How overmuch bash SEOs earn? I wanted to know, truthful I ran a survey astatine Brighton SEO and asked 111 attendees what they earned.

Here are the apical takeaways:

• The median yearly wage for SEOs we polled was $49,211
• The highest yearly wage we polled was $229,652
• To gain the higher salaries successful SEO you request beryllium a technical SEO expert—Heads of SEO, SEO Directors and SEO Leads each said that their main specialization was method SEO 
• Only 5.4% of respondents learned SEO done a course—most learned connected the occupation (52.3%) oregon by themselves (42.3%)
• 36.9% described themselves arsenic contented specialists, 30.6% described themselves arsenic method specialists, 6.3% described themselves arsenic specializing successful link-building
• 49.5% of respondents worked successful SEO agencies, 42.3% in-house and 8.2% were self-employed
• Most respondents (28.8%) worked successful companies that had 11-50 people
• The mean SEO experience of our respondents was 6.9 years
• Self-employed SEOs earned the astir connected mean ($60,232k)—the median yearly wage for in-house roles was somewhat little astatine $56,789, and bureau SEOs had the lowest median yearly wage astatine $44,169

There were besides a fewer surprises:

• Few SEOs successful our survey said that they specialized successful nexus gathering compared to method and content. This is contempt the information that links are inactive 1 of the astir important Google ranking factors.
• The mean level of acquisition betwixt SEO Directors and Head of SEO is not that different—10.4 years for a SEO Director and 10.6 years for a Head of SEO—but the wage quality betwixt the roles was ~$11,552—quite substantial.

Overview

Here’s however yearly salaries broke down crossed our respondents:

According to the SEOs we polled, astir of them learned SEO connected the occupation oregon were self-taught. 

Most of our respondents had a mates of years of acquisition nether their belts. The magnitude of acquisition Head of SEOs had versus SEO Directors was not that different, astatine astir 10 years.

• Across all respondents, the mean acquisition was 6.9 years
• For Head of SEO, the mean acquisition was 10.6 years
• For SEO Director, the mean acquisition was 10.4 years
• For SEO Lead, the mean acquisition was 7.4 years
• For SEO Account Manager, the mean acquisition was 4.2 years
• For SEO Consultant, the mean acquisition was 6 years 
• For SEO Executive, the mean acquisition was 3 years 
• For SEO Analyst, the mean acquisition was 5 years

Technical and Content were the 2 apical skills that SEOs we surveyed specialized in.

The proportionality of SEOs that said they specialized successful links was overmuch little contempt links being a large ranking factor.

Our survey showed an astir 50/50 divided betwixt the UK and Europe. 48.6% of respondents were from the UK—perhaps not astonishing fixed that BrightonSEO is based successful the UK.

Most of the respondents we spoke to worked successful agencies oregon in-house. It does mean, however, that our wage information was chiefly focused connected these 2 employment types.

Across each respondents, the astir communal institution size was 11-50. A ample proportionality of SEOs besides worked for substantially larger companies that had implicit 1000 employees.

Here’s the afloat breakdown of each role.

Head of SEO salary

It’s astir apt not excessively overmuch of a astonishment that the Head of SEO relation was our highest-paying SEO relation surveyed. What’s much of a astonishment was the saltation successful salary—our survey showed that a Head of SEO tin gain thing from ~$25k to ~$229k. 

Average experience

According to our survey, a Head of SEO has ~10.6 years of experience.

Type of company

46.7% of respondents worked for an agency, and 46.7% worked in-house. 6.7% were self-employed.

Education

66.7% of respondents said they were self-taught, 26.7% said they’d learned connected the job, and 6.7% said that they had learned SEO from a course.

Specialization

40% said that they specialized successful method SEO, 33.3% successful Content, and 13.3% said they were a generalist. The remaining 13.4% said they focused connected radical management. 

This is surprising, arsenic it implies that 73.3% of radical successful Head of SEO roles are actively providing SEO services for their clients alternatively than focusing connected managing a team.

Company size

There were 2 institution sizes that were astir fashionable for Head of SEOs to enactment in. 40% of respondents said they worked successful companies with 11-50 people, and 20% said they worked successful companies with implicit 1001 people. 

Location

40% of respondents were from the UK, 13.3% were from the Netherlands, and the remainder were from mainland Europe.

SEO Director salary

The wage saltation wasn’t rather arsenic utmost for SEO Directors, but salaries ranged from ~$42k to ~$121k—still rather a difference.

Average experience

SEO Directors successful our survey had 10.4 years of acquisition connected average.

Type of company

There was a 50/50 divided betwixt SEO Directors’ backgrounds, with 50% from bureau and 50% from in-house

Education

62.5% of SEO Directors described themselves arsenic self-taught, and 37.5% said that they learned SEO connected the job.

Specialization

75% of them specialized successful method SEO, whilst 25% described themselves arsenic generalists or Other.

Company size

According to our survey, SEO Directors typically enactment successful mean to ample companies. 25% said that they worked successful companies that had implicit 1000 people, and 25% said they worked successful companies that had 51-100 employees.

Location

Most SEO Directors we surveyed were from the UK (62.5%). The remainder were adjacent splits betwixt India, the U.S., and Germany (12.5%).

SEO Lead salary

SEO Leads typically person a batch of experience, but our survey shows that they lone gain somewhat much connected mean than SEO Specialists.

Average experience

SEO Leads successful our survey had 7.4 years of acquisition connected average.

Type of company

50% of SEO Leads came from an bureau background, 41.7% came from in-house, and 8.3% were self-employed.

Education

69.2% learned connected the job, 23.1% were self-taught, and 7.7% learned SEO done a course.

Specialization

30.8% of SEO Leads specialized successful method SEO, 23% specialized successful content, and 23.1% specialized successful links. 15.4% described themselves arsenic generalists. The remaining 7.7% described themselves arsenic specializing successful SEO strategy.

Company size

46.2% worked successful companies that had 1001+ people, and the remaining 53.8% worked successful smaller companies.

Location

23.1% of SEO Leads came from the UK, with the remainder coming from the Netherlands, Italy, and Sweden (15.4% each) and 30.7% from different European countries.

SEO Specialist salary

SEO Specialists we surveyed had astir 5-6 years of experience, but they typically got paid amended than SEO Leads. Based connected my experience, this whitethorn beryllium owed to in-house roles paying amended than bureau roles successful the UK.

Average experience

SEO Specialists successful our survey had an mean of 5.8 years of experience.

Type of company

41.2% of SEO Specialists came from an bureau background, portion 58.8% said that they were from an in-house background.

Education

58.8% of SEO Specialists said that they had learned SEO connected the job, 35.3% said that they were self-taught, and 5.9% said that they had learned SEO done a course.

Specialization

52.9% of SEO Specialists specialized successful content, 29.4% focused connected technical, 11.8% described themselves arsenic all-rounders, and 5.9% described specialized in links.

Company size

41.2% of SEO Specialists said that they worked successful companies that had 11-50 people. Only 17.6% of respondents said that they worked successful companies that had 1001+ people. 23.6% said they worked successful companies betwixt 51-500 people. The remaining 17.6% worked successful smaller companies with little than 10 people.

Location

23.5% of SEO Specialists said that they were from the UK, with the remainder from Europe.

SEO Account Manager salary

SEO Account Managers successful our survey were 1 of the astir accordant wage bands earning betwixt ~$40k and ~$55k.

Average experience

SEO Account managers successful our survey had 4.2 years of acquisition connected average.

Type of company

85.7% of respondents worked for an agency, and 14.3% worked in-house.

Education

71.4% of respondents said they learned SEO connected the job, and 28.6% said they were self-taught.

Specialization

42.9% said that they specialized successful content, 28.6% described themselves arsenic an all-rounder, 14.3% said they were method SEO, and the remaining 14.2% said they specialized in links.

Company size

42.9% of respondents said they worked successful companies with 11-50 people, and 28.6% said they worked successful companies with implicit 1001 people. The remaining 28.6% was divided arsenic betwixt radical who worked successful companies with betwixt 2-11 radical oregon 51-100 people.

Location

85.7% of respondents were from the UK, and 14.3% of the remainder were from Europe.

SEO Consultant salary

SEO Consultants we surveyed earned up to ~$87k, which was little than I was expecting—because our SEO pricing station suggested that SEO consultants complaint betwixt $100-150 per hour. 

But arsenic the information is UK-focused, the apt crushed for this is the £85k VAT taxation threshold. 

Average experience

SEO Consultants successful our survey had 6 years of acquisition connected average.

Type of company

63.3% of respondents worked for an agency, and 36.7% worked in-house.

Education

45.5% of respondents said they were self-taught, 36.4% said they’d learned connected the job, and 9.1% said that they had learned SEO from a course. The remaining 9% said they’d learned from other ways.

Specialization

27.3% said that they specialized successful method SEO, 27.3% successful content, and 27.3% said they were a generalist. The remaining 18.1% said they focused connected absorption and strategy.

Company size

SEO Consultants typically worked connected their ain oregon successful smaller agencies according to our survey — 36.4% of respondents said they worked connected their own, and 27.3% said they worked successful companies with 51-100 people. The remaining 36.3% said they worked successful companies with betwixt 2-50 people.

Location

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

SEO Executive salary

Average experience

SEO Executives successful our survey had 3 years of acquisition connected average.

Type of company

80% of respondents worked for an agency, and 20% worked in-house.

Education

80% of respondents said they were self-taught, and 20% said they’d learned SEO from a course.

Specialization

40% said that they specialized successful method SEO, 20% successful Content, and 40% said they were a generalist. 

Company size

80% of respondents said they worked successful companies with 11-50 people, and 20% said they worked successful companies with 1001 oregon much people.

Location

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

SEO Analyst salary

SEO Analysts typically had a fewer much years of acquisition than SEO Executives, but it looks similar they earned astir the aforesaid as them.

Average experience

SEO Analysts successful our survey had 5 years of acquisition connected average.

Type of company

33.3% of respondents worked for an agency, and 66.7% worked In-house.

Education

33.3% of respondents said they were self-taught, and 66.7% said they’d learned connected the job.

Specialization

33.3% said that they specialized successful method SEO, 33.3% successful Content, and 33.3% said they specialized successful News SEO.

Company size

33.3% of respondents said they worked successful companies with 101-200 people, and 66.7% said they worked successful companies with implicit 201 people.

Location

SEO Analysts came from a scope of locations 33% of respondents were from Portugal, 33.3% were from Brazil, and the remainder were from Serbia.

Final thoughts

SEO salaries aren’t often discussed successful item wrong the industry, truthful getting a snapshot of their existent authorities from 1 of the biggest SEO conferences successful the UK was insightful.

For our adjacent wage survey, we’ll beryllium opening it up to each SEOs. If you’d similar to instrumentality part—you tin enter here.

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