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Paid search specialist salary
Average paid search specialist salary
$62,694
Understanding the Paid Search Specialist Salary
The role of a Paid Search Specialist is crucial in the digital marketing landscape. They are responsible for managing online ad campaigns across various platforms, ensuring businesses achieve optimal visibility. The average salary for this position stands at $62,694 per year, with hourly wages around $30. Salary can vary based on several factors, including geographic location and years of experience.
Salary by Location
In areas where tech companies thrive, such as San Francisco and New York, Paid Search Specialists often command higher salaries. The state-wise breakdown reveals significant disparities, with top-paying states consistently offering above-average compensation.
Growth and Opportunities
As digital marketing expands, the demand for skilled Paid Search Specialists is projected to grow. Staying informed about salary trends and job openings can lead to better career decisions. Platforms like Zippia provide valuable insights into market rates, helping job seekers navigate their options effectively.
Let Zippia find your next paid search specialist job
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Where can a Paid Search Specialist earn more?
Paid search specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average paid search specialist salary by state
The highest-paying states for paid search specialists are California, Washington, and New Jersey. The lowest average paid search specialist salary states are South Dakota, Oklahoma, and Wyoming.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for paid search specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | $69,226 | $33.28 |
| 2 | Arizona | $68,266 | $32.82 |
| 3 | Nevada | $70,270 | $33.78 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $69,365 | $33.35 |
| 5 | California | $82,854 | $39.83 |
| 6 | New York | $69,652 | $33.49 |
| 7 | Alabama | $66,064 | $31.76 |
| 8 | Washington | $73,631 | $35.40 |
| 9 | Arkansas | $61,729 | $29.68 |
| 10 | Virginia | $68,126 | $32.75 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $73,392 | $35.28 |
| 12 | Utah | $62,995 | $30.29 |
| 13 | Idaho | $62,183 | $29.90 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $61,627 | $29.63 |
| 15 | Texas | $63,463 | $30.51 |
| 16 | Oregon | $64,980 | $31.24 |
| 17 | North Carolina | $60,386 | $29.03 |
| 18 | Maryland | $66,280 | $31.87 |
| 19 | District of Columbia | $67,878 | $32.63 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $64,505 | $31.01 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $67,096 | $32.26 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $65,286 | $31.39 |
| 23 | Iowa | $57,062 | $27.43 |
| 24 | Michigan | $60,730 | $29.20 |
| 25 | Ohio | $60,295 | $28.99 |
| 26 | Kansas | $57,409 | $27.60 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $56,829 | $27.32 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $55,699 | $26.78 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $55,707 | $26.78 |
| 30 | Indiana | $57,186 | $27.49 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $57,087 | $27.45 |
| 32 | Massachusetts | $56,584 | $27.20 |
| 33 | Florida | $54,005 | $25.96 |
| 34 | Alaska | $51,579 | $24.80 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $51,640 | $24.83 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $55,250 | $26.56 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $58,135 | $27.95 |
| 38 | Illinois | $54,230 | $26.07 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $56,852 | $27.33 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $57,581 | $27.68 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $56,488 | $27.16 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $49,317 | $23.71 |
| 43 | Colorado | $54,874 | $26.38 |
| 44 | Georgia | $50,090 | $24.08 |
| 45 | Vermont | $48,083 | $23.12 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $49,936 | $24.01 |
| 47 | Montana | $50,651 | $24.35 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $49,615 | $23.85 |
| 49 | Maine | $50,252 | $24.16 |
| 50 | Minnesota | $48,707 | $23.42 |
| 51 | Missouri | $47,457 | $22.82 |
Highest paying cities for paid search specialists
The highest-paying cities for paid search specialists are San Francisco, CA, Carson City, NV, and Seattle, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $90,441 | $43.48 |
| 2 | Carson City, NV | $75,273 | $36.19 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $74,231 | $35.69 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $70,464 | $33.88 |
| 5 | Phoenix, AZ | $68,536 | $32.95 |
| 6 | Washington, DC | $67,902 | $32.65 |
| 7 | Richmond, VA | $67,764 | $32.58 |
| 8 | Annapolis, MD | $66,467 | $31.96 |
| 9 | Providence, RI | $64,230 | $30.88 |
| 10 | Enfield, CT | $64,016 | $30.78 |
| 11 | Dallas, TX | $63,619 | $30.59 |
| 12 | Portland, OR | $63,575 | $30.56 |
| 13 | Salt Lake City, UT | $62,704 | $30.15 |
| 14 | Cleveland, OH | $62,450 | $30.02 |
| 15 | Raleigh, NC | $61,823 | $29.72 |
| 16 | Ann Arbor, MI | $60,822 | $29.24 |
| 17 | Charleston, WV | $60,321 | $29.00 |
| 18 | Baton Rouge, LA | $56,880 | $27.35 |
| 19 | Des Moines, IA | $56,414 | $27.12 |
| 20 | Newton, MA | $56,292 | $27.06 |
Paid search specialist salary details
A paid search specialist's salary ranges from $41,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $94,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a paid search specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $94,000 | $7,833 | $45 |
| 75th Percentile | $78,000 | $6,500 | $38 |
| Average | $62,694 | $5,225 | $30 |
| 25th Percentile | $50,000 | $4,167 | $24 |
| 10th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
Highest paying paid search specialist jobs
The highest paying types of paid search specialists are director, search marketing strategies, online user experience strategist, and search engine evaluator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Media Strategist | $62,339 | $5,195 | $29.97 | 43,791 |
| Search Engine Optimizer | $99,672 | $8,306 | $47.92 | 3,599 |
| Search Engine Evaluator | $106,930 | $8,911 | $51.41 | 3,385 |
| Search Strategist | $82,098 | $6,842 | $39.47 | 9,339 |
Top companies hiring paid search specialists now:
Which companies pay paid search specialists the most?
Paid search specialist salaries at ChannelAdvisor and JPMorgan Chase & Co. are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average paid search specialist salary at companies like Bain & Company and McAfee are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChannelAdvisor | $120,485 | $57.93 |
| 2 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $95,986 | $46.15 |
| 3 | Bain & Company | $84,747 | $40.74 |
| 4 | McAfee | $83,015 | $39.91 |
| 5 | Gallup | $80,766 | $38.83 |
| 6 | Lenovo | $80,210 | $38.56 |
| 7 | NBCUniversal | $72,183 | $34.70 |
| 8 | M3 Global Research | $71,462 | $34.36 |
| 9 | CyberCoders | $69,085 | $33.21 |
| 10 | 2U | $67,127 | $32.27 |
| 11 | Etna Interactive | $62,863 | $30.22 |
| 12 | Stream Companies | $62,274 | $29.94 |
| 13 | Brafton | $59,995 | $28.84 |
| 14 | AAA FACILITY SERVICES | $59,035 | $28.38 |
| 15 | Basis Technologies | $57,262 | $27.53 |
| 16 | Volunteers of America, Utah | $56,631 | $27.23 |
| 17 | Catalyst On Line | $54,979 | $26.43 |
| 18 | Lamark Media | $54,675 | $26.29 |
| 19 | Gn Us Holdings Inc | $54,675 | $26.29 |
| 20 | Talkspace | $54,672 | $26.28 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Paid search specialist salary trends
The average paid search specialist salary has risen by $10,263 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average paid search specialist earned $52,431 annually, but today, they earn $62,694 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for paid search specialists over the last decade.
Compare paid search specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average paid search specialist salary over time
Compare paid search specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Paid search specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $62,700 | $30.14 | +3.3% |
| 2025 | $60,600 | $29.15 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $59,300 | $28.49 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $58,100 | $27.93 | +2.3% |
| 2022 | $56,800 | $27.30 | +1.5% |
Recently added paid search specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Seven Talent | Senior Paid Search Specialist | Dallas, TX | 06/27/2025 | $60,000 |
| Etrailer.com | Paid Search Specialist | Wentzville, MO | 06/21/2025 | $55,000 |
| Warner Bros | Paid Search Specialist | New York, NY | 06/20/2025 | $47,460 |
| FBG Service Corporation | Paid Weekly! Cleaning Specialist; Monday, Wednesday, Friday PM PM | Des Moines, IA | 06/12/2025 | $31,305 |
| The Ward Law Group, Pl | Paid Search Specialist | Miami Lakes, FL | 06/10/2025 | $75,000 |
| Centerfield | Specialist, Paid Search | Los Angeles, CA | 06/09/2025 | $65,000 |
| Canvas Worldwide | Specialist, Paid Search & Paid Social (MGM) | Ione, CA | 06/09/2025 | $69,000 |
| Omnicom Media Group | Specialist, Paid Search & Social | Burbank, CA | 06/05/2025 | $60,000 |
| The Seattle Times | Paid Search Specialist | Seattle, WA | 06/01/2025 | $67,100 |
| Centerfield | Specialist, Paid Search | Los Angeles, CA | 05/30/2025 | $65,000 |
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