Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on
Learn the average digital marketing salary, plus discover how to maximise your earning potential and trends in the digital marketing industry.
This article provides salary trends, info, and tips on how readers can improve their chances of earning their desired salary in this field.
Digital marketing salaries for 2023
If you’re beginning your digital marketing job search or considering a new career, you might be interested in the average digital marketing salary. In India, digital marketing jobs offer monthly salaries that can exceed ₹54T at the top end, which is higher than the national average of ₹32,840 [1][2]. Digital marketers' base salary averages ₹23,875 a month with average cash compensation, which includes additional pay such as commission, cash bonuses, and profit sharing, bringing the range to ₹5,552 - ₹86,649 per month.
Read more: Digital Marketing: What It Is and How to Get Started
Digital marketing salaries can vary from one role, company, or industry to another, especially considering the range of functions within digital marketing. We’ve organised the table below with salaries (base + additional pay) for manager roles corresponding to marketers' top six channels to reach audiences. According to HubSpot’s 2022 State of Marketing report, the top channels include social media, web/blog, email marketing, content marketing, influencer marketing, and SEO marketing [3].
Use the following table as a model for your research process. All salaries listed reflect annual averages for India according to Glassdoor as of January 2023.
| Role | What they make | What they do | Top-rated companies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital marketing manager | ₹6,50,000 | Implements a company’s digital marketing strategies to reach target audiences. | Karma Ayurveda, Google, Accenture, DigitalMarketer, Freelancer |
| Social media community manager | ₹4,20,000 | Maintains a company’s social media presence and oversees social media marketing campaigns. | Sprinklr, Ciel HR, Sophos, DB Corp |
| Website manager | ₹6,00,000 | Oversees a company’s website, including writing blog content and optimising metadata. | TCS, D3 Education, ExportersIndia, GO MO Group, Elrick Technology |
| Content manager | ₹6,98,570 | Oversees the development of strategic content to inform and attract audiences. | OliveBoard, Absolute Sports, Accenture, EduGorilla, ByteDance |
| Influencer marketing manager | ₹3,36,000 | Builds influencer partnerships for a company and optimises influencer marketing campaigns. | Barcode Entertainment, Hobo, Freelancer, ByteDance, |
| SEO manager | ₹5,33,112 | Oversees a company’s SEO practices and optimise a site to attract more organic traffic. | Karma Ayurveda, Neil Patel Digital, Times Internet, Togglehead Digital, InfiDigit |
What factors affect your digital marketing salary?
Now that you know salaries for different roles and a framework for exploring your options, you’ll want to consider factors that may affect your earning potential. These include:
Education
For some digital marketing jobs, having a bachelor’s degree, postgraduate degree, or certifications in high-priority skills leads to a higher salary. Although you don’t need to obtain a degree to start working as a digital marketer, you will need to know certain skills. Earning a degree or certification in digital marketing is one way to achieve those learning objectives. Relevant degree choices include business, marketing, communication, and public relations.
Experience
Your background in digital marketing may play a role in your earning potential. Experience may include employment, contract or freelance work, or even marketing your own business.
Role
Advanced positions in digital marketing, such as a content manager, might earn ₹7,97,500 per year with an additional ₹1,000 in other compensation [4]. On the other hand, a digital marketing coordinator earns an average of ₹7,55,000 annually [5].
Skills
Having key digital marketing skills may make you a more attractive job candidate with higher earning potential. Be sure to read job descriptions for required and preferred skills. According to Payscale, certain skills can help you earn a higher salary [6]. These include:
Strategic marketing (105 per cent higher pay)
Web design (64 per cent higher pay)
Search engine marketing (14 per cent higher pay)
Website management (14 per cent higher pay)
Google Adwords (8 per cent higher pay)
In addition, talk to recruiters and hiring managers about how your skill set might affect your salary offer.
Company
Salaries will vary depending on a company’s size, marketing budget, and business goals. According to Glassdoor, here are some of the average salaries paid to digital marketers in India by top companies:
Accenture- ₹9,39,090 per year
Cybage Software- ₹7,52,778 per year
DigitalMarketer- ₹3,12,768 per month
City
Salaries tend to vary city by city. Glassdoor notes that a digital marketing specialist working in Bangalore brings home an average of ₹588,740 per annum, while the same worker in Chennai brings home an average ₹6,71,352. Other city averages include:
New Delhi: ₹7,03,764
Hyderabad: ₹5,59,549
Kolkata: ₹4,06,116
Pune: ₹6,16,379
4 Digital marketing salary best practices
As you conduct your job search and advance your digital marketing career, empower yourself with the following salary best practices. By taking consistent action, you can increase your earning potential and career options:
1. Refine your job search methods.
Research digital marketing job listings on various career platforms to stay informed about the job market. Here are some questions to guide your research:
What are the typical digital marketing salaries for this role?
What are the typical salaries in various industries?
What companies hire for this role, and how do employees rate them on job sites?
What can I learn about different companies from reviewing their social media profiles, websites, and customer reviews?
2. Build skills and gain experience in digital marketing.
Whether you’re looking for a job or developing in your current role, continuing your digital marketing education is always a good idea. Doing so can lead to a more robust CV, higher salary, and greater exposure to your organisation’s evolving needs.
Common ways to continue your education include:
Taking courses
Getting certified
Downloading industry reports and other resources from digital marketing leaders
Taking on freelance or contract work, such as designing an email marketing campaign or writing web copy
3. Build a digital marketing network.
A solid network of fellow digital marketers can make it easier to discover career opportunities, learn about the latest industry trends, find a support system, and gather feedback on your digital marketing projects and endeavours.
Here are some ways to build your network:
Follow content creators on social media and reach out to them with questions or ideas.
Join professional organisations.
Attend conferences and networking events.
Participate in online forums and discussion groups.
Reach out to digital marketing course instructors and classmates.
4. Monitor digital marketing trends.
Industry trends in digital marketing are essential to watch because they can signal shifts in consumer behaviour and opportunities to market to consumers more effectively. For example, HubSpot’s Marketing Trends report indicates that influencer marketing is the top emerging trend of 2022 [2]. The report also shows that mobile searches account for more online traffic than tablets or desktops and that consumers often connect with brands through social media.
Ask yourself these questions:
What connections exist between digital marketing trends, job openings across industries, and salaries?
Are companies allocating more of their marketing budget to hire digital marketers with expertise in what’s trending?
How might I discuss with my current employer ways our team can respond to trends and improve our marketing strategy?
What marketing methods can I practise on my own, or when taking on a freelance project to increase my value for employers?
Build digital marketing skills with Coursera
Online courses can be a great way to learn more about digital marketing, discover career opportunities, and become job ready. Become job-ready with SEO, SEM, email marketing, e-commerce, and more skills with the Google Digital Marketing and E-Commerce Professional Certificate.
This certification can help you learn the skills you need to become a digital marketer, marketing coordinator, SEO specialist, email marketing specialist, and more. Learning at your own pace, you could be ready for a career move in as little as six months.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
As of February 2023, the average base pay for a digital marketing specialist in India is ₹23,537 per month, according to Glassdoor. You can research salary ranges on Naukri and other sites like Indeed and Payscale for most other digital marketing positions. Note whether the listed salary includes additional pay, such as commission, cash bonuses, or profit sharing. For example, a digital marketing strategist makes, on average, ₹41,828 monthly total pay: ₹28,255 base pay and ₹13,573 additional pay.
The time it takes to begin a career in digital marketing depends on several factors. These include the digital marketing role, the skills and education required, the kind of employment you seek (self-employed, freelancer, or employee), and the time you have available to prepare for this career path. For example, suppose you’re just starting in this field. In that case, you may be able to gain relevant experience by completing courses or certificates in digital marketing and landing contract or freelance positions. If your goal is to seek employment, you may find that some employers require (or prefer) candidates with a degree in marketing or a related field.
A career in digital marketing can be a rewarding path for people who enjoy combining their creativity and strategic thinking to help businesses succeed. In addition, digital marketing is continually evolving regarding the methods and technologies marketers use to reach audiences.
Working in this field means you’ll be on the cutting edge of the latest trends. Regarding your career trajectory, consider that digital marketers are in demand across industries, there are opportunities to advance into more senior roles with salaries that are often above the national average in India.
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