7 of the Hottest Digital Marketing Jobs

If you’re looking to transition to or build a career in digital marketing, there’s huge demand across industries right now. Plus, there are a lot of different careers in this area, each quite varied in terms of skills required, aptitude and natural abilities.

Whether you veer towards business and management, tech or the creative end; there will always be different types of marketing jobs available. Here’s a breakdown of some of the areas expected to be in demand with the bonus of a great salary trajectory in the coming years.

1. Content Manager & Content Strategists
2. VR Developers & Editors
3. SEO & SEM Specialists
4. UX Designer
5. Email Marketing Specialist
6. Digital Marketing Managers & Directors
7. Analysts and AI Specialists

1. Content Managers & Strategists

Content management is a central role for any agency or digital marketing team as it touches on almost all levels of marketing – and it encompasses much more than just writing and social media activity.

Content Managers need to not only understand how to create SEO-optimized content but how to organize, store, and manage it effectively. They need to understand how content feeds into different subsets of the marketing plan and grasp how to develop and share the content assets on the right channels.

Content managers may be in charge of social media strategy, managing a team of writers, forming an effective editorial calendar, creating engaging videos, reporting and strategizing using analytics, and a whole range of related activities. To do this, they need to coordinate teams and work with a diverse range of clients.

So, a good Content Manager, not only needs to be a great writer but also create stellar content that works across multiple channels. They also need to be good at relationship building, creative, organized and self-motivated.

Earning potential: $61,000 (€52,000) and upwards annually according to Payscale. 

2. Virtual Reality Developers and Editors

This is a high-tech digital media job, but since the Covid-19 pandemic, demand for people with these skills is booming. According to ARtillery Intelligence. Virtual reality used within businesses is forecast to grow to $4.26 billion in 2023 due to an increased need for training, meetings or better customer service.

As a career, it combines technology and creativity so will suit people with interest in those areas. People that enter this field usually come from a design, games or programming background as they possess the skills needed for this role. The goal would be to work your way up to a Director position from starting as an assistant, tester or editor.

While the gaming sector is a key industry for VR experts, industries such as architecture, construction, retail, and education are now using VR techniques to create immersive experiences. As a product, VR is still expensive to purchase and is a specialized field. However, the technology is being used more in digital marketing campaigns to enhance the customer experience. A great example is Obsess, which uses web-based AR and VR to create engaging shopping experiences for brands.

VR is rising in popularity as a tool to attract and engage customers and will require VR developers to execute successful marketing campaigns. So if this area sounds like something that would interest you, brush up on those programming and design skills!

Earning potential: At the low end of the spectrum, a VR specialist can expect to earn $80,000, (about €69,000) but there are plenty of opportunities to make $100,000 (€86,000 - €81,000) and upwards annually depending on the industry according to TechRepublic.

3. SEO/SEM Specialists

SEO and SEM are crucial for solid digital marketing campaigns and anyone who can demonstrate technical knowledge and digital marketing expertise, especially in terms of management, will be the highest earners in this field.

SEO and SEM can be difficult to specialize in, in part because search engine algorithms are always fluctuating. Businesses must stay up-to-date and understand how they work together to have a consistently high ROI and the bigger the business is, the more complex this can be. In addition, e-commerce sites and those that depend on website traffic for profits will be particularly dependent on a strong and harmonious SEO/SEM strategy.

Most businesses will want to rank high on search engine results, so they need people with expertise in these areas. According to SEO Basics, the demand for SEM specialists is growing at almost 100% per year while the demand for SEO specialists keeps growing to the extent that there’s a skills shortage in the jobs market.

Earning potential: The average salary for these types of jobs is $49,174 (€42,507) annually, but more experienced SEO/SEM specialists and analysts can expect to earn at least $66,000 (€57,000) annually. 

4. UX Designer

User Experience (UX) designers are responsible for the end-to-end development of websites and digital marketing applications. They may have a technical background or experience in high-end design.

UX designers are focused on understanding the website from a whole marketing experience, and so need to understand audiences as well as have an in-depth knowledge of the product or service. Their role is integral to optimizing an ecommerce website to drive prospects and customers to browse and buy.

They will typically take the lead role in project management for visual design and testing, with a specific eye on the usability of a website or application to improve user experience from start to finish.

Earning potential: PingPong research cites the average annual salary for a UX designer in the U.S. at $97,000 (€83,000) but for those starting with 0-3 years’ experience typically earn $76,000 (€65,000).

5. Email Marketing Specialist

Email marketing is an example of a specialized area of content development and marketing. People in charge of email marketing are competent marketers with experience in copywriting and editing.

Email continues to be one of the most effective content formats out there. To do this well, you need to write persuasively and understand how to create an effective email marketing strategy. You’ll also be in charge of campaigns, launches, and PR activities based on an extensive database of customer data and lists. The quality of your email contacts is key to driving email marketing success so it’s crucial to know ways to grow your database without annoying prospects.

Email marketing is primarily a lead-generating activity and so specialists would work in cooperation with digital marketing and/or content managers on targeted campaigns to convert leads into sales.

Earning potential: Email Marketing Specialists can expect to earn an average base salary of around $57 000 USD (€49,000) according to LinkedIn, which can jump to $65,000 (€56,000) depending on experience.

6. Digital Marketing Managers & Directors

CMO’s and VP’s can expect to earn over $100,000 a year, as can Creative Directors. This takes years of experience in the field but can be fast-tracked if you have plenty of managerial experience under your belt.

An effective Digital Marketing Manager or Creative Director must have a solid grasp of everything to do with marketing and business. They must have proven experience in strategic planning and execution including creating a digital marketing strategy, as well as financial forecasting. Anyone in this position should also be able to delegate while taking risks, hold firm on decisions, and plan for the future through leadership.

Earning potential: Digital Marketing Managers and Directors can expect to earn a similar salary as other marketing managers, which averages at $109,000 (€94,000) according to salary.com and soars up to $148,000 (€127,000) for the most experienced.

7. Analysts & Artificial Intelligence (AI) Specialists

The growth of the AI market is accelerating and projected to be worth $360 billion by 2028 as it offers companies a way to improve business operations and customer experience. Plus, with the rise of big data and data mining, anyone who can create systems to analyze this information and apply it to strategic marketing will be in high demand.

Most people who specialize in these areas will have technical degrees and a computing science background. If this is something you’re interested in, you’ll want to get a solid understanding of data optimization and machine learning to enhance marketing activities, as well as have an in-depth knowledge of programming.

With such a reliance on data and analytics to boost marketing campaigns and drive effective budgets, Data Analysts will always be in demand. Our recent research with The Economist Group showed that recruiting for data and analytics talent is the most difficult out of all the marketing disciplines according to 39% of senior marketers, So becoming an expert in this area will provide you with great career opportunities. .

Earnings potential: The average salary for an AI Specialist in the U.S is $162,000 (€139,000)while the top 10% can make $100,000 more than that. Indeed, reports that Data Analysts will likely be taking home an average of $65,000 (€56,000) a year.

Tips for Improving and Transform your Digital Marketing Skills

Anyone involved in business marketing or leadership should consider their current and potential level of digital marketing skills as highly valuable.

But if you don’t feel that you’re that technologically aware or advanced, don’t worry! There are plenty of ways to learn new skills and upgrade existing ones to remain relevant in your role. Online learning and e-learning are great ways to learn especially when you’re short on time and looking to pivot existing skills mid-career.

Here are a few ideas on how you can upskill to ensure your skills are up-to-date:

• Take an online digital marketing course - work at your own pace in your own timeframe
•  Design your own website to promote your knowledge and demonstrate skills
• Network in the field or specialization you’re interested in
• Conduct informational interviews
• Subscribe to blogs that offer relevant information and insight that you can apply at work
• Sign up to and participate in social media groups in your area of interest

No matter what you choose to specialize in, every company needs people with digital marketing experience. Even if you’re not technically minded, there are still plenty of opportunities to develop your dream digital marketing career.

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First published 2018, updated 2022

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