SEO May Be Dead, But It Pays More Than Ever in 2025

A recurring narrative in marketing circles has warned that SEO is being replaced by AI tools and shifting search behaviors, but a new U.S. salary analysis reveals the exact opposite: SEO roles are not only in demand, they’re more lucrative than ever.

Average salaries have jumped to $74,795 in 2025, with top earners making over $230,000, according to Nikola Baldikov, SEO consultant and founder of InBound Blogging, who set out to assess whether SEO is still a viable and rewarding career path.

To do that, he aggregated thousands of publicly available job listings from Indeed and Glassdoor, cross-referencing those numbers with external salary benchmarks.

“I wanted to cut through the speculation by looking at practical data about demand and compensation.”, Baldikov told me when he reached out to Website Planet.

Here’s a breakdown of his surprising findings:

SEO Salaries Are Actually Growing in 2025

Here’s what the data shows about the current salary trends in SEO:

• The average SEO salary in the U.S. is now $74,795, well above the national household income of $66,622.
• Executive SEO roles command a median income of $116,502, with top-end compensation reaching $239,725.
• Even entry-level SEO specialists earn an average of $61,746, with performance bonuses ranging from $4,000 to $8,000 annually.
• SEO Copywriters remain in demand, despite being expected to be first in line for AI disruption. Juniors earn about $54,336, while seniors can make up to $104,764, depending on market and experience.

The main takeaway is that SEO remains one of the most promising career tracks in digital marketing.

But what is probably even more surprising, is where SEOs get paid the most…

The Top Cities For SEOs Are Not What You Think

Probably the most surprising trend Baldikov uncovered was the presence of six-figure offers in remote and secondary markets.

Thanks to remote work, SEO talents can now thrive in a broad range of cities where cost of living is more manageable, and salaries are incredibly high, sometimes much higher than the local average.

For example, in Mohall, North Dakota, SEO executives can earn an average of $161,595, despite the local average wage being less than $60,000.

Meanwhile, Seattle, WA offers the highest average salary for SEO specialists at $119,320, followed by New York, NY ($91,639) and Cincinnati, OH ($66,323).

“I was pleasantly surprised to find that skilled SEO professionals can earn up to six-figure salaries even in smaller or non-traditional markets,” says Baldikov. “That’s encouraging; location shouldn’t be a limitation to talent.”

Even mid-level roles are climbing. SEO managers now average $81,915, with upper-tier positions reaching $136,818, especially in cities like San Francisco ($112,825) and New York ($104,336). Content strategists, who blend SEO with storytelling, now earn a median of $80,582, with senior-level salaries pushing above $110,000.

“Remote work opens up more opportunities for talent everywhere,” Baldikov notes. “Some companies are willing to pay top dollar for the right expertise, regardless of geography.”

Good news for experienced SEOs, maybe not as much for those entering the workforce right now…

A Reality Check For Newcomers

While salaries are increasing, so too are the expectations, particularly for newcomers. Team leader roles, typically a stepping stone to senior management, remain underpaid, averaging just $41,630, with some entry-level offers as low as $38,220. This disparity highlights growing pressure on entry-level talent to arrive already upskilled in SEO and AI-integrated tools.

“Expectations continue to rise for entry-level professionals,” Baldikov observes. “The bar to entry may feel higher now than it did five years ago.”

Still, the report challenges a major misconception: that AI is replacing humans in SEO and content. While AI tools are now widely used for ideation, keyword research, and content generation, Baldikov argues they’re augmenting (not replacing) human roles.

“Most SEOs are one step ahead with learning new strategies and adapting to these changes in search dynamics,” he says. “Experts who get comfortable with these changes and adapt quickly will be rewarded.”

This view aligns with recent findings from the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report, which estimates that 41% of companies plan to reduce headcount due to AI, but also notes increased demand for skilled digital strategists and creative professionals, exactly the kind of roles SEO encapsulates.

The Verdict: SEO Is Evolving, Not Dying

The bottom line is that SEO isn’t just alive, it’s evolving into one of the most resilient and high-paying digital career paths in the U.S. economy. The narrative that AI has killed SEO simply doesn’t hold up against the numbers.