Remote, content SEO roles in decline: Report

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.”

The report. 2025 Previsible State of SEO Jobs Report: New Insight & Skill Data From 10,000+ Job Listings & Expert Search Predictions

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