.
SEO Consultant (Links, Content, and/or Keyword Research)
$45,000 – $85,000
An SEO consultant is the search team’s genuine “worker,” optimising page content, researching keywords, establishing links, adding material, and so on. Because of experience and opportunity, the range is fairly broad – an SEO beginner just starting out will not have the same independence, reliability, and expertise as someone who has been playing in the sector for several years and knows the engines.
Employees of an SEO Agency
I have a slightly better understanding of this, but particular companies are sure to vary.
$70,000 – $120,000 SEO Director
The SEO director leads the SEO team (or teams), offering strategy, overseeing processes, training, and occasionally getting their hands dirty in the SERPs. Lindsay was our director when SEOmoz had a consulting department and earned around the middle-high end of this spectrum).
Search Marketing Consultant
$60,000 – $200,000
A search consultant is a unique breed; these individuals work for an SEO firm but are really consultants in their own right. They have the abilities, talent, and, in certain cases, reputation to manage a campaign or client on their own without the assistance of others (they may even be more knowledgable than anyone else on the team). Some marketing firms have hired people like this, and it’s a position I’ve been offered several times. For those who recall, an excellent real-life example may be when Todd Malicoat (Stuntdubl) collaborated with Jim Boykin’s organisation (WeBuildPages), albeit I’m not implying that one is smarter/better than the other.
Link Builder
$35,000 – $100,000
In many ways, the link builder is a legendary person. They first follow the direction and plan of an SEO manager or even a CEO (in small businesses), but as they increase in power and skill, their value might become so great that it is difficult to keep them (hence the massive salary range). A true link ninja is so valuable that you can practically name their price – the return on investment is well worth it.
Content writer
$35,000 to $75,000
A competent content writer is an essential aspect of any SEO agency, especially one that focuses on linkbaiting efforts. Writers, like link builders, can increase in value over time, but because it takes significantly less specific knowledge, there is far more supply on the market (hence the lower salary ceiling).
SEO Analyst
$30,000 – $60,000
Researchers look for data for content writers, keywords for marketing, and may even help with link development and/or content creation. Web research is a slightly easier ability to learn, although the best of these people (someone like Gary Price might suit the criteria) will be found in higher-level jobs in the sector.
Client Relations Coordinator
$35,000 – $75,000
A client services coordinator, also known as a “project manager,” is in charge of keeping an SEO project’s duties on track, communicating with clients, and keeping the team and management updated on progress. Andy Beal defines this position as “consultant” for a given project, and while their levels of knowledge may not be expert, they can refer back to the team or their higher-ups for guidance on how to answer questions or handle concerns.
Factors that can cause large disparities
The following items have the potential to significantly raise or lower the aforementioned ranges.
Reputation
In the insular world of SEO, which has shrunk due to blogs, forums, and industry events, reputation often precedes you. Your interactions with a firm, with clients, at conferences, and on the internet can generate a lot of interest. For example, when Laura Lippay recently departed Yahoo! (where she was Director of Technical Marketing, supervising several of their SEO efforts), job offers were sure to come in quick and furious, with high pay to boot. Similarly, Tony Adam rose to prominence in the industry, first at Yahoo! and then at Billshrink (he is now at MySpace). Several people who have hired SEOs have asked me for a “Tony-Adam-like” individual to assist them with their SEO.
Geography
The earnings shown above are what I’d expect to find in Seattle, WA or another city with a similar cost of living and tech cluster (Boston, Philadelphia, Portland, Miami). Salaries in New York, London, San Francisco, Los Angeles, or Chicago should be suitably higher, whereas in Tulsa, OK, State College, PA, or Ames, IA, they may be slightly lower.
Experience
A new hire with no SEO experience should expect to be paid in the lowest ranges. However, with SEO, experience accumulates quickly. Just two years of commitment will offer you a significant advantage and the opportunity to be in the middle of the pack (if you’re successful). Similarly, persons with 4 or more years of experience and high-level accomplishments can start around the top of the ranges in the right geography. Salaries in SEO quickly rise due to competent SEOs’ potential to earn substantial sums working independently as consultants, freelancers, or on their own sites/projects.
Supply/Demand
The dot-com bust was not a one-time occurrence, and Web2.0/Social exhibits numerous bubble-like characteristics. Even in the interim, there have been minor swings (mainly seasonal) that have caused SEO to be more or less in demand by agencies and businesses.
Sources:
quora.com
salary.com
glassdoor.co.uk