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The differences between search strategists and paid search specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a search strategist and a paid search specialist. Additionally, a search strategist has an average salary of $82,098, which is higher than the $62,694 average annual salary of a paid search specialist.
The top three skills for a search strategist include digital marketing, google analytics and paid search. The most important skills for a paid search specialist are paid search, digital marketing, and google adwords.
| Search Strategist | Paid Search Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $82,098 | $62,694 |
| Hourly rate | $39.47 | $30.14 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 9,339 | 2,011 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A search strategist varies depending on institution and roles in their different categories. This is an individual who makes your website or articles to be among the first in line when a customer searches for certain keywords that are related to your organization or a specific product. The duties and responsibilities include developing online marketing strategies and tactics and running simulations and possible outcomes to a strategy to help in revenue forecasting.
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.
Search strategists and paid search specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Search Strategist | Paid Search Specialist | |
| Average salary | $82,098 | $62,694 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $118,000 | Between $41,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | ChannelAdvisor | |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between a search strategist and a paid search specialist in terms of educational background:
| Search Strategist | Paid Search Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Marketing | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between search strategists' and paid search specialists' demographics:
| Search Strategist | Paid Search Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.7% Female, 23.3% | Male, 30.9% Female, 69.1% |
| 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |