Digital Marketing Salary in India 2023: Fresher to Experienced

Word on the street is that the digital marketing industry is growing at whopping rates. It offers high-paying digital marketing salary packages and one of the hottest career paths across the globe. 

Is this true? With every business in every sector, largely depending on the digital landscape for lucrative growth, the digital marketing industry, without a shred of doubt, offers better pay than most roles at the same experience level.

And especially since the covid-19 pandemic, businesses are dependent on digital mediums for most of their activities and thus, the scope of digital marketing has grown even further. Which consequently led to an increase in the number of jobs and their salaries offered. 

So, if you wish to be a part of this fast-paced, challenging, creative, and demanding industry then you’re on the right track! In this blog, we will discuss the digital marketing salaries in 2023 for different digital marketing job roles. There are some insights on the skills needed for each role as well. 

As a bonus, we’ve included two sections towards the end of the blog. The first section highlights the critical skills you need to possess to excel in the industry, while the second section provides you with a comprehensive breakdown of the expected salary range as you progress up the ranks. 

And if you’re someone who wants to first get their basics strong, here’s a free masterclass on digital marketing basics and secrets to get you started. 

Bonus Read: Top 7 Digital Marketing Jobs For Freshers in 2023 & How to Land One!

But before we move on, here’s Karan Shah, CEO & Founder of IIDE, talking about what your digital marketing salary should look like today and in the following 8-10 years.

Besides the key factors mentioned by Karan Shah in the video above, for the benefit of our readers, we’ve mentioned below the digital marketing salaries for top roles and a few other components that may affect your digital marketing salary. 

Digital Marketing Salary in India for Top Roles:

Let’s look at the average digital marketing salary in India for top roles and what do these jobs entail.

1. Search Engine Optimisation Specialist

If technical jobs and analytical skills are your strong suit, search engine optimization roles might be right up your street. A Search Engine Optimisation Specialist’s primary goal is to generate targeted website traffic and make it rank on Google’s first page for relevant keywords. Keyword research, SEO copywriting, and search engine algorithms are a few key skills required by a Search Engine Optimisation Specialist.

Also, Check Out: Benefits of Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimisation Specialist Salary 

• An entry-level digital marketing salary for a Search Engine Optimization Specialist with less than 1 year of experience is – An average of ₹2,00,000 per annum in India. 
• A Search Engine Optimization Specialist with less than 4 years of experience earns – An average of ₹350,00 in India. 
• Search Engine Optimization Specialists with 5-9 years of experience can expect  –  An average of ₹484,414 in India. 

(Source: Ambition Box)

SEO Specialist’s Key Responsibilities

• Conduct on-site and off-site analysis and optimization
• Help create prime quality SEO-friendly content
• Conduct detailed keyword research to drive website traffic
• Plan and execute link-building strategies

2. Pay-Per-Click Analyst 

Pay-per-click Analyst is one of the emerging digital marketing careers in 2023. This particular job role requires a person who has the right knowledge and ability to obtain a profit that is equal to or greater than the investment. Someone who can fulfil this will get hired by the company. 

Companies, after getting organic results, focus on pushing their boundaries and attempting paid advertising. You must have a thorough knowledge of campaign creation and an understanding of the psychology behind every relevant click. This will enable you to bag a job as a PPC Analyst in a top company. 

PPC Analyst Salary 

• An average salary of an entry-level PPC Analyst with less than 1 year of experience is around ₹4 lakhs per annum in India. 
• A PPC Analyst with more than 2 years of experience can expect to earn – An average of ₹4-5 Lakhs per year in India.
• But it also depends on the skills you have as an analyst. According to Payscale, if you are skilled in Google Ad Words then you can earn up to ₹361,068 whereas your expertise in Google Analytics can get you a salary of up to ₹314,286 respectively.

(Source: Ambition Box)

PPC Analyst’s Key Responsibilities: 

• Manage Paid Ad Campaigns on Google Ads, Search & Display, Bing & other Ad Networks
• Manage advertisement campaigns on Facebook, LinkedIn, Quora, and other social media networks
• Correctly implying keyword bids
• Improving quality score
• Monitoring daily and monthly budget
• Understanding of Google Analytics
• Oversee graphic design for the campaign
  

3. Web Developer

A web developer is expected to be updated with the various coding languages used, and have a flair to create a functional and attractive website for the business. A highly skilled web developer analyzes user needs to ensure the content, graphics, and navigation provide a positive user experience.

In all cases, a web developer has knowledge of computer software, HTML coding, and graphic design to create a website that has the best user experience and can achieve business goals. It is one of the many in-demand digital marketing skills to have in today’s digital world.

Web developer’s salary

Web developers who can create as well as maintain attractive and user-friendly websites are certainly in high demand, and those who have the abilities to meet these demands can expect a decent salary out of this profession.

• An entry-level digital marketing salary of a Web developer with less than one year of experience is ₹ 280,000 per year in India, 
• While those with more than 1-4 years of experience can expect ₹339,336 per year in India. 
• Based on Payscale’s research, a mid-career Web Developer earns an average total compensation of ₹585,795 per year.
  

(Source: Ambition Box)

Web developer’s responsibilities include: 

• A better understanding of HTML, JavaScript, PHP, CSS, and other relevant web design coding languages
• Creating and test applications for websites
• Maintaining websites
• Monitor website performance and website traffic
• Integrating data from the back-end services

If you’re new to this and would like to explore and expand your learning horizon, register for this Online WordPress Course and learn how to build websites from scratch. 

4. Social Media Marketing Specialist

If you’re a social media fanatic, now is the time to make money out of it. Social Media Marketing Specialists design and execute a complete social media strategy for a company. Just like an individual uses social media to portray the best version of themselves, brands today are hiring experts to get them at the top of their social media game. 

As a Social Media Marketing Specialist, you have to maintain positive engagement and quality content (paid or organic) across all social media platforms. 

Social Media Marketing Specialist Salary

• An entry-level digital marketing salary for a Social Media Marketing Specialist with less than 1 of year experience can expect to earn an average of ₹2,52,444 in India
• A Social Media Marketing Specialist with less than 4 years of experience can earn an average of 4.2 LPA. 
• And those with 5-9 years of experience can expect an average of 11.1 Lakhs per annum based in India.

(Source: Ambitionbox)

Social Media Marketing Specialist’s Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement social media marketing campaigns
• Monitor activities on all social media accounts 
• Develop engaging and creative content to promote the brand’s message
• Audit social media advertising costs and returns
• Explore potential social media sites to capitalize on

You can also take a look at this video on social media marketing salary to get a better understanding of what should be your average salary if you take up this job.

You can also take a look at this video on social media marketing salary to get a better understanding of what should be your average salary if you take up this job.

If social media marketing intrigues you, sign up for this Online Social Media Marketing Course and learn how to run organic and paid social media adverts!

5. Search Engine Marketing Specialist

Search Engine Marketing Specialists are responsible for paid ads across all search engines and display networks. If numbers don’t intimidate you and have great analytical skills, search engine marketing could be right up your alley. 

For this role, one also needs to be well-versed in some technical skills required to get the job done, such as basic code, website design principles, and an understanding of search engine algorithms. 

PPC and SEM are digital marketing skills that usually get used interchangeably, however, PPC refers to online advertising, but SEM isn’t just limited to advertising, it is in fact, a blanket term used for any kind of activity intended to improve website search results through the search engine. 

Search Engine Marketing Specialist Salary

• An entry-level digital marketing salary for a Search Engine Marketing Specialist with less than 1 year of experience is an average of ₹2,80,000 per annum in India. 
• A Search Engine Marketing Specialist with less than 4 years of experience earns an average of ₹4.2 Lakhs based in India. 
• Further, a Search Engine Marketing Specialist with over 5-9 years of experience earns an average of ₹12.8 LPA in India.

(Source: Ambitionbox)

Search Engine Marketing Specialist’s Key Responsibilities

• A better understanding of Google Ads (Here’s an Online Google Ads Course if you want to strengthen your understanding of Google Ads)
• Create search engine campaigns to achieve maximum ROI
• Measure, analyze, and report website analytics and campaign performance
• Manage campaign budget and determine monthly costs
• Optimize landing pages for paid search marketing campaigns

6. Data Analyst

A Data Analyst interprets data and turns it into information that offers ways to improve business, thus affecting business decisions. Data Analysts collect information from various sources and interpret patterns and trends

Analytics is one of the main parts of a digital marketing team and one of the most technical digital marketing skills. Analytics is what tells a company if they’re on the right track and thus gives them an understanding of what’s working and what’s not. 

• An average entry-level digital marketing salary for a Data Analyst is ₹3 lakhs in India, 
• However, a data analyst with more than 2-3 years of experience can expect ₹4-5 lakhs per year in India.

(Source: Ambitionbox)

Data Analyst’s Responsibilities include:

• Collecting and interpreting data
• Analyzing results
• Identifying patterns and trends in data sets
• Working alongside teams within the business or the management team to establish business needs

Take this Online Google Analytics Course to see how data analytics works and how it is beneficial for a company.

7. Paid Media Specialist

A paid media specialist is responsible for bringing in traffic to your web portals via online advertising on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Google, etc. As a paid media specialist, you need to have the best of both worlds – a mix of a creative and analytical mind. 

As a Paid Media Specialist, you are expected to be quick in identifying which platforms would be best for reaching your audience and creative with their media buying skills to get the best optimization of input for greater output.

Paid Media Specialist Salary

• An entry-level Paid Media specialist can expect a salary of ₹4.8 lakhs per annum, in the beginning, further your salary will increase as per your experiences and expertise. 
• A paid media specialist with more than 2-3 years of experience can expect an average salary of ₹5-6 lakhs per annum in India.

(Source: Ambition Box)

A paid media specialist is not a PPC analyst or an SEO specialist, as paid media specialists focus on a wider array of digital media strategies. 

However, PPC(Pay-per-click) and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) are closely related to Paid media. These professions also provide a decent digital marketing salary. If you wish to find out more, read this blog about the highest-paying digital marketing skills.

Paid Media Specialist’s Responsibilities Include:

• Provide execution-based PPC recommendations
• Analyze and measure the effectiveness and ROI of all PPC activities
• Develop, implement, and optimise digital campaigns
• Providing ongoing actionable insights into campaign performance to relevant stakeholders
• Overseeing and managing the overall budget for paid media
• Conducting in-depth keyword and website research

8. Digital Marketing Manager

Digital marketing managers strategize and implement a brand’s complete digital presence. They leverage every channel under digital marketing to promote a business’ product/services with the key goal of increasing their sales cost-effectively. A digital marketing manager should be competent in all works of the trade and updated with the newly emerging digital marketing trends in the market.

Digital Marketing Manager’s Salary

• The average salary of a Digital Marketing Manager (entry-level) is 3-6 LPA in India.
•  Whereas, a Senior Digital marketing manager’s salary ranges between ₹7,09,800- ₹10 lakhs, who has over 5-9 years of experience in India.

Source: (Ambitionbox)

Digital Marketing Manager’s Key Responsibilities

• Plan and monitor the brand’s digital presence
• Ability to do data-driven analysis
• Ability to analyze and run Email Marketing campaigns (Here’s an online email marketing course to learn everything you need to know about email marketing)
• Design and manage paid and organic online campaigns on all platforms 
• Measure and report the performance of all digital marketing efforts using a Web analytics tool 
• Update ongoing strategies according to recent trends in the digital space
• Sustain partnerships with agencies and other vendor partners

To become a digital marketing manager, you need at least 5 years of work experience. However, you can accelerate this growth by doing an MBA in Digital Marketing. 

IIDE also offers an 11-month MBA level PG Programme in Digital Marketing with 100% guaranteed placements in brands such as Nykaa, Purplle, Kinnect, Schbang, Times of India, etc. 

9. Marketing Automation Specialist

A Marketing Automation Specialist is responsible for managing the marketing automation platform and fully increasing its capabilities. 

They have to work closely with project managers, designers, developers, operational initiatives designers, developers, and project managers.

Marketing automation specialists are expected to develop marketing strategies and improve promotional campaigns to leverage the company’s customer base and overall revenue. 

Marketing Automation Specialist Salary

• An average salary of an entry-level Marketing Automation Manager with one to two year of experience is ₹4 lakhs per year in India. 
• A Marketing Automation Manager with more than 2-3 years of experience can expect an average salary of ₹ 6 lakhs per year.

(Source: Ambition Box)

Marketing Automation Specialist’s responsibilities include: 

• Build and implement marketing campaigns
• Refine analytics procedures 
• Analyze prospect database 
• Understand and evaluate campaign metrics
• Brainstorm and develop marketing strategies

10. Content & Marketing Manager

Content & Marketing Managers oversee and create a company’s overall content across all platforms. As the role suggests, content is a key part of this job. If you have a way with words, are creative in general, along with exceptional communication skills, you can thrive in this area of digital marketing. 

Content & Marketing Manager Salary 

• An entry-level digital marketing salary of a Content & Marketing Manager is expected to be an average of ₹6,40,000 in India. 
• A Content & Marketing Manager with less than 4 years of experience earns an average of ₹7,80,000 in India. 
• Whereas Content Marketing Managers with 5-9 years of experience can expect an average of ₹8,00,000 in India.

(Source: Ambition Box)

Content Marketing Manager’s Key Responsibilities

• Design and present content in an appealing way
• Research to define given subjects and topics
• Create content marketing strategies and plans 
• Content creation
• Collect content for a website, portals, and internal use.

Digital Marketing Salary Guide: 10-Year Plan

For the benefit of our readers, we’ve mapped out a 10-year plan on the basis of years of experience. Here’s what you can expect your digital marketing salary to look like in the coming years: 

Explore this video to gain a better understanding of the average salary you could earn as a digital marketer. It provides insight into how much digital marketers typically make.

We hope after reading about the job roles and digital marketing salaries they offer, you would be able to decide which job suits you the best. Now, let us understand the key factors that influence your digital marketing salary.

Essential Skills for Digital Marketers Categorized by Role 

If you’re interested in pursuing a career in digital marketing, it’s important to understand the essential skills required in the industry. Here is a list of the necessary skills for digital marketers, categorized by position.

What Components Affect Your Digital Marketing Salary?

Here are a few more factors that play an important role in how much you can make as a digital marketer in today’s market.

1. Experience

Experience plays a major role in how much you can expect from an employer in every industry. Years of experience in this industry will only grant you a higher digital marketing salary and so on.

However, it’s no secret employers also look for quantifiable wins and if you’re able to achieve them consistently, they would be more than willing to offer a salary boost for the same.

Want to become a certified digital marketing expert? Read about the top digital marketing courses in Mumbai to upskill.

2. Skills

Just like we like those extra toppings on our ice cream sundaes, employers too, prefer applicants with added skills. In the digital landscape, more digital skills translate to a higher digital marketing salary. 

Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be a jack of all trades but you can surely equip skills that complement your specialization. For example, a Social Media Marketer with copywriting, designing, and Paid media skills are much more appealing and valuable to an employer than just a social media marketer. 

Also, it is very important to learn these skills from a credible source so that your knowledge is not incomplete. IIDE offers an Online Digital Marketing Course which is led by industry experts. This course offers all industry-relevant digital marketing skills & tools. It also includes 100% placement assistance. 

In fact, to gain these skills right from your college years, a BBA in Digital Marketing is a great idea!

3. Employer

The bigger the agency or brand you work for, the higher your salary would be. However, if you’re a fresher, we’d recommend working for a smaller firm first. The pay might not be as appealing as it would be at a larger firm, but your learning curve in just 1 year in a small firm would be much greater.  

4. Job Title

Your digital marketing salary would increase as you make your way up the corporate world. For example, a digital marketing manager makes a lot more than a digital marketing executive as a digital marketing manager has a lot more responsibilities and expertise than an executive.

Now that we have seen the digital marketing salaries and the factors that might affect them, here are some common questions:

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Is digital marketing a good career in India?

In a world that is online 24/7, digital marketing is one of the best choices for the future. 56% of business owners are seeking digital expertise in the market, and the others are already online. Thus, it’s safe to say that digital marketing is a good career in India. 

Here’s something for you if you want to dig deeper: Is Digital Marketing A Good Career? IIDE Weighs In

Q. How much do digital marketers earn?

The average salary digital marketers earn ranges from ₹3,00,000 to ₹12,00,000 per annum. As stated earlier, your digital marketing salary depends on your skill set, experience, and organization size. Digital marketing salary for freshers per month is approximately ₹21,585 in India. 

Bonus Read: Top 7 Digital Marketing Jobs for Freshers in 2023 and How to Land One

Q. What is the highest salary in digital marketing?

The highest digital marketing salary you can make as an entry-level digital marketer would be around ₹3,00,000 to ₹4,00,000 per annum. Here are some of the highest-paying digital marketing roles – Digital Media Managers, Pay-Per-Click Managers, SEO Specialists, Visual Designers, E-commerce Specialists, and more.

Q. How to bag a high-paying digital marketing job?

To be able to bag job offers right at the mid-senior managerial level, you will need to opt for a professional course that will equip you with industry-relevant digital as well as managerial skills. IIDE’s MBA in Digital Marketing in India is a post-graduation program led by the industry’s top professionals with hands-on learning through real-world projects and assignments that prepare you for high-level jobs in companies.

Q. How much can a freelancer earn in digital marketing in India?

A typical digital marketing freelancer can rake up to ₹5,17,203 in India. A digital marketing freelancer’s salary can vary depending on the project size, client portfolio, work experience, and skill set. As a freelancer, the amount you make will directly depend on how many hours you’re willing to put in a day.  

Bonus Read: Freelance Digital Marketing Jobs: 5 Benefits Of Being A Freelancer

Q. How many hours do digital marketers work?

On average, a digital marketing professional works for 8 hours a day. This depends on the type of work and the company. Some work more than 8 hours a day, some less than that. Digital marketing jobs are highly dynamic. 

Q. What is the salary of a director in digital marketing?

The director of digital marketing potentially earns around INR 27,48,395 in India. Although it takes years of experience and a great deal of expertise to become a director of digital marketing in a company. 

Conclusion

We hope this blog helped you gain a little more perspective on whether you want to take on this career path. While the digital marketing salary is a definite bonus, there are many other benefits of a digital marketing career, resulting in many graduates and working professionals eyeing this career option. 

Let us know about your views in the comments section below.