The average search engine optimization (SEO) manager’s salary varies due to different factors. One of those is location. This couldn’t be truer if you compare the salaries estimates of SEO in the UK and the US.

This post aims to share accurate salary info of SEO managers from both countries and variables that may affect their earnings potential.

Understanding these nuances lets you navigate your career path and confidently negotiate your salary. For employers, the salaries should give you an idea of how much managers from different countries charge so you can temper your expectations.

Average SEO Manager Salary Range in the US

When you’re eyeing a career as an SEO Manager in the US, it’s pivotal to grasp the financial prospects of the role. 

Recent data from anonymous SEO manager employees and salary reports showcase that the average SEO Manager salary ranges from $77,000 to $131,000 (high to low salary). Its most likely salary is $100,000 yearly, equivalent to roughly £78,000, much higher than the average UK salary of £45,000.

It’s essential to note that the average additional cash compensation can significantly boost your total earnings. This might include bonuses, profit sharing, or commission, contributing to a more attractive average total compensation package.

Understanding these salary ranges will equip you with the knowledge to promote fair compensation in your current or future role. 

Factors Influencing SEO Manager Salaries

When considering a career as an SEO manager or looking to negotiate your salary, it’s important to understand how various factors can influence what SEO managers make. These aspects determine where you might fall within the average SEO manager’s salary brackets and help gauge fair compensation.

Technical SEO Knowledge

Naturally, the more years you’ve spent mastering SEO, the higher your value in the job market. 

The ability to demonstrate strong SEO skills, from keyword research to link building and reporting, may find themselves at the higher end of the salary spectrum. Plus points if they can show proof of the sites they’ve worked on before and their current rankings (whether they retained their high rankings). 

This specialized knowledge makes you better positioned to negotiate salaries and command higher cash compensation.

Experience

Just as important as skills, you must show your managerial and collaboration skills, which are essential to becoming an effective SEO manager. Your salary will be measured by the success of your previous projects, which is dictated by how you assign tasks to your team members and empower them to do a good job.

In essence, your ability to command a higher salary increases as you gain experience on top of hard and soft SEO skills. 

Location

When exploring SEO manager salary US data, it’s crucial to understand how geography impacts salary scales. While the average SEO manager’s salary is a benchmark, salaries vary widely across different regions. This variation is due to the cost of living and the demand for SEO expertise in specific areas.

For instance, SEO managers in major tech hubs or cities with a high concentration of digital marketing firms might find themselves at the higher end of the salary spectrum. Below is a short list of US cities with a sizeable SEO market and the respective average salaries of SEO managers in each:

City	Average Salary
San Francisco	$129,000
New York	$118,000
Seattle	$114,000
Chicago	$103,000
Austin	$97,000

On the contrary, smaller cities or those with less demand for digital marketing expertise may offer salaries closer to the lowest salary thresholds of the national range. This doesn’t necessarily indicate a lesser value placed on SEO roles but reflects regional economic scales and living costs.

Moreover, the average additional cash compensation significantly influences your total earnings. In cities where the cost of living is higher, employers often supplement base salaries with bonuses, profit sharing, or other forms of cash compensation to promote fair compensation.

Company Size and Industry

The size of your employer and the industry in which it operates can also impact your compensation. 

Typically, larger organisations have more complex needs and higher budgets, leading to potentially higher salaries for SEO managers. In contrast, smaller firms may offer salaries towards the lower end of the scale but can sometimes compensate with more flexible working conditions or additional cash compensation.

For those in the digital marketing sphere, the job title of SEO manager can encompass various responsibilities, from technical SEO to managing content strategies. This variation means the average SEO manager’s salary can diverge significantly based on the employer’s size.

Find the Best SEO Opportunities with SEO.Careers

From the statistics above, you can’t deny SEO managers’ salaries in the US. It’s almost twice the average salary of an SEO manager in the UK. 

This means you should apply for SEO managerial positions in American companies, right? Assuming that you meet the requirements of organisations, you should consider trying out for the job.

But remember that there’s a reason for the high salary of US SEO managers–the competition is just as fierce. Expect other applicants vying for the position to be as good, if not better, than you in all aspects of SEO, from technical to people skills. 

At the same time, there’s no harm in trying! After all, you want what’s best for your professional career, and if that means working at a prominent US company to generate more traffic from search engines, then more power to you.

To get a leg up against the competition, SEO.Careers can help! Our recruitment agency will connect you with potential employers looking for your skill set to help them manage their SEO strategies and campaigns with their team members.

Submit your CV here so you can jumpstart your SEO managerial career and get the highest salary yet.