A worldwide survey of paid search professionals provides a clear picture of what they’re earning across various sectors and locations.

Duane Brown, CEO and Head of Strategy at Toronto-based ad agency Take Some Risk Inc. has released his seventh annual PPC Salary Survey.

Using responses submitted by 715 digital marketing professionals worldwide, its goal is to provide salary transparency to ensure all PPC professionals are fairly compensated.

Using data collected in February 2022, this report includes information from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the U.S., India, the U.K., the Netherlands and other European countries.

Top Insights from the Report

This 111-slide report includes an includes a significant amount of data, including salary breakdowns by region, employer type, experience and gender. Some key insights include:

• The average salary for PPC professionals ranges from $45,875-$174,215 in the U.S., $52,000-$149,000 in Australia and New Zealand, €37,900-€67,330 in Europe and $45,250 to $154,250 in Canada, depending on experience.
• The gender pay gap persists within the search marketing industry, with males with 10-15 years of experience earning an average of 11% more in the U.S., 19.2% more in the U.K. and 15.2% more in Europe. This gap exists across experience levels.
• From 2021 to 2022, average salaries in the field have grown by approximately 6.5% in the U.S., 5% in Canada, 6% in the U.K, and 11% in Europe. Average salaries in Australia and New Zealand have remain largely unchanged.
• Wages for entry level PPC positions have decreased in most regions in the past year. In Canada and Europe, while they have grown, they are still below 2020 numbers.
• In-house and agency salaries remain roughly equivalent, while freelancers tended to outearn both, with an average compensation of $96,335 in the U.S., £44,500 in the U.K. and €68,672 in Europe.

Average Salary Comparisons

For a better understanding of the figures in this report, we have compared estimates and averages from a variety of sources:

Paid Search Analyst, entry level – Toronto, Ontario

• Duane Brown – $40,000
• Glassdoor – $46,920[1]
• Talent.com – $57,500[2]

 PPC Specialist, 3 years’ experience – New York, NY

• Duane Brown – $93,625
• Glassdoor – $77,009[3]
• Indeed – $83,119[4]
• LinkedIn – $75,000[5]

Senior Digital Marketing Manager, 5 years’ experience – London, UK

• Duane Brown – £56,600
• Glassdoor – £63,305[6]
• LinkedIn – £62,500[7]
• Totaljobs – £52,000[8]

Paid Search Specialist, 8 years’ experience – Berlin, Germany

• Duane Brown – €55,566
• Glassdoor – €57,740[9]
• Paylab – €63,876 [10]

As you can see, Brown’s numbers are broadly in line with what other sites are finding.

However, he is careful to note that some professionals may have only been in paid search for a portion of longer careers, so their salaries may skew higher. An employee just starting his or her career will not have the earnings power of someone who has been in the workforce longer and has transitioned to a paid search role.

Additionally, as these statistics were compiled by self-respondent subjects, numbers from may not be as accurate as those from governmental sources.

Read the full report at TakeSomeRisk.com.[11]

Featured Image: lassedesignen/Shutterstock