SEO, once considered a “nice to have” for marketing strategies, has emerged to become one of the most important digital marketing tactics to date.

Without SEO, it’s impossible to gauge the success of your digital marketing efforts. 

 In fact, every seasoned marketer knows that SEO is about building strategies that will increase discoverability for a site over time. And, it isn’t a one-time exercise. 

Since search algorithms change constantly, the SEO world is always changing and provides endless learning opportunities. This is also why it’s such a popular career choice, with earning potential. 

Here’s a look at SEO salaries and what you can expect to make in various from entry- to senior-level positions

SEO Salaries

Running the Numbers for SEO Salaries

The following salaries are based on Glassdoor’s estimates of salary ranges for SEO professionals in various stages of their careers. Take a look at what you can expect to earn working in SEO right now. 

SEO Trainee

Role: Learn and apply the practical functionalities of SEO, implement SEO tools and strategies, and participate in brainstorming sessions on improving optimization.

Average Annual SEO Trainee Salary: $43,788

SEO Executive or Manager

Role: Execute SEO campaigns, analyze content optimization, apply on-page and off-page SEO, and draft titles, descriptions, and meta descriptions for enhanced optimization.

Average Annual SEO Executive or Manager Salary: $59,261

SEO Analyst

Role: Stay ahead of keyword discovery and implementation techniques, analyze performance of SEO executives for effectiveness and efficiency, and identify high search volume keywords in the industry for content creation.

Average Annual SEO Analyst Salary: $49,589

SEO Specialist

Role: Coordinate with content writers to ensure application of SEO tactics, further optimize content as required, perform continued keyword research to discover and expand SEO opportunities, and research and implement the latest SEO recommendations for organic success.

Average Annual SEO Specialist Salary: $49,589

SEO Strategist

Role: Partner with the analytics to create, refine, and update SEO strategy, monitor digital marketing strategy changes and ensure that they are aligned with SEO strategy, track Google algorithm changes, and analyze impact on internal digital marketing strategies. 

Average Annual SEO Strategist Salary: $49,589

SEO Account Manager

Role: Execute ads and launch social media campaigns on popular social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram, increase lead generation as well as conversion rates, and discover and implement effective strategies for successful campaigns.

Average Annual SEO Account Manager Salary: $53,803

Director of SEO

Role: Create SEO roadmap, identify new growth opportunities, perform content gap and SERP landscape analysis, develop and oversee all activities related to strategy, planning, execution, and management of all digital marketing activities from an SEO perspective.

Average Annual Director of SEO Salary: $84,315

Start the Search for Your SEO Career

SEO jobs are booming, to say the least. They form the crux of nearly all modern digital marketing strategies, and are indispensable to brand marketing as a whole. 

If you’re looking to build and scale a career in SEO, we have the perfect launchpad for you. Our Digital Marketing Nanodegree program provides an in-depth course on SEO along with a project to give you hands-on  experience conducting SEO. 

Ritika Pradhan
Ritika Pradhan
Ritika is the Content Manager at Udacity and is passionate about bringing inspirational student stories to light. When not talking to the amazing Udacity students, she can be found reading an article or watching a video on the internet.