website-logo-dark website-logo-light
  • Services
    menu-item-icon
    SEO Services
    Become unmissable in search results.
    menu-item-icon
    Local SEO Services
    Start dominating your local market.
    menu-item-icon
    Ecommerce SEO Services
    Sell more products with SEO.
    menu-item-icon
    Website Design Services
    Make your website a memorable experience.
    menu-item-icon
    Link Building Services
    Build authority with high-quality backlinks.
    menu-item-icon
    Franchise SEO Services
    Grow and protect your franchise brand .
    menu-item-icon
    PPC Management Services
    Reach consumers when they’re ready to buy.
    menu-item-icon
    Facebook Ads
    Target your ideal audience on Facebook.
    menu-item-icon
    Google Ads
    Dominate with targeted search and display.
    • menu-item-icon
      SEO Services
      Become unmissable in search results.
    • menu-item-icon
      Local SEO Services
      Start dominating your local market.
    • menu-item-icon
      Ecommerce SEO Services
      Sell more products with SEO.
    • menu-item-icon
      Website Design Services
      Make your website a memorable experience.
    • menu-item-icon
      Link Building Services
      Build authority with high-quality backlinks.
    • menu-item-icon
      Franchise SEO Services
      Grow and protect your franchise brand .
    • menu-item-icon
      PPC Management Services
      Reach consumers when they’re ready to buy.
    • menu-item-icon
      Facebook Ads
      Target your ideal audience on Facebook.
    • menu-item-icon
      Google Ads
      Dominate with targeted search and display.
  • About
    menu-item-icon
    About Us
    Learn what HigherVisibility is all about.
    menu-item-icon
    Management Team
    Leadership helping to drive our clients success.
    menu-item-icon
    Contact Us
    Need to get in touch with us?
    Client Reviews
    See what our clients are saying!
    • menu-item-icon
      About Us
      Learn what HigherVisibility is all about.
    • menu-item-icon
      Management Team
      Leadership helping to drive our clients success.
    • menu-item-icon
      Contact Us
      Need to get in touch with us?
  • Learn
    menu-item-icon
    Blog
    Learn tips, industry news, and research insights.
    menu-item-icon
    Free SEO Tools
    Access our public facing tools for better SEO.
    menu-item-icon
    SERP Snippet Optimizer
    See how your webpage looks in Google SERPs.
    menu-item-icon
    SEO CTR Grader
    Write Title Tags that increase your CTR.
    menu-item-icon
    Bulk Keyword Generator
    Automatically generate localized keywords.
    menu-item-icon
    Keyworddit
    The only Reddit keyword research tool.
    What is SEO?
    The Beginner's Guide to Search Engine Optimization
    • menu-item-icon
      Blog
      Learn tips, industry news, and research insights.
    • menu-item-icon
      Free SEO Tools
      Access our public facing tools for better SEO.
    • menu-item-icon
      SERP Snippet Optimizer
      See how your webpage looks in Google SERPs.
    • menu-item-icon
      SEO CTR Grader
      Write Title Tags that increase your CTR.
    • menu-item-icon
      Bulk Keyword Generator
      Automatically generate localized keywords.
    • menu-item-icon
      Keyworddit
      The only Reddit keyword research tool.
  • Who We Help
    menu-item-icon
    Franchise Brands
    We produce results for your brands!
    menu-item-icon
    Lawyers
    Get more clients for your law practice!
    menu-item-icon
    Ecommerce Businesses
    We can grow your Ecommerce sales!
    menu-item-icon
    Automotive Companies
    We drive new customers and revenue!
    menu-item-icon
    Financial Services
    Banking, Personal Finance, or Fin Tech!
    menu-item-icon
    Home Builders
    Sell more homes with our digital solutions!
    Other Businesses
    A sustainable future for your website.
    • menu-item-icon
      Franchise Brands
      We produce results for your brands!
    • menu-item-icon
      Lawyers
      Get more clients for your law practice!
    • menu-item-icon
      Ecommerce Businesses
      We can grow your Ecommerce sales!
    • menu-item-icon
      Automotive Companies
      We drive new customers and revenue!
    • menu-item-icon
      Financial Services
      Banking, Personal Finance, or Fin Tech!
    • menu-item-icon
      Home Builders
      Sell more homes with our digital solutions!
phone-icon
888.598.4449
Get a Free Quote
  • Home
  • PPC Management
  • Insite Blog

Marketing’s Most Valuable Freelancers

Adam Heitzman
Adam Heitzman
November 2, 2022
map

An increasing number of professionals are turning to freelance work via the ‘gig economy’ to make ends meet or as a long-term career choice. Marketing is undoubtedly a lucrative profession, and also one that varies dramatically depending on skill set and role, whether you’re a freelancer, working at an agency, or in-house. Freelancers can often charge more for more in-demand skill sets, be that digital marketing strategy, digital PR, or social media marketing, which also gives us a glimpse into the skill sets and roles that are seen as the most ‘valuable.’ 

We analyzed different roles and skills within the marketing industry and then averaged the hourly rates for the freelancers that were returned to find the most valuable skill sets and roles. With average hourly rates beginning at $11.45 up to $61.70, it’s clear that within this industry that’s often branded as heavily saturated, there are still lucrative positions to be had. 

In fact, the average hourly salary of all roles was $38.19, more than triple the average reported salary in August 2022 of $10.95. Undoubtedly, some of these roles and skill sets are more ‘valuable’ than others. Some marketing families have a much higher average than others, based on factors such as how in demand they are, what the standard rates are in the industry, and how much businesses and decision-makers value certain skills. 

Social media is often one of the first things that come to mind when we think of digital marketing; from social media management to strategy, it seems that most businesses are looking to invest in their organic presence. That’s why it’s perhaps surprising that the average hourly salary for social media-based roles fell just short of the average at $34.07 per hour. The highest earning role in this sphere was YouTube, with a rate of $61.70 per hour, and the lowest was general social media marketing, with a rate of $21.59.

Strategic roles generally require higher levels of experience within leadership and direction, as well as having a broader overview of how the many elements of digital marketing come together, as such they can command the highest average hourly rate of all marketing families, at $53.06 per hour. 

The design and development family came in at the second highest, with an average hourly rate of $43.82, with hourly rates fluctuating from $35.52 for a UX/UI professional, to $53.58 for a general designer. Even the most data-driven marketing campaigns use design and development in order to visualize and present the data in a way that’s easy to digest, this particular skill set also often requires a lot of time, training, and experience, which potentially goes some way in justifying the higher hourly averages. According to data from Zippia, salaried designers in the US, in-house or at an agency, can expect an average hourly rate of $31.90

Paid Advertising came in at the third highest with an average hourly rate of $38.62, varying from lower rates of $25.60 per hour for PPC professionals, to $47.97 for general paid advertising professionals. 

Taking the top spot for the highest average hourly wage was YouTube at $61.70, covering a variety of roles from ad placement, video optimization, post-production, thumbnail creation, and strategy. All of these combine to ensure growth on the platform that is home to millions of creators, some of which have gone on to carve illustrious careers outside of YouTube due to the communities they have developed over time. It’s estimated that top creators like Mr. Beast earned as much as $54 million in 2021, and with many creators hoping to jump on the bandwagon, there’s no surprise that marketers with this skill set can command an average hourly rate that is over 5.5 times the average hourly rate in the US. 

Marketing Strategists had the second highest rate when it came to freelancers, they were able to command $58.44 per hour on average, whereas those working in salaried positions could expect an average of $38.48 hourly. Marketing strategists are typically responsible for researching, developing, and communicating strategic marketing plans that meet the company’s goals, often leading and working with teams to achieve this. 

Commanding the third highest average hourly salary were Copywriters, at $54.29 per hour. When compared with the salaried US average (in-house or agency side), it’s clear that freelance copywriters have the ability to earn more on average by working freelance. Those working in salaried positions typically earn $31 per hour, however, this will differ depending on the role, and level of seniority. Copywriters typically work across a variety of advertising channels, producing engaging copy for websites, ads, marketing materials, and even social media. 

In stark contrast to these high-earning roles, and potentially quite surprising in terms of their average hourly rate, are roles within marketing for eBay, Etsy, and as a general Social Media Marketing Manager. 

eBay and Etsy came in at the bottom, with eBay marketers being able to command an average of $11.45 per hour and Etsy marketers being able to command $14.93, however, this was still above the average reported salary of August 2022. Social Media Marketing Managers fared slightly better with an average hourly salary of $21.59, however, in this case, those working or aiming to work within this profession may be better off with a salaried role, with an average hourly rate of $33.79. 

Our research shows that while all of these freelance marketing roles have an average hourly rate that is higher than the average hourly reported US salary in August 2022, some roles are significantly more lucrative than others. A 2021 report by Upwork found that 59 million Americans performed freelance work in that year, a number that is unlikely to slow given the flexibility of remote working and the financial opportunities it provides. 

——————————————————————————————————————————-

Methodology 
Rates were collected by looking at upwork.com for different roles/skills and averaging the hourly rates for the freelancers returned. Searches were conducted between the 15th and 21st of September 2022 and rates were collected in USD.

Table of Contents
chart-bar
Want a Free Digital Marketing Strategy Customized to Your Business?

Enter your email to get strategic insights, a plan of action, and pricing options.

Please provide a valid email address.

From Our Insite Blog

We believe that SEO requires an all-encompassing approach to ensure a sustainable future for your site and achieve your goal…. conversions.

browser
Guide
Adam Heitzman
Inbound Marketing for SaaS: 10 Proven Tips & Strategies
magnify
SEO
Adam Heitzman
Cannabis SEO: SEO Services to Grow Your Business
magnify
SEO
Adam Heitzman
GoDaddy SEO Review: Is GoDaddy SEO a Waste of Money?
browser
Guide, Paid Search
Scott Langdon
What is PPC Management? How to Succeed at Pay-Per-Click
magnify
SEO
Adam Heitzman
SEO Without a Website: Wait, What?
swatch
Web Development
Adam Heitzman
Web Design for Doctors: Design Services that Get Patients
avatar

The team at Higher Visibility has been great. We have seen tangible results from our improved SEO since we began. Highly recommend these folks.

Chris Carroll, Owner/President
Get My Free Quote

Want a Free Digital Marketing Strategy Customized to Your Business?

Enter your email to get strategic insights, a plan of action, and pricing options.
Please provide a valid email address.
Send My Custom Strategy
check-yellow
Talking with other Digital Marketing Agencies? Contact us to learn what makes us the best!
facebook twitter LinkedIn youtube
website-logo-dark
HigherVisibility’s focus is to drive conversions through laser-focused targeting combined with an optimal post-click experience.
Get a Free Quote
Services
  • SEO Services
  • PPC Management
  • Website Design
  • Local SEO
  • Link Building
  • Ecommerce SEO
Services
  • Franchise SEO
  • Facebook Ads
  • Google Ads
  • SEO Auditing
  • Conversion Optimization
  • Reseller Program
Company
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Blog
  • Free SEO Tools
  • Memphis Location
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us
Who We Help
  • Franchises
  • Lawyers
  • Ecommerce
  • Automotive
  • Financial Services
  • Home Builders
  • Other Businesses
Call Us Toll Free : 888.212.4458
Email Us : info@highervisibility.com
6070 Poplar Avenue, Suite 760, Memphis, TN 38119
© 2022 HigherVisibility · A leading digital marketing agency.

phone-icon Prefer to call?

888.212.4458

Feel confident in the process and proud of the results. See why 100’s of businesses have trusted HigherVisibility since 2009. Our digital consultants are ready to discuss your needs.

You’re Custom Strategy is
One Step Away

Complete the form and get strategic insights, our plan of action, and pricing options.