Marketing salaries are trending higher and at a faster rate than the baseline, according to the American Marketing Association. A survey of more than 67,000 marketers found an average rise in compensation of 19 percent, including content strategist (40 percent) and social media manager (20 percent). They all exceeded the 3 percent baseline set by the U.S. Salary Increase Survey:
| Marketing Job Title | 2016 Median Salary | 2017 Median Salary | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Coordinator | $40,718 | $46,756 | +15% |
| Marketing Associate | $42,102 | $49,708 | +18% |
| Social Media Manager | $46,511 | $55,901 | +20% |
| Content Strategist | $62,200 | $87,174 | +40% |
| Marketing Manager | $71,352 | $78,429 | +10% |
| Director of Marketing | $93,435 | $109,492 | +17% |
| VP, Marketing | $146,860 | $163,134 | +11% |
That survey encompassed both traditional and digital marketing, but the latter holds a distinct advantage. Nielsen’s 2018 survey of chief marketing officers found that 82 percent planned on increasing their digital media spend as part of their total advertising budget. Only 30 percent planned to invest more in traditional media channels.
Overall, salaries in digital marketing are strong. Digital marketing specialists earn an annual salary of about $50,000, according to real-time salary data from PayScale at the time of publication. Another major classification of professionals in this field is digital marketing managers, who earn an annual salary of nearly $65,000, plus well over $10,000 in average additional compensation.
The following sections introduce the field of digital marketing and examine salaries for specific job titles using figures from PayScale.
What Exactly Is Digital Marketing?
Like traditional marketing, digital marketing is focused on driving business and revenue through brand awareness, targeted advertising campaigns and other methods. However, they differ in how audiences are reached. Traditional marketing uses offline methods like television, radio and print ads, and digital marketing takes place online through social media, emails and website-targeted efforts.
Here are some common types of digital marketing:
- Content marketing involves creating and sharing videos, blogs and social media posts that don’t explicitly promote something. Media generates natural interest, leading to an increase in web traffic and brand awareness.
- Customer relationship management (CRM) examines how a company interacts with customers, drawing on data analysis and feedback to enhance loyalty and drive repeat sales. CRM can be synonymous with the tools used to compile data from communication channels.
- Email marketing uses direct marketing to message customers with coupons, ads and announcements.
- Mobile marketing focuses on portable computing devices like smartphones and tablets. Efforts include optimizing content and advertisements for viewing on mobile devices.
- Pay-per-click (PPC) marketing is rooted in the form of advertising that enables marketers to pay for each time a customer clicks on an ad. It typically takes place on search engines.
- Search engine optimization (SEO) marketing enhances visibility of search engine results, including technical and creative elements needed to improve rankings of an organization’s website.
- Social media marketing promotes a company and its products or services through engaging and shareable content.
You can look at those fields and more within digital marketing for employment opportunities. For instance, you could easily build a career as an entry- and mid-level email marketer, and then obtain a managerial- or director-level position after obtaining experience in this specialty. There are several career options across digital marketing.
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Sample Digital Marketing Specialist Salaries
SEO Specialist
SEO specialists help develop SEO strategies that ensure the organization, product or service appears early in search results. A large emphasis is placed on finding high-volume words and phrases that people are using for online searches. Capitalizing on relevant, opportunistic keywords enables SEO specialists to dramatically boost an organization’s web traffic and, ultimately, success.
Several skills and strategies are utilized by SEO specialists. These professionals need to be aware of technical aspects of SEO, like the different types of “tags” that search engines use to match a person’s search to the results. Cross-linking webpages and inserting keywords in blog article headers are other ways to optimize search engine results. Because search engine algorithms are continually updated, SEO specialists need to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and tactics.
The average salary for SEO specialists is about $44,000. A bachelor’s degree in marketing or business is typically required for entry in this field.
Digital Strategist
Digital strategists play a key role in helping a company roll out digital marketing. These professionals help determine what product development and promotion strategies are appropriate for a certain campaign.
Compared to positions like email or SEO specialists, digital strategists are not typically confined to a specific specialty of digital marketing. In a given day, digital strategists may plan and execute campaigns that relate to email, SEO, social media and content marketing. Identifying the best channels for a piece of content or a new product or service can include several digital outlets. Digital strategists utilize and report on the effectiveness of digital channels to refine efforts for their organization or collection of clients.
The average salary for digital strategists is around $59,000. Employers often look for candidates to have a bachelor’s degree in marketing or business, along with three to five years of related experience.
Sample Digital Marketing Manager Roles
Content Marketing Manager
Content marketing managers develop and oversee a company’s content strategy. That typically includes blog articles, web pages, social media campaigns and sometimes offline efforts like print ads.
Understanding the target audience of the company or client is essential for content marketing managers. That step enables professionals to develop new content and refine existing content to meet certain needs, preferences and opportunities. Additionally, content marketing managers often oversee the editorial calendar and production plan, along with tracking the effectiveness of various content marketing activities.
The average salary for content marketing managers is just over $64,000. Employers often desire candidates who have a bachelor’s degree in marketing or business, as well as prior experience in editorial and content strategies.
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Manager
PPC managers help direct traffic to a company’s website from search engines. They often oversee a team of PPC specialists who are crafting ads, setting PPC bids for certain keywords and reporting on the effectiveness of campaigns. PPC managers may oversee hundreds of these campaigns.
In a managerial role, these PPC professionals take a large-scale view of operations. PPC managers may help create PPC campaigns, but typically they’re reviewing ads created by specialists, analyzing performance of ads and locating opportunities for growth. Developments in PPC happen regularly and campaigns may need to be altered quickly, so PPC managers must act quickly and stay up-to-date on the latest trends in the field.
The average salary for PPC managers is nearly $50,000. Typical requirements include a bachelor’s degree in marketing or business, a few years of experience and industry-specific certification, often in Google AdWords.
Digital Marketing Manager
Digital marketing managers can have different responsibilities based on company size and budget. Often, these managers develop and operate promotion strategies that integrate several different areas of digital marketing. For instance, a smaller organization may hire one digital marketing manager to oversee all email, social media and content marketing efforts. This type of structure is more common when having separate managers for each area is not feasible.
The average salary for digital marketing managers is around $64,000. Requirements include a bachelor’s degree in marketing or business, but a master’s degree and related experience is often preferred.
Advancing Your Marketing Career
There are several specialties in digital marketing where you grow your career. With the right experience and education, you can pursue a role like content strategist, which was the highest median salary increase of all marketing roles, according to the American Marketing Association. Compensation went up 40 percent, with a median salary of $87,174. Higher-level titles such as manager or director offer even greater earning potential.
Earn a degree that provides you with a full suite of digital marketing education. You’ll be able to advance in digital marketing areas like SEO, email, content marketing, social media marketing, research and more. Fairleigh Dickinson University’s online master’s in digital marketing can prepare you for the next level of your career.
FAQs
How much salary do you expect from digital marketing? ›
Digital Marketing Salary Trends for 2022
Digital Marketer Salary in India: An average salary for a digital marketing executive is 2 LPA, and as you gain experience, your salary can rise to 6 LPA. In contrast, the salary package of a digital marketing analyst ranges from 3.6 LPA to 9.4 LPA on average.
As a student with no experience and someone who is just starting out, you can easily earn 5k-10k per month right from your first job, even more. You can start from an internship and gain experience and in a year, you can easily earn 15k-20k monthly. All this while only working a few hours a day.
What is the monthly salary of a digital marketer? ›Average salary for a Digital Marketing Manager in India is 7.2 Lakhs per year (₹60.0k per month). Salary estimates are based on 6828 salaries received from various Digital Marketing Managers across industries.
Is digital marketing highly paid? ›As for an executive-level position, the highest salary in digital marketing is approximately INR 5,00,000. Wherein for the manager's role, the average highest salary is INR 10,00,000. Although these numbers are highly dependent on the expertise you possess, your experience in the industry, and the size of the company.
Which digital marketing is best paid? ›- SEM/SEO Specialists.
- Content Strategists.
- E-commerce Specialist.
- Brand Marketing Expert.
- Social Media Marketers.
- Digital Project Managers.
- Marketing Analysts.
- Visual Designers.
There are plenty of different ways to make money with digital marketing. You can learn a variety of skills including SEO, PPC management, eCommerce, content marketing, or social media management, and sell these services to clients.
Is digital marketing stressful? ›Working in digital marketing can be incredibly stressful, so you need to think about how to remove or reduce the parts that don't spark joy. Whether it's fine-tailoring processes or learning to let go and delegate, whatever works best for you, just be sure to stick with it.
Is digital marketing a safe career? ›Yes, digital marketing is of course a well-paid job. The average salary of a digital marketer at an executive-level position lies between INR 2,50,000 to 5,00,000. And the average highest starting salary at a manager's level is between INR 8,00,000 to 10,00,000.
Can I be a digital marketer with no experience? ›If you're looking to break into the digital marketing field but don't have any previous experience, one of the best things you can do is build a strong portfolio. Start by creating a professional online presence through social media like LinkedIn or Twitter, or create your own website with engaging content.
Is digital marketing difficult? ›Is It Hard to Acquire Digital Marketing Skills? Most industry experts agree that foundational digital marketing skills are not hard to learn. However, it can be challenging to master those skills and put them to effective use in digital marketing campaigns.
How many hours do digital marketers work? ›
According to the survey, the average marketer spends around 16 hours a week on routine tasks. Assuming a 45-hour workweek (because what marketer really works a 40-hour week), the average marketer spends almost a third of their time completing repetitive tasks.
How much do digital marketers make 2022? ›Here's what you can expect to earn, on average: Talent.com: $65,122 USD base salary for mid-level digital marketers. Salary.com: $108,788 USD base salary for a digital marketing manager. Glassdoor: $121,676 USD base salary for a digital marketing manager.
Which marketing has highest salary? ›- Corporate Communications Director. ...
- Marketing Research Director. ...
- Director of Email Marketing. ...
- Director of Digital Marketing. ...
- Content Marketing Director. ...
- Demand Generation Manager. ...
- Brand Marketing Manager.
Compared with attending graduate school, learning digital marketing with unaccredited digital marketing courses and starting a website is 10 times more profitable, with a return on investment of 521% three years after starting your digital marketing career compared to a return of 53% from a digital marketing degree.
Can digital marketing make you a millionaire? ›Digital marketing can make you earn comfortably to live the lifestyle you want. And, for the most part, the fact is, many people who are Cannabis digital marketers will never become millionaires. This may not be what you want to hear, but it is the reality.
How much do digital marketers make an hour? ›| Job Title | Range | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Digital Marketing Manager | Range:$15 - $39 | Average:$22 |
| Digital Marketing Coordinator | Range:$15 - $25 | Average:$19 |
| Marketing Coordinator | Range:$15 - $26 | Average:$19 |
| Marketing Specialist | Range:$15 - $28 | Average:$20 |
By becoming PPC Manager, you can expect a high pay scale. As this is also one of the highest-paying digital marketing jobs in India. With the help of budgeting, keyword selection, copy improvement, comprehensive search strategies, etc., these marketing professionals enhance PPC campaigns.
Is digital marketing still worth it in 2022? ›Your skills are in demand
Digital roles in marketing are among the fastest-growing in the industry, with the need for social media skills, email marketing, SEO proficiency and more increasing at the highest rate.
- Not Having a Blog.
- Avoiding Social Media.
- Forgetting About Mobile Users.
- Not Offering Discounts and Promotions.
- Underutilizing Keyword Research.
- Targeting a Broad Audience.
- Having Subpar Customer Service.
- Ignoring the Competition.
#1 Generating Quality Leads
Perhaps one the biggest, if not the biggest, digital marketing challenges facing small businesses is finding new customers – but not just someone who might buy from you and never see them again – repeat customers – also known as quality leads. Quality leads are tough to come by.
Can a non creative person do digital marketing? ›
Digital marketing needs people who are creative, yes, but the field also needs people with numerous other skills too. Some parts of digital marketing require strong analytical skills while others require strategy. Some in the field may be good researchers while others excel at quick thinking.
Does digital marketing require coding? ›Digital advertisers do not need any programming abilities or coding background upfront to begin their career in Digital Marketing. In the ability sets required of a Digital Marketing Professionals, many marketing experts see coding as not very fundamental or the exclusive domain.
How long does digital marketing take to learn? ›It takes most people one to three months to learn the different digital marketing tools and techniques, and it takes six months to a year to perfect those skills through practice. Of course, this depends on several factors.
Which digital marketing is best for beginners? ›- Get on-the-job experience. Once you've decided on an initial focus area, put yourself out there. ...
- Learn as much as you can. ...
- 2) Search Engine Marketing (SEM): ...
- 3) Email Marketing: ...
- 6) Content Marketing. ...
- 7) Social Media Marketing.
It offers high-paying jobs and is considered one of the hottest career paths in the world. With every business in every sector growing at the same rate, the digital marketing industry offers better pay than most roles in the same level.
Is digital marketing a 9 to 5 job? ›It lets you enjoy flexibility at work: A career in digital marketing allows you to work in a flexible environment. You can choose a profession and work accordingly. The field of digital marketing will not bind you to that 9-5 job.
Can you make six figures as a digital marketer? ›“How much money can I make with my newly minted digital marketing skills?” While the amount varies based on skill level, I commonly tell them that they can make 6-figures as marketing consultants. That's $100,000 US or more.
Is digital marketing a good career for students? ›Is Digital Marketing a good career? Digital marketing is a well-paid job. At the executive level, the average salary of a digital marketer lies between INR 2,50,000 and 5,00,000. The salary grows with experience and can reach up to INR 8,00,000 to 10,00,000.
Is digital marketing good for students? ›Along with businesses, even students or freshers can benefit from digital marketing. There is no educational background required to start your digital marketing career. With the correct training and skills, anyone can become a digital marketing expert.
Is digital marketing worth studying? ›Digital marketing courses are worth it. Taking a course or multiple courses (in the case of digital marketing) is a fast and effective way to build new skills or enhance your knowledge about a topic. From my experience, some companies tend to over-price their courses.
Is digital marketing job difficult? ›
It may require a bit of investment, and always requires a deep knowledge of how to pair medium and message. These are just three of the most challenging areas within digital marketing today—tomorrow, they will no doubt be different.
What is the right age for digital marketing? ›There is no age limit in learning. As a matter of fact, the course of Digital Marketing will help you prosper in your career. If you are looking for a job or you are looking to get a promotion in your company then you should definitely go for it. NSIM guarantees 100% placement guarantee.
At what age can you do digital marketing? ›You have to be 17 years old to be eligible to start the Basic Digital Marketing Course, which provides the best digital marketing course in South Africa.
Do you need to be good at math for digital marketing? ›Basics of digital marketing math
Even with the most important digital marketing math formulas on this page, you don't need advanced math skills to use them. Most of the time, these metrics will be calculated for you by various analytic programs and software services.
- Pick a Specialty That Interests You. ...
- Build Your Foundational Knowledge. ...
- Take a Course or Get a Certificate. ...
- Build a Digital Marketing Portfolio. ...
- Network Online and In-Person. ...
- Look for Agency and In-House Jobs. ...
- Consider Related Jobs To Get Your Foot in the Door.
Answer: Digital Marketing Executive, Content Writer, SEO Expert, Social Media Marketing Jobs, Web developer, Content Marketing Manager, etc., are some of the jobs that digital marketing offers us.