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SEMPO Publishes Results of Search Marketer Salary Survey
[May 26, 2016]

SEMPO Publishes Results of Search Marketer Salary Survey


SEMPO, the world's largest nonprofit organization serving the search and digital marketing industry and the marketing professionals engaged in it, today announced the results of its fifth biannual survey to assess the current state of compensation of search marketing professionals. The survey was open to all search and digital marketing professionals; nearly 600 responses were received in December 2015.

Key findings include:

  • The average search salary is on the rise again, by an average of 16% over 2013.
  • Large growth in salaries at the $100,000-plus level may indicate a maturation of talent.
  • Ranks of search veterans are growing, while entry level practitioners show a decline, which could be the result of social media's impact.
  • Type of company has less influence on salaries than in the past; however, regional differences are significant.
  • Analytics - cited by more than 94% of respondents - are a key part of search duties.
  • Ability to work remotely is the most-cited added benefit desired and received by employees (45%).
  • More than 10% of respondents manage a remarkable 50+ accounts or websites.

Now covering the past 10 years, the survey data puts current salary, benefits and other related information into valuable historical perspective. Highlights of the results may be viewed online, and the complete results are available to SEMPO members at no charge.

"SEMPO's Search Salary Report is a nice complement to our annual State of Search Survey, as it provides valuable perspective from a variety of angles on the people who work in our industry and the types of companies they work for. As always, we thank all the participants in the survey and the SEMPO Research Committee for their work in fielding the survey, analyzing the results and generating the final report," said Marc Engelsman, Vice Presidet of Strategy & Analytics, Digital Brand Expressions, and SEMPO Vice President of Research.



The data collected includes salary ranges of SEO and SEM jobs, from entry level to executive; salary variations by geographic markets; and total compensation packages beyond salaries, such as bonuses, benefits and perks. The survey also captured responsibilities, such as the number of accounts and number of people managed, and search marketing budget size.

In an important addition, this year's survey separately tabulated and compared responses from agencies/consultants (52% of responses), in-house/brand advertisers (42%), and the search industry ecosystem (6%), which includes vendors, suppliers, publishers, and other entities.


SEMPO activities center on education, networking, and its well-respected research. To support its educational mission, the organization provides a webinar series, Chats with industry experts, and face-to-face education delivered at the local level through the SEMPO Cities initiative, which provides opportunities for members to network together throughout the world.

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About SEMPO
SEMPO is a global non-profit organization serving the search and digital marketing industry and the marketing professionals engaged in it. Its purpose is to provide a foundation for industry growth through building stronger relationships, fostering awareness, providing education, promoting the industry, generating research, and creating a better understanding of search and its role in marketing.

SEMPO includes thousands of professionals across 50 countries. The organization's mission is to represent the common interests of companies and consultants worldwide and provide them with a voice in the marketplace. SEMPO's education and outreach initiatives are funded in part by Google (News - Alert) and Baidu. For more information or to join the organization, visit www.SEMPO.org.


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