{"id":169251,"date":"2023-11-28T12:06:34","date_gmt":"2023-11-28T17:06:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=169251"},"modified":"2024-12-02T05:33:17","modified_gmt":"2024-12-02T10:33:17","slug":"seo-salary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-salary\/","title":{"rendered":"SEO Salary Survey 2024 (How Much are SEOs Really Making?)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"intro-txt\">\n\n<p>Have you ever wondered how much SEOs are <em>really<\/em> making?<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Last year, I asked SEOs at BrightonSEO to \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IpwSXWq1wwU\">show me the money<\/a>\u201d and share how much they were earning in Ahrefs\u2019 first-ever SEO salary survey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I thought it would be fun to re-run the survey this year to see what\u2019s changed. I received responses from 234 SEOs\u2014more than double the previous year\u2019s responses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"sidenote\"><div class=\"sidenote-title\">Sidenote.<\/div>\n<p>As most responses were submitted at Brighton SEO, they\u2019re primarily representative of UK SEO salary data.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are the top takeaways from 2024\u2019s SEO salary survey:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>SEOs are earning more \u2013 the median annual salary for SEOs was $58,288, +18.4% (2023 $49,211)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The highest-paying roles have at least 10 years of experience \u2013 both Heads of SEO and SEO Directors typically earned much more than their counterparts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There was a big shift to content roles \u2013 55.1% described themselves as content specialists (2023 36.9%), 27.3% described themselves as technical specialists (2023 30.6%), just 5.3% described themselves as <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/link-building\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/link-building\/\">link building<\/a> specialists (2023 6.3%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There\u2019s been a big shift to in house roles \u2013 57.9% worked in-house (2023 42.3%), 33.5% of respondents worked in <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-does-an-seo-agency-do\/\">SEO agencies<\/a> (2023 49.5%), and just 7.3% were self-employed (2023 8.2%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There\u2019s been a shift to bigger companies \u2013 Most respondents (18%) worked in companies that had 51\u2013100 people (In 2023, most respondents (28.8%) worked in smaller companies that had 11\u201350 people)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>53.6% of SEOs said they learned SEO on the job (2023 \u2013 52.3%), 35.2% were self-taught (2023 42.3%), and 9% of respondents said they learned SEO through a course (2023 5.4%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The average <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-experience\/\">SEO experience<\/a> of respondents was 7 years (2023 6.9&nbsp;years)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In-house SEOs earned the most on average, and SEO agencies had the lowest median annual salary for the second year running<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>There were also a few surprises:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>SEO Directors had the highest salaries this year \u2013 SEO Directors earned 19.56% more than Heads of&nbsp;SEO<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Only 6% of SEOs in my survey said they specialized in link building compared to technical and content \u2013 despite links being an important <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/google-ranking-factors\/\">Google ranking factor<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Despite collecting data from lots of leaders of teams, only 0.4% of respondents said they specialized in management<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\">\n<table id=\"tablepress-361\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-361 tablepress-responsive tablepress-ahrefs-width-720px\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Role<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Median average annual salary in USD ($)<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Average experience (in years)<\/th><th class=\"column-4\">Most common specialization<\/th><th class=\"column-5\">Most common place of&nbsp;work<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Head of&nbsp;SEO<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">$81,522<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">10<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Content<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">In-house<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">SEO Director<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">$97,468<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">13<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Technical<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">Agency<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">SEO Lead<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">$58,898<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">8<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Content<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">In-house<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">SEO Specialist<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">$45,090<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">5<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Content<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">Agency\/In-house<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">SEO Manager<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">$58,107<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">7<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Content<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">In-house<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">SEO Consultant<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">$58,864<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">9<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Technical<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">Agency<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">SEO Executive<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">$45,042<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">5<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Content<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">In-house<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-9 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">SEO Analyst<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">$45,005<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">9<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Technical<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">In-house<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-361 from cache --><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"intro-tok\" id=\"intro_tok\" style=\"display:none;\"><div class=\"intro-title\">Contents<\/div><a href=\"#\" class=\"expand-dots\"><span><\/span><span><\/span><span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Annual salary\" data-section=\"annual-salary\">\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_7ghd3v1i3wv\"><\/a>Annual salary<\/h2>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<p>Here\u2019s what the annual salaries looked like for our respondents:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1235\" height=\"2048\" class=\"wp-image-182226\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/annual-salary-illustration.png\" alt=\"Annual Salary Illustration\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/annual-salary-illustration.png 1235w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/annual-salary-illustration-256x425.png 256w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/annual-salary-illustration-768x1274.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/annual-salary-illustration-926x1536.png 926w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1235px) 100vw, 1235px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_q8orsna7f14j\"><\/a>Which roles paid the&nbsp;most?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In-house roles paid the best, with a median earning of $57,737<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Self-employed roles paid less, with a median earning of $46,436<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Agency roles paid $44,762\u2014the lowest of the&nbsp;lot<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1298\" class=\"wp-image-182227\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/which-seo-roles-paid-the-most-illustration.png\" alt=\"Which SEO Roles Paid the Most Illustration\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/which-seo-roles-paid-the-most-illustration.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/which-seo-roles-paid-the-most-illustration-524x425.png 524w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/which-seo-roles-paid-the-most-illustration-768x623.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/which-seo-roles-paid-the-most-illustration-1536x1246.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"How did they learn SEO?\" data-section=\"how-did-they-learn-seo\">\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_jw6gsyv6qpey\"><\/a>How did they learn&nbsp;SEO?<\/h2>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<p>According to the SEOs I polled, most respondents learned SEO on the job (53.6%) or were self-taught (35.2%). Self-taught SEOs saw a small drop of 4.4% compared to&nbsp;2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1268\" class=\"wp-image-182228\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/how-did-they-learn-seo-illustration.png\" alt=\"How Did They Learn SEO Illustration\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/how-did-they-learn-seo-illustration.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/how-did-they-learn-seo-illustration-536x425.png 536w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/how-did-they-learn-seo-illustration-768x609.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/how-did-they-learn-seo-illustration-1536x1217.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Average level of experience by role\" data-section=\"average-level-of-experience-by-role\">\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_qbogir8nh5bi\"><\/a>Average level of experience by&nbsp;role<\/h2>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<p>Most respondents had at least a few years of experience under their&nbsp;belts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Heads of SEO had ~10 years of experience, while SEO Directors had ~13 years of experience on average.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The role that required the least amount of experience was SEO Executive, with ~5 years of experience.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"sidenote\"><div class=\"sidenote-title\">Sidenote.<\/div>\n\n<p>Please note in the U.K., \u201cSEO Executive\u201d is considered an entry-level position and not a senior role.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1140\" class=\"wp-image-182229\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/average-experience-by-role-illustration.png\" alt=\"Average Experience By Role Illustration\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/average-experience-by-role-illustration.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/average-experience-by-role-illustration-596x425.png 596w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/average-experience-by-role-illustration-768x547.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/average-experience-by-role-illustration-1536x1094.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Across <strong>all respondents<\/strong>, the average experience was 7&nbsp;years<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For<strong> Head of SEO<\/strong>, the average experience was 10&nbsp;years<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For <strong>SEO Director<\/strong>, the average experience was 13&nbsp;years<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For <strong>SEO Lead<\/strong>, the average experience was 8&nbsp;years<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For <strong>SEO Manager<\/strong>, the average experience was 7&nbsp;years<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For <strong>SEO Consultant<\/strong>, the average experience was 9&nbsp;years<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For <strong>SEO Executive<\/strong>, the average experience was 5&nbsp;years<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For <strong>SEO Analyst<\/strong>, the average experience was 9&nbsp;years<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"What areas of SEO do they specialize in?\" data-section=\"what-areas-of-seo-do-they-specialize-in\">\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_ietkhcpuzu3y\"><\/a>What areas of SEO do they specialize in?<\/h2>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<p>Over 55.1% of SEOs I surveyed this year specialized in content. In the 2023 survey, only 36.9% specialized in content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1414\" class=\"wp-image-182230\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/which-areas-of-seo-do-they-specialize-in-illustrat.png\" alt=\"Which Areas of SEO Do They Specialize In Illustration\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/which-areas-of-seo-do-they-specialize-in-illustrat.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/which-areas-of-seo-do-they-specialize-in-illustrat-481x425.png 481w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/which-areas-of-seo-do-they-specialize-in-illustrat-768x679.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/which-areas-of-seo-do-they-specialize-in-illustrat-1536x1357.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It was also noticeable that far fewer SEOs identified as \u201cgeneralists\u201d this year than in 2023. In 2023 18% of SEOs described themselves as SEO \u201cgeneralists\u201d or \u201call-rounders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Where are they based?\" data-section=\"where-are-they-based\">\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_b3tgz5erfibd\"><\/a>Where are they&nbsp;based?<\/h2>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<p>My survey showed that 67.38% of people were from the UK, perhaps not surprising given that BrightonSEO is held in the&nbsp;UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This was almost a 20% increase in UK SEOs\u2019 participation compared to last year\u2019s survey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1240\" height=\"2048\" class=\"wp-image-182231\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/where-are-they-based-illustration.png\" alt=\"Where Are They Based Illustration\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/where-are-they-based-illustration.png 1240w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/where-are-they-based-illustration-257x425.png 257w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/where-are-they-based-illustration-768x1268.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/where-are-they-based-illustration-930x1536.png 930w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1240px) 100vw, 1240px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the survey\u2019s strong UK focus, participants came from a wide variety of countries around the world. This year, I polled SEOs from 30 different countries.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Where do they work?\" data-section=\"where-do-they-work\">\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_mr5r867j940q\"><\/a>Where do they&nbsp;work?<\/h2>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<p>57.9% of respondents I spoke to worked in-house, making it the most popular workplace this year. Compared to last year, there was a fall in agency respondents: only 16% of agency SEOs responded to the survey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1299\" class=\"wp-image-182232\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/where-do-they-work-illustration.png\" alt=\"Where Do They Work Illustration\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/where-do-they-work-illustration.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/where-do-they-work-illustration-523x425.png 523w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/where-do-they-work-illustration-768x624.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/where-do-they-work-illustration-1536x1247.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"How big are the companies they work in?\" data-section=\"how-big-are-the-companies-they-work-in\">\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_7j0kzly5ef0p\"><\/a>How big are the companies they work&nbsp;in?<\/h2>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<p>Across all respondents, the most popular company size this year was 51-100, although there was a better representation of all types of companies this year. In 2023, the most popular company size was&nbsp;11-50.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1224\" class=\"wp-image-182233\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/how-big-are-the-companies-they-work-in-illustratio.png\" alt=\"How Big Are The Companies They Work In Illustration\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/how-big-are-the-companies-they-work-in-illustratio.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/how-big-are-the-companies-they-work-in-illustratio-556x425.png 556w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/how-big-are-the-companies-they-work-in-illustratio-768x588.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/how-big-are-the-companies-they-work-in-illustratio-1536x1175.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Although there\u2019s not a huge difference, it\u2019s good to see that there hasn\u2019t been a dramatic reduction.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"How much does each SEO role earn?\" data-section=\"how-much-does-each-seo-role-earn\">\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_f5opd0wz86pe\"><\/a>How much does each SEO role&nbsp;earn?<\/h2>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<p>Here\u2019s the full breakdown of each&nbsp;role:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_cvpbgulfxxti\"><\/a>Head of SEO salary<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Head of SEO role was the most lucrative last year. However, this year, the average salary for this role dropped by 12.3% year over&nbsp;year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1644\" class=\"wp-image-182234\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/head-of-seo-salary-illustration.png\" alt=\"Head Of SEO Salary Illustration\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/head-of-seo-salary-illustration.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/head-of-seo-salary-illustration-414x425.png 414w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/head-of-seo-salary-illustration-768x789.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/head-of-seo-salary-illustration-1495x1536.png 1495w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As a result, it meant that it <em>wasn\u2019t<\/em> the best-paying role this&nbsp;year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some Heads of SEO said they were earning $20,000 or less\u2014which, by U.S. and even U.K. standards, would be extremely low compensation for a role of this&nbsp;type.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The most common salary bracket for a Head of SEO was $80,000 \u2013 $89,000, with 29% of respondents saying they received this salary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_t4zx3096mjru\"><\/a>Average experience<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>According to my survey, a Head of SEO has ~10.6 years of experience\u2014coincidentally, <em>exactly<\/em> the same as 2023\u2019s figure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_svh8zikwsxhm\"><\/a>Type of company<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>68% worked in-house, 26% of respondents worked for an agency, and 3% were self-employed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_ttx4xm7ldo53\"><\/a>Education<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>39% of respondents said they were self-taught, 45% said they\u2019d learned on the job, and 13% said they had learned SEO from a course. Compared to 2023\u2019s figures, this was quite a dramatic drop in the number of self-taught SEOs at this&nbsp;level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_pi4fvx6pc7vl\"><\/a>Specialization<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>16.1% said they specialized in technical SEO, 61.3% in content, and 6.4% were generalists. 6.5% said they specialized in link building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a distinct change from 2023\u2019s data, where 40% said they specialized in technical SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Compared to last year, the SEOs I surveyed have shifted from technical SEO to content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_e6b9ik5gvp3c\"><\/a>Company size<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>There were two company sizes that were most popular for Head of SEOs to work in. 19.4% of respondents said they worked in companies with 11-50 people, and 19.4% said they worked in companies with 2-10 people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The smaller size of the companies for Heads of SEO this year may explain why the salaries were lower overall\u2014possibly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_o025iv2pah1a\"><\/a>Location<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>64.5% of respondents were from the UK (+20% from last year), 9.7% were from Portugal, and the remainder were from Europe and further afield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_bovocmhxn2mw\"><\/a>SEO Director salary<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Like last year, the salary variation wasn\u2019t quite as extreme for SEO Directors, but salaries ranged from ~$50k to ~$139k \u2014 certainly at the higher end of the salary spectrum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_3l3u7rcfuvem\"><\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1562\" class=\"wp-image-182235\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-director-salary-illustration.png\" alt=\"SEO Director Salary Illustration\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-director-salary-illustration.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-director-salary-illustration-435x425.png 435w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-director-salary-illustration-768x750.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-director-salary-illustration-1536x1500.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_6vmpunwtza6m\"><\/a>Average experience<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The SEO directors we surveyed this year had more experience than in 2023. SEO Directors in my survey had 13 years of experience. (+2.6 years compared to&nbsp;2023)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_p77wxoczrps4\"><\/a>Type of company<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>60% of SEO directors came from agency backgrounds, 30% from in-house, and 10% were self-employed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_t1xl0oa5l85s\"><\/a>Education<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>62.5% of SEO Directors described themselves as self-taught, and 37.5% said they learned SEO on the&nbsp;job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_hst8c0tr980v\"><\/a>Specialization<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>75% of them specialized in technical SEO, while 25% described themselves as generalists or having another non-specified specialization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_5emetmpg8a7a\"><\/a>Company size<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>According to my survey, SEO Directors typically work in medium to large companies. 25% said that they worked in companies that had over 1000 people, and 25% said they worked in companies that had 51-100 employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_dfc5xs6txc9u\"><\/a>Location<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Most SEO Directors I surveyed were from the UK (62.5%). The rest were equal splits between India, the U.S., and Germany (12.5%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_imzaqtob0ztb\"><\/a>SEO Lead salary<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This year, the SEO lead salary data had a huge variation. The most common salary band was $50,000 \u2013 59,999, but the largest salary polled was $337,323.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1235\" height=\"2048\" class=\"wp-image-182237\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-lead-salary-illustration.png\" alt=\"SEO Lead Salary Illustration\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-lead-salary-illustration.png 1235w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-lead-salary-illustration-256x425.png 256w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-lead-salary-illustration-768x1274.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-lead-salary-illustration-926x1536.png 926w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1235px) 100vw, 1235px\"><\/figure>\n\n<div class=\"sidenote\"><div class=\"sidenote-title\">Sidenote.<\/div>\n\n<p>As you\u2019ve probably noticed, there is a clear outlier in the $260k+ bracket. So take the top salary bracket here with a pinch of salt. Based on my own experience, I think the rest of the data more accurately represents the most common definition of \u201cSEO Lead\u201d in the&nbsp;UK.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_qa4embgnpcdo\"><\/a>Average experience<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>SEO Leads in my survey had 8.2 years of experience on average. (+0.8 year from last&nbsp;year)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_9mikjar5eims\"><\/a>Type of company<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>78.6% of SEO Leads came from an in-house background, 14.3% came from agencies, and 7.1% were self-employed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_iu1rzkpnkydl\"><\/a>Education<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>57.1% learned on the job, 39.3% were self-taught, and 3.6% learned SEO through a course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_6byor8iuzxgk\"><\/a>Specialization<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>55.6% specialized in content, 37% of SEO Leads specialized in technical SEO, and 3.7% specialized in links. Again representing a big shift towards content from technical SEO compared to&nbsp;2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_d8is8zhfxjrg\"><\/a>Company size<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>46.2% worked in companies with 1001+ people, and the remaining 53.8% worked in smaller companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_82wof15gteis\"><\/a>Location<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>23.1% of SEO Leads came from the UK, with the remainder from the Netherlands, Italy, and Sweden (15.4% each) and 30.7% from other European countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_4rux59kuonn7\"><\/a>SEO Specialist salary<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The SEO Specialists I surveyed this year earned up to $109k but as low as $20k. It\u2019s another role that can mean different things to different companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1310\" class=\"wp-image-182238\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-specialist-salary-illustration.png\" alt=\"SEO Specialist Salary Illustration\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-specialist-salary-illustration.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-specialist-salary-illustration-519x425.png 519w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-specialist-salary-illustration-768x629.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-specialist-salary-illustration-1536x1258.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The most popular salary band for an <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-specialist\/\">SEO Specialist<\/a>, based on my survey data, is $40-49k, with 46% of respondents saying that was their salary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_ourqmfx9p8p\"><\/a>Average experience<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>SEO Specialists I polled had an average of 5 years of experience. (-0.8% from&nbsp;2023)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_p83016behy7c\"><\/a>Type of company<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>48.6% of SEO Specialists came from an agency background, 48.6% said they were from an in-house background, and the remaining 2.9% came from other non-specified \u201cOther\u201d backgrounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_59hc162690sb\"><\/a>Education<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>54.3% of SEO Specialists said they had learned SEO on the job, 37.1% said they were self-taught, and 5.7% said they had learned SEO through a course. The remainder didn\u2019t specify how they learned SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_5d5e5ylo2hgg\"><\/a>Specialization<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>51.4% of SEO Specialists specialized in content, 28.6% focused on technical, 8.6% described specialized in links, and the remainder said they were all-rounders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_fehb44mkluga\"><\/a>Company size<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>22.9% of SEO Specialists said they worked in companies with 51-100 people. This was the most popular size of company for SEO specialists to work&nbsp;in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_b7hmiez839a5\"><\/a>Location<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>48.6% of SEO Specialists said they were from the UK, with the remainder from Europe and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_li69bknhr0vb\"><\/a>SEO Manager salary<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>SEO Managers earned a wider range of salaries compared to 2024 \u2013 from ~$21K to ~$120k<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1464\" class=\"wp-image-182239\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-manager-salary-illustration.png\" alt=\"SEO Manager Salary Illustration\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-manager-salary-illustration.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-manager-salary-illustration-464x425.png 464w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-manager-salary-illustration-768x703.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-manager-salary-illustration-1536x1405.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_erfhevxgz6cd\"><\/a>Average experience<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>SEO Managers in my survey had 7.3 years of experience on average, which was ~2 years more than 2023\u2019s survey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_hv63t9hvvkoa\"><\/a>Type of company<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>74.5% of respondents worked in-house, 23.5% worked for an agency, and 2% were self-employed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_gv1p0h6tm3d3\"><\/a>Education<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>49% of respondents said they learned SEO on the job, 33.3% said they were self-taught, and 13.7% said they learnt SEO through a course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_1p6f4mfh2auk\"><\/a>Specialization<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>58% said that they specialized in content, 20% said they were technical SEO specialists, the remaining 6% said they specialized in links, and 2% described themselves as all-rounders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_ngc7u4gv1h3j\"><\/a>Company size<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>42.9% of respondents said they worked in companies with 11-50 people. 28.6% said they worked in companies with over 1001 people. The remaining 28.6% was split equally between people who worked in companies with between 2-11 people or 51-100 people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_ol1as1vr9c0v\"><\/a>Location<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>85.7% of respondents were from the UK, and 14.3% of the remainder were from Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_xhko2jfqahko\"><\/a>SEO Consultant salary<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For a second year running, SEO consultants said they didn\u2019t earn over $90K, closely mirroring the results I received from 2023\u2019s salary survey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-pricing\/\">SEO pricing<\/a> post suggests that SEO consultants charge between $100-150 per hour, but at least in the UK, their annual earnings don\u2019t typically exceed $90k based on the survey results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As pointed out last year, this is most likely due to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.taxpolicy.org.uk\/2023\/01\/30\/vat_brake2\/\">\u00a385k VAT tax threshold, <\/a>and self-employed SEO consultants are choosing to keep their income below a certain level for tax purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1140\" class=\"wp-image-182240\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-consultant-salary-illustration.png\" alt=\"SEO Consultant Salary Illustration\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-consultant-salary-illustration.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-consultant-salary-illustration-596x425.png 596w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-consultant-salary-illustration-768x547.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-consultant-salary-illustration-1536x1094.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_uumsw9jkvdwf\"><\/a>Average experience<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>SEO Consultants in my survey had 9 years of experience on average (+3 years from last&nbsp;year)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_dvnhbexvz4ns\"><\/a>Type of company<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>63.3% of respondents worked for an agency, and 36.7% worked in-house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_4q36jm4abhx\"><\/a>Education<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>45.5% of respondents said they were self-taught, 36.4% said they\u2019d learned on the job, and 9.1% said they had learned SEO from a course. The remaining 9% said they\u2019d learned from other&nbsp;ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_xe781bja7vd\"><\/a>Specialization<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>27.3% said that they specialized in technical SEO, 27.3% in content, and 27.3% said they were a generalist. The remaining 18.1% said they focused on management and strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_rbtmmxx4scbl\"><\/a>Company size<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>SEO Consultants typically work on their own or in smaller agencies. According to my survey \u2014 36.4% of respondents said they worked on their own, and 27.3% said they worked in companies with 51-100 people. The remaining 36.3% said they worked in companies with 2-50 people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_iwn9ayv54dhg\"><\/a>Location<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>36.4% of respondents were from the UK, 27.3% were from the Netherlands, and the remaining 36.3% were from Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_dvwcqrh85uuf\"><\/a>SEO Executive salary<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>SEO Executive is one of the most popular job titles within the UK market. But unlike the U.S., the term \u201cexecutive\u201d is not a senior role\u2014it\u2019s the opposite. In our survey, none of the SEO Executives I surveyed earned more than $60k.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u200b<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"888\" class=\"wp-image-182241\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-executive-salary.png\" alt=\"SEO Executive Salary\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-executive-salary.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-executive-salary-680x377.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-executive-salary-768x426.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-executive-salary-1536x852.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_hetbhlvyhieq\"><\/a>Average experience<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Like 2023, SEO Executives in my survey had ~3 years of experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_h0v8k1rzqeco\"><\/a>Type of company<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>59.5% worked in-house, 35.1% of respondents worked for an agency, and 5.4% were self-employed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_tmcfnlarkmie\"><\/a>Education<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>67.6% of respondents said they\u2019d learned on the job, 27% said they were self-taught, and 5.4% said they\u2019d learned SEO from a <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-certification\/\">course<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_uz4xd6qwt8zz\"><\/a>Specialization<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>69.4% said they specialized in content, 16.5% technical SEO, and only 2.8% focused on&nbsp;links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_z3s1knrbmtc\"><\/a>Company size<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>While last year, 80% of respondents said they worked in companies with 11-50 people, there was a lot more variation this year. Typically SEO Executives worked at larger companies this year, 21.6% of respondents said they worked at companies with over 1000 employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_mbnnwne7cuhd\"><\/a>Location<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>94% of respondents said they were working in the&nbsp;UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_2twzjfayt4mm\"><\/a>SEO Analyst salary<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The SEO Analysts I surveyed seemed to have a decent amount of experience, but this didn\u2019t appear to transfer when it came to salaries. The highest salary bracket recorded for this role was $70K \u2013 $79K.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1056\" class=\"wp-image-182242\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-analyst-salary-illustration.png\" alt=\"SEO Analyst Salary Illustration\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-analyst-salary-illustration.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-analyst-salary-illustration-644x425.png 644w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-analyst-salary-illustration-768x507.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/seo-analyst-salary-illustration-1536x1014.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_7d3ccmiwkaoc\"><\/a>Average experience<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>SEO Analysts in my survey had 8.8 years of experience on average.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_ojl0dl2v6z2p\"><\/a>Type of company<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>60% of respondents worked in-house, 20% for an agency, and 20% self-employed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_n4jx0986u22j\"><\/a>Education<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>60% of respondents said they learned on the job, 20% on a course, and 20% were self-taught.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_qb36cr4yqpes\"><\/a>Specialization<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>60% said they specialized in technical SEO, and 40% on content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_aamh95dzx6h6\"><\/a>Company size<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The most popular company size for SEO Analysts was 51-100 people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_v629zz3uhbxq\"><\/a>Location<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>60% of SEO Analysts came from the UK, 20% from Spain, and 20% from the Netherlands.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"sidenote\"><div class=\"sidenote-title\">Sidenote.<\/div>\n\n<p>Similar to last year, l didn\u2019t get many respondents for the SEO Analyst role\u2014so please take these results with a pinch of&nbsp;salt.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-182225-_w3vm301ioyzz\"><\/a>Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>According to this year\u2019s SEO salary survey, SEOs earned ~20% more than in 2023. They work in bigger companies, opt for in-house roles, and specialize in content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, it\u2019s still a small dataset. But it helps us understand more about the salaries of the SEOs who attend the largest search marketing conference in the world\u2014and I think that\u2019s valuable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Got questions? Let me know <a href=\"https:\/\/uk.linkedin.com\/in\/chris-haines-seo\">on LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last year, I asked SEOs at BrightonSEO to \u201cshow me the money\u201d and share how much they were earning in Ahrefs\u2019 first-ever SEO salary survey. I thought it would be fun to re-run the survey this year to see what\u2019s<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":178,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[414,335],"tags":[],"coauthors":[437],"class_list":["post-169251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-data-studies","category-general-seo","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>SEO Salary Survey 2024 (How Much are SEOs Really Making?)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How much do SEOs earn? 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