New: 50 state study reveals the highest paying U.S. States for SEO professionals
If you’re familiar with website design, you should also be familiar with the term “SEO”, i.e. “Search Engine Optimization” – which describes the processes of maximizing user traffic to a website by improving page rank within search engines. There has been a growing number of techies making their livelihoods being employed in the field that makes sure that websites under their purview receive the most hits and clicks possible. Those workers are known as SEO Specialists; and they analyze, review and implement changes to websites so those sites are optimized for search engines.
A new research study now shows the states across America with the highest paying jobs for Search Engine Optimization Specialists, with the great state of New Mexico coming in on top.
- New Mexico is revealed to be the highest-paying state for SEO workers with a reported disposable income of $40,158/yr.
- Texas and Nevada place second and third, with both states reporting just over $39k/yr in disposable income.
- To determine the final ranking, SEO salaries in each state were compared to the cost of living.
But who figured all this out? SEO platform Ahrefs analyzed salary estimates in each state of various SEO roles from Glassdoor, including SEO specialists, SEO writers, and SEO data analysts. Salary estimates were then compared to multiple cost of living factors, such as utilities and groceries, to determine the states where SEO workers have the highest disposable income. The average SEO salary in each state was also compared to the mean state salary to calculate the percentage increase.
The Top 10 List of the Highest Paying U.S. States for SEO Professionals
New Mexico tops the list, with SEO workers having an annual disposable income of $40,158. The Land of Enchantment’s mean salary for SEO workers is $74,792.68, which is a 37% increase compared to the average state salary of $54,400.
Texas takes the second spot, with SEO workers having an annual disposable income of $39,345. Residents of The Lone Star State working in SEO earn $76,963.41 on average, a 34% increase compared to the mean state salary of $57,300.
Nevada is in third place, with the annual disposable income of SEO workers being $39,235. Nevada citizens employed within the SEO industry earn $76,292.68 on average, while the mean salary in the state is $55,490; this, like New Mexico, equates to a 37% increase.
Maryland ranks fourth, with those employed in the SEO industry having an annual disposable income of $38,046. Before deducting the monthly living expenses of $3,628, SEO employees in the state earn $81,585.37, the sixth-highest wage in the country.
Arkansas lands in fifth place, with SEO professionals having an annual disposable income of $37,963. While the average SEO salary in Arkansas of $70,048.78 is one of the lowest in America before accounting for cost of living, this is a 44% increase of the mean salary in the state, which is $48,570; this is the third-highest increase in the country.
In sixth place is Michigan, with the annual disposable income for SEO workers being $37,870. Before deducting the monthly living expenses of $2,955, Michigan citizens working in SEO earn $73,329.27 on average, while the mean state salary is $58,000.
Washington is in seventh place, where those employed within the SEO industry have an annual disposable income of $37,774. Washington has the third-highest average SEO salary in America at $84,719.51 before deducting monthly living costs of $3,912.
Next is Wyoming, with the annual disposable income for SEO professionals being $37,698. Wyoming’s mean salary in SEO before cost of living is $74,365.85, compared to an average state salary of $54,440, which equates to a 37% increase.
Following closely behind is Iowa in ninth place, with SEO workers having an annual disposable income of $37,256. Residents of The Hawkeye State working in SEO earn $72,658.54 on average, while the mean state salary is $53,520, making that a 36% increase.
Last on the Top 10 List is North Carolina, in tenth place, with residents employed in the SEO industry having an annual disposable income of $37,198. Before deducting $3,219 to account for cost of living, citizens of North Carolina working in SEO earn $75,829.27 on average; this is 35% more than the mean state salary of $56,220.
Top 10 List of the Highest Paying U.S. States for SEO Professionals
| Rank | State | Average SEO salary after cost of living |
| 1 | New Mexico | $40,158 |
| 2 | Texas | $39,345 |
| 3 | Nevada | $39,235 |
| 4 | Maryland | $38,046 |
| 5 | Arkansas | $37,963 |
| 6 | Michigan | $37,870 |
| 7 | Washington | $37,774 |
| 8 | Wyoming | $37,698 |
| 9 | Iowa | $37,256 |
| 10 | North Carolina | $37,198 |
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Tim Soulo, CMO at Ahrefs , has commented on the findings: “The demand for SEO workers is continuing to grow as many businesses are expanding their online presence. While the SEO salary is significantly higher than the mean salary in every state, it’s interesting to discover which states in particular can thrive in this industry.
“Many people may be unaware that a degree is not required to work in SEO – so these findings will hopefully encourage Americans to grasp the opportunity and dive into one of the world’s most exciting industries.”
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Full Ranking for all 50 States
of the Highest Paying U.S. States for SEO Professionals
| Rank | State | Monthly cost of living | Average SEO Salary after cost of living |
| 1 | New Mexico | $2,886 | $40,158 |
| 2 | Texas | $3,135 | $39,345 |
| 3 | Nevada | $3,088 | $39,235 |
| 4 | Maryland | $3,628 | $38,046 |
| 5 | Arkansas | $2,674 | $37,963 |
| 6 | Michigan | $2,955 | $37,870 |
| 7 | Washington | $3,912 | $37,774 |
| 8 | Wyoming | $3,056 | $37,698 |
| 9 | Iowa | $2,950 | $37,256 |
| 10 | North Carolina | $3,219 | $37,198 |
| 11 | North Dakota | $2,956 | $36,976 |
| 12 | Kansas | $2,873 | $36,827 |
| 13 | Oregon | $3,635 | $36,635 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $3,366 | $36,216 |
| 15 | Utah | $3,172 | $36,184 |
| 16 | Idaho | $3,187 | $35,998 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $3,288 | $35,643 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $2,756 | $35,533 |
| 19 | Georgia | $3,506 | $35,240 |
| 20 | Virginia | $3,591 | $35,145 |
| 21 | Indiana | $3,126 | $35,100 |
| 22 | Nebraska | $3,119 | $35,013 |
| 23 | Illinois | $3,651 | $34,855 |
| 24 | Ohio | $3,030 | $34,691 |
| 25 | California | $4,582 | $34,644 |
| 26 | Colorado | $3,640 | $34,612 |
| 27 | Arizona | $3,365 | $34,486 |
| 28 | Missouri | $3,159 | $34,060 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $2,996 | $33,934 |
| 30 | Kentucky | $3,041 | $33,616 |
| 31 | New Jersey | $4,104 | $33,559 |
| 32 | Connecticut | $3,937 | $33,445 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $3,222 | $33,298 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $3,038 | $33,215 |
| 35 | Alabama | $3,062 | $32,816 |
| 36 | Delaware | $3,660 | $32,802 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | $3,580 | $32,451 |
| 38 | Rhode Island | $3,899 | $32,397 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $3,024 | $31,246 |
| 40 | New York | $4,722 | $30,970 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $3,317 | $30,801 |
| 42 | Alaska | $3,803 | $30,559 |
| 43 | New Hampshire | $3,774 | $29,798 |
| 44 | Montana | $3,386 | $29,024 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $3,335 | $28,255 |
| 46 | Florida | $3,829 | $28,116 |
| 47 | Vermont | $3,985 | $27,661 |
| 48 | Massachusetts | $4,834 | $25,831 |
| 49 | Maine | $3,820 | $25,121 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $4,895 | $22,053 |
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For more on SEO Specialists and to learn what those experts actually do to help drive visitors to your web pages, check out the video below.
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(Source: Ahrefs)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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