Paid Search Marketing Strategist Career Guide

Paid Search Marketing Strategist

M-40

M Other Training and education jobs · Skilled level · O*NET 13-1161.01

Texas median whole occupation, 2025: $72,520
work over 40 h a week: 39%
load index from O*NET data: 1.1/5
Texas jobs 2024 to 2034: +17.3%

Pay

This level's pay

No published pay record names this level: no public record found in sources S1-S7 that names this rung. The occupation-wide figure below is for all experience levels.

All pay records and context (2)

DOL prevailing-wage levels I-IV for the whole occupation (wage tiers set by DOL, not job titles or seniority): Level I $54,824 · Level II $75,000 · Level III $78,888 · Level IV $101,404 (71 filings, TX) Base wages offered on H-1B/E-3 Labor Condition Applications (TX and AZ, FY2026 Q1-Q3); covers only employers who filed. source
DOL prevailing-wage levels I-IV for the whole occupation (wage tiers set by DOL, not job titles or seniority): Level I $69,062 · Level II $61,000 · Level III $87,800 · Level IV $100,785 (14 filings, AZ) Base wages offered on H-1B/E-3 Labor Condition Applications (TX and AZ, FY2026 Q1-Q3); covers only employers who filed. source

Whole occupation: Search Marketing Strategists (13-1161), Texas
BLS OEWS May 2025
Series OEUS480000000000013116113 (median), Texas, May 2025, read 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Base pay (straight-time, excludes overtime).
Based on an estimated 63,350 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000013116101).

Half of all Search Marketing Strategists in Texas earn more than $72,520; the bottom 10% earned less than $37,640 and the top 10% more than $135,710 (May 2025, base pay, about 63,350 jobs). U.S. median $78,760.

Outlook 2024 to 2034, all Search Marketing Strategists, not level-specific
TWC, BLS
Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03

Texas: +17.3% jobs · about 6,380 openings a year (59,330 jobs in 2024)
United States: +6.7% jobs · about 87,200 openings a year (941,700 jobs in 2024)

Openings include people retiring or changing jobs, not only growth.

Hours
ONET 31.0
Duration of Typical Work Week (4.C.3.d.8), ONET Work Context, data 08/2021, n = 23 respondents, O*NET OnLine

About 2 in 5 work more than 40 hours a week (39%).

Schedule: regular 96% · irregular 4% · seasonal 0%

Physical load 1.1 of 5, our index from ONET
Method
Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (1.15, 6 measures) and an exposure index (1.01, 7 measures), built from ONET Work Context means, 1 to 5: Spend Time Standing; Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles; Spend Time Walking or Running; Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling; Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance; Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body; Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions; Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures; Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions; Exposed to High Places; Exposed to Hazardous Conditions; Exposed to Hazardous Equipment; Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection.
O*NET OnLine

Body

Standing1.65
Walking or running1.17
Kneeling or crawling1.04
Bending or twisting1.04
Climbing ladders1
Keeping balance1

Exposure

Outdoors, all weather1.04
Very hot or cold1
Cramped space1
High places1
Hazardous conditions1
Hazardous equipment1
Protective gear1

Body 1.15 · exposure 1.01. O*NET Work Context means, 1 = never, 5 = continually or every day.

Getting in

License: No license for this job title at the 8 Texas and federal licensing agencies read on 2026-10-03 (TDLR, TSBPE, TCEQ, TCFP, TEA, TBPELS, NRC and EPA).
Degree: 48% hold a bachelor's or higher; most common: Bachelor's Degree
Experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years of related experience is the most common answer (39% of workers).
O*NET
O*NET Related Work Experience, Search Marketing Strategists, O*NET OnLine
Preparation: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Why this level: Skilled: O*NET Job Zone 4 (1-2 start, 3-4 skilled, 5 senior).

Moves to the side 6

M Market Research Analyst O*NET lists Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.93.
M Product Marketing Manager O*NET lists Marketing Managers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.89.
M Public Relations Specialist O*NET lists Public Relations Specialists as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.90.
M Sales Manager O*NET lists Sales Managers as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.88.

My job now Target Share this job

What the work is 6 core tasks

Employ search marketing tactics to increase visibility and engagement with content, products, or services in Internet-enabled devices or interfaces. Examine search query behaviors on general or specialty search engines or other Internet-based content. Analyze research, data, or technology to understand user intent and measure outcomes for ongoing optimization.

Participate in the development or implementation of online marketing strategy.
Collect and analyze Web metrics, such as visits, time on site, page views per visit, transaction volume and revenue, traffic mix, click-through rates, conversion rates, cost per acquisition, or cost per click.
Manage tracking and reporting of search-related activities and provide analyses to marketing executives.
Optimize digital assets, such as text, graphics, or multimedia assets, for search engine optimization (SEO) or for display and usability on internet-connected devices.
Optimize Web site exposure by analyzing search engine patterns to direct online placement of keywords or other content.
Coordinate with developers to optimize Web site architecture, server configuration, or page construction for search engine consumption and optimal visibility.

Core tasks ranked by O*NET task Importance (IM, 1-5), top 6.

Top skills

Complex Problem Solving
Reading Comprehension
Active Learning
Active Listening
Critical Thinking
Judgment and Decision Making
Speaking
Writing

Sources (4)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, Texas, series OEUS480000000000013116113, read 2026-10-03
Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), 13-1161.01 Search Marketing Strategists, read 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Engineer Tsai has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 · O*NET license

Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Base pay; excludes overtime. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034 (United States) and Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections 2024-2034, read through Projections Central.

Paid Search Marketing Strategist