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Job outlook for search engine optimizers in the United States
Are search engine optimizer jobs in demand?
Search engine optimizer job and salary trends over time
Search engine optimizer jobs over time
Search engine optimizer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 805 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 763 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 232 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 342 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 283 | 0.00% |
Average search engine optimizer salary over time
Search engine optimizer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $99,672 | $47.92 | +3.4% |
| 2025 | $96,388 | $46.34 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $94,205 | $45.29 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | $92,369 | $44.41 | +2.3% |
| 2022 | $90,282 | $43.40 | +1.5% |
Search engine optimizer jobs by state
Most common states for search engine optimizers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 38 | 2% |
| 2 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 24 | 2% |
| 3 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 12 | 2% |
| 4 | California | 39,536,653 | 293 | 1% |
| 5 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 73 | 1% |
| 6 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 56 | 1% |
| 7 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 54 | 1% |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 53 | 1% |
| 9 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 46 | 1% |
| 10 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 41 | 1% |
| 11 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 41 | 1% |
| 12 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 34 | 1% |
| 13 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 33 | 1% |
| 14 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 31 | 1% |
| 15 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 16 | 1% |
| 16 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 13 | 1% |
| 17 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 9 | 1% |
| 18 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 9 | 1% |
| 19 | Alaska | 739,795 | 6 | 1% |
| 20 | Vermont | 623,657 | 5 | 1% |
Most common cities for search engine optimizers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burlington | 1 | 4% | $97,012 |
| 2 | Fairfax | 1 | 4% | $102,138 |
| 3 | Alpharetta | 1 | 2% | $84,557 |
| 4 | Cupertino | 1 | 2% | $127,783 |
| 5 | McLean | 1 | 2% | $102,150 |
| 6 | Reston | 1 | 2% | $102,044 |
| 7 | Centreville | 1 | 1% | $102,053 |
| 8 | Fort Lauderdale | 1 | 1% | $96,109 |
| 9 | Gaithersburg | 1 | 1% | $97,628 |
| 10 | Santa Clara | 1 | 1% | $127,711 |
| 11 | Los Angeles | 2 | 0% | $120,875 |
| 12 | Tampa | 1 | 0% | $96,891 |
Search Engine Optimizer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of search engine optimizer experts
University of Cincinnati
What general advice would you give to a Search Engine Optimizer?
Chris Carter: I would recommend playing up their value as critical analysts and researchers who can synthesize information in accessible ways. I would tell them to be open to all kinds of writing opportunities, whether technical, journalistic, or editorial, watching for possibilities in online and print venues alike. English majors' detective skills suit them well to museums and libraries, but also to private and governmental organizations that need shrewd investigators. Turning interpretive savvy into pithy prose and presentations can be great for public relations, and a penchant for lucid communication can set graduates up for podcasting and social media management. Some people might turn those talents toward careers in law or marketing. Others might continue their paths as creative writers and cultural critics, though it's worth noting that full-time, tenure-track jobs in English Departments are hard to come by.
What Search Engine Optimizer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Chris Carter: With the rise of ChatGPT and large language models, English majors will need to clarify how human writers, editors, and analysts can enrich machine-generated content. They do well to practice prompt engineering and gradual conditioning of machine responses, but they also need to be diligent readers who can spot bad AI syntheses. This means correcting faulty information stemming from data aggregation, for sure, but also spotting cultural biases that machines replicate when drawing on preexisting texts. Those texts carry with them the values and assumptions of the people who initially produced them, with ChatGPT reflecting and potentially amplifying the inequities that plague human cultures. The need for ethical intervention is quite urgent, then, and that's where English majors tend to excel. Such intervention will concern not only the accuracy and political tilt of information, but the question of whose language and style count as standard. Writing technologies have always been bound up with power relations. DEI-oriented humanists and English majors will have plenty of opportunities to address those problems as AI becomes more embedded in workplaces and public institutions.
What will help Search Engine Optimizers increase their earning potential?
Chris Carter: First, I would say cast a wide net. Be willing to move places where your skillset can serve flourishing organizations and companies. Keep up with trends in the tech industry and frame your writing, design, and research skills in ways that highlight your versatility. Use your storytelling gifts to emphasize your resourcefulness and ability to complete complex tasks. Also think of those skills as relevant to the work of marketing, entertainment, talent development, legal services, business administration, and patient care. More important than any of that, remember to maintain a marathon mentality as you enter the workforce. Other pursuits may garner better pay right out of the gate, but Humanities graduates see their earning potential grow considerably over the course of a career, frequently outdistancing majors in other fields.