Are you wondering about the average digital marketing salary & scope in the USA? Research salary and career data in advance and find out.
Digital marketing has risen to become one of the most prominent and lucrative industries today. The advent of the internet as a household asset in the past two decades has provided a completely new, unconquered frontier.
Thus, constant technological innovations have allowed marketing to become increasingly digital and advance far beyond the scope of traditional media. As such, the prospect of a digital marketer’s job is now becoming increasingly alluring for many.
However, such choices should only follow careful research and a thorough analysis of the market. With this in mind, let us devote this article to exploring the average digital marketing salary and scope in the USA, one of the largest digital marketing markets today.
Digital marketing in the USA
Initially, one should identify why digital marketing is such a flourishing industry in the USA. At its core, it boils down to 3 key reasons;
- A massive internet user base
- A strong economy
- High demand for digital marketing jobs
All of the above are truly significant factors. The active internet user base alone is impressive enough to start by attributing this phenomenon to it.
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By 2018, one could classify almost 80% of the US population as frequent internet users, a staggering increase from 2000 or even 2010.
Furthermore, more than half of said internet users focus on mobile browsing, a thriving digital marketing specialty.
In turn, a strong economy gives rise to a high demand for digital marketing jobs. To fully understand the reasons behind the numbers on one’s average digital marketing salary and scope in the USA, it’s important to note their economic concept. From abundant online business listings to thriving digital marketing agencies, the industry is indeed booming.
Shifting internet user demographics
A massive factor to keep in mind is the internet user demographics in the USA. It is no hyperbole that 100% of Americans aged 18 to 29 use the internet consistently.
In fact, this trend continues into older demographics; the vast majority (97%) of those aged 30 to 49 also uses the internet daily, as does an equally clear majority (88%) of those aged 50 to 64. Even 73% of those aged 65 and above explore the internet.
Needless to say, these numbers are impressive. All demographics are becoming increasingly tech-savvy and are warming to digital marketing strategies. Most mobile users and social media users also actively seek to engage with brands and businesses, which lets the industry thrive and prosper.
Digital marketer employment status
Finally, let us consider the absolute testament to the promising digital marketing salary and scope in the USA; the employment status of digital marketers.
- 95% of all digital marketers are currently employed by startups or corporations or are self-employed
- 4% are unemployed and looking for employment
- 1% are unemployed but are not looking for employment
Those figures alone should suffice to explain sporadic surges in visa applications, and frequent search inquiries for the necessary documents for visas.
Career data in relation to digital marketing salary and scope in the USA
With the above in mind, let us analyze digital marketing careers and how they relate to digital marketing salary and scope in the USA.
Salaries
As a cursory outlook, one should note that the median personal income in the US currently stands at approximately $31,000. With this in mind, the vast majority of digital marketers’ salaries are well above the median personal income:
- 15% of digital marketers earn $150,000 or more
- 12% earn $100,000 to $150,000
- 44% earn $40,000 to $100,000
- 10% earn $30,000 to $40,000
- 19% earn less than $20,000 to $30,000
Thus, a mere 19% make less than, or equal to, the median personal income. Another 10% may only slightly or moderately surpass it, and 71% make somewhat to significantly more.
Even in aggregate salary numbers, indeed.com notes that the average digital marketing salary lies close to $59,000 – just a bit short of double the median personal income.
Careers
While exact numbers will likely vary from survey to survey, the average numbers for each digital marketing career should be approximately the following:
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – 21%
- Content marketing – 20%
- Social media – 14%
- Pay Per Click (PPC) – 12%
- Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) – 12%
- Analytics – 10%
As such, one can conclude that SEO and content marketing are the two most prominent careers by a notable margin. Social media follows in 3rd place but is not as clearly ahead of PPC and conversion rate optimization. Such platforms as business listing sites should attest to the demand for SEO specialists in particular.
Salaries in relation to careers and industries
However, salaries do not fully adhere to this trend. As regards digital marketers who make over $100,000, consider the following:
- 26% are CRO specialists
- 18% are content marketing specialists
- 17% are SEO specialists
- The remaining 39% are distributed among social media, PPC, and analytics
Thus, it is vital to note this fact when considering the average digital marketing salary in the US. CRO might be less popular as a career choice at the moment, but it certainly pays better among the top performers.
Similarly, social media and PPC may be more popular but are not currently among the top 3 highest paying career options.
Lastly, consider the demand for digital marketers across industries and the corresponding salaries. For example, the moving industry has seen consistent growth, giving rise to prominent digital marketing agencies specifically focused on the industry, including moversdev.com in New York and others in northern states. In contrast, other sectors have seen a serious decline in growth, in no small part due to COVID-19, and have thus scaled down their digital marketing aspirations.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, we should note that the cost of living varies across states. As such, one’s digital marketing salary and scope in the USA will see a different relative value, which is an important distinction to make.
Regardless, digital marketers are in high demand, and salaries are promising as the industry continues to grow at an exponential rate.
