There has been a striking drop in remote SEO role listings — down to just 34% — as well as SEO content job listings – down 28%. That’s according to The 2025 Previsible State of SEO Jobs Report, released today.
Meanwhile, SEO job listings for leadership positions (e.g., vice president of SEO) grew by 50% in 2024, while SEO manager positions increased 58%.
Why we care. It may be too early to know whether this is a blip or a trend, but this data indicates that companies are looking to hire SEOs skilled in strategy, technical, and AI. Although content-focused roles are being squeezed by generative AI, leadership and technical skills remain as valuable as ever.
Job market. 90% of all open SEO positions came from companies with more than 250 employees. Other key stats:
- Remote jobs made up 50% of the market in early 2024. By year’s end: 34%.
- Openings for vice president of SEO grew 50% quarter over quarter.
- SEO content roles fell 28%, while SEO manager roles rose 58%.
Salaries. 12% of SEO job listings offered a salary over $100,000 in 2024. Meanwhile, 40% In-house positions offered a salary over $100,000 or higher, compared to 14% at agencies.
Here’s a breakdown of the average salary by position:
- Vice president of SEO: $191,850.
- Director of SEO: $141,178.
- Technical SEO: $97,500.
- SEO manager: $80,800.
- Content SEO: $67,500.
Bad sign? The median salary for all open positions in 2024 was $82,000. However, the median salary dropped every quarter, falling from $90,000 in Q1 to $75,000 by Q4.
Skills. What were the most in-demand skills? Technical SEO, content marketing, and data analytics.
- 56% of job descriptions with a salary of $250,00 to $300,000 mentioned AI.
- Higher-salary positions were more likely to mention AI, data analytics, technical SEO, and stakeholder management.
- Lower-salary positions were more likely to mention link building.
What they’re saying. Tyson Stockton, COO and co-founder of Previsible, said:
- “As the SEO industry continues to mature we are seeing the market further acknowledge the importance and complexity of search with an increase in director-level and above roles. There is a timidness around content SEO, as many are still trying to understand how best to leverage emerging technologies.”