Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between paid search specialists and digital marketing specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a paid search specialist, becoming a digital marketing specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a paid search specialist has an average salary of $62,694, which is higher than the $60,359 average annual salary of a digital marketing specialist.
The top three skills for a paid search specialist include paid search, digital marketing and google adwords. The most important skills for a digital marketing specialist are digital marketing, marketing campaigns, and email marketing.
| Paid Search Specialist | Digital Marketing Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $62,694 | $60,359 |
| Hourly rate | $30.14 | $29.02 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 2,011 | 94,029 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 44 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
Paid search specialists or PPC specialists mainly manage internet pay-per-click advertising campaigns. The specialists conduct research, decide on purchases, analyze results, and alter the course for optimization. They oversee the strategy, implementation, SEO, design, and analysis of advertising campaigns' performance. Their responsibilities include the determination of trends of insights and trends for maximum return of investment in the paid search campaigns. Knowledge in internet marketing, marketing strategy, and SEO is necessary for this job.
A digital marketing specialist is an individual who is responsible for promoting products or services of a company using appropriate technology platforms effectively. Digital marketing specialists collaborate with marketing teams to plan and execute digital programs such as online advertising, social media, and mobile. They are proficient in digital technology tools that can include web advertising, social media, and web development. Digital marketing specialists must also develop multimedia packages and present recommendations to the company's director of marketing and communications.
Paid search specialists and digital marketing specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Paid Search Specialist | Digital Marketing Specialist | |
| Average salary | $62,694 | $60,359 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $94,000 | Between $44,000 And $81,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | ChannelAdvisor | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a paid search specialist and a digital marketing specialist in terms of educational background:
| Paid Search Specialist | Digital Marketing Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between paid search specialists' and digital marketing specialists' demographics:
| Paid Search Specialist | Digital Marketing Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.9% Female, 69.1% | Male, 51.1% Female, 48.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 12.3% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 10% |