The 7 Most Lucrative Entry-Level Digital Marketing Jobs in [2023]

The 7 Most Lucrative Entry-Level Digital Marketing Jobs in [2023]

Digital marketing is one of the fastest growing fields today. As more businesses move their operations online, the need for skilled digital marketers continues to increase exponentially.

The good news is that digital marketing presents a myriad of opportunities even if you're just starting out and have no prior experience. There are many entry-level digital marketing jobs that allow you to get your foot in the door and start building an exciting career.

In this comprehensive guide, we break down the top 7 entry-level digital marketing roles that offer strong growth prospects for ambitious beginners.

How to Start a Digital Marketing Career With No Experience

Transitioning into digital marketing is relatively easy even if your background is in a completely unrelated field. Here's what you need to do to break into this thriving industry:

Step 1: Identify Your Areas of Interest

Digital marketing is an umbrella term for various specialties. Start by identifying the areas that intrigue you the most. Do you enjoy creating compelling content? Does analyzing data excite you? Or do you want to manage social media platforms? Defining your interests will help you narrow down to suitable entry-level roles.

Step 2: Develop In-Demand Digital Marketing Skills

While formal certifications look good on your resume, most employers prioritize hands-on skills. Take online classes to learn high-value abilities like:

• Content writing/marketing
• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Google Analytics
• Social media management
• Email marketing
• Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising

Step 3: Get Relevant Experience

Lack of experience should not stop you from securing an entry-level digital marketing job. Look for internships and volunteer opportunities to add some experience to your resume. You can also take up small freelance gigs to familiarize yourself with real-world projects.

Step 4: Build an Impressive Portfolio

A portfolio highlighting your digital marketing skills and experience can tremendously boost your chances of getting hired as a beginner. Make sure to include writing samples, design work, SEO audits, campaign analytics, case studies, and client testimonials.

Step 5: Network and Apply for Jobs

Once you gain some skills and experience, start connecting with digital marketing professionals on LinkedIn. Also, apply for suitable entry-level jobs on sites like Marketing Hire, HubSpot Job Board, Digital Marketing Jobs, I love marketing, and Social Media Today Job Board.

Now let's look at the top 7 lucrative entry-level digital marketing roles for ambitious newcomers.

1. Digital Marketing Specialist

Average Entry-Level Salary: $53,678 per year

A digital marketing specialist is responsible for planning and executing various online marketing initiatives to promote a company's products/services, attract quality traffic to the website, and convert visitors into paying customers.

Typical entry-level digital marketing specialists responsibilities include:

• Creating content for the company blog, website pages, emails, ads, etc.
• Managing campaigns across social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram
• Doing keyword research to optimize web pages for search engines
• Generating reports on campaign and website analytics using Google Analytics
• Brainstorming innovative small-budget digital campaigns
• Assisting senior managers with bigger marketing projects

It's an excellent role for beginners looking to become all-round digital marketers. You get exposure to diverse marketing activities that'll help you determine what you really enjoy doing.

Key skills needed:

• Strong writing and communication abilities
• Superb creative and analytical thinking
• Excellent project and time management skills
• Video/design skills are a plus

Future growth prospects

With 1-3 years of experience, you can progress to a Digital Marketing Manager role with a salary upwards of $65K per year. Further down the line, you can expect executive positions like Head of Digital Marketing with six-figure salaries.

2. SEO Specialist

Average Entry-Level Salary: $49,084 per year

SEO (search engine optimization) specialists focus solely on improving a website's organic visibility in search engines like Google and Bing. Their goal is to get company web pages to rank higher for industry-specific keywords so the website attracts qualified visitors for free (without paying for ads).

Usual entry-level SEO specialist responsibilities entail:

• Conducting extensive keyword research
• Optimizing title tags, meta descriptions, content, etc. for target keywords
• Liaising with content writers to incorporate target keywords naturally into web copy
• Monitoring website performance metrics in Google Analytics
• Keeping up with SEO trend and algorithm changes
• Submitting XML sitemaps to search engines
• Identifying technical SEO improvements
• Guest posting on industry blogs
• Reporting on monthly SEO accomplishments and KPIs

It's the perfect role for methodical critical thinkers passionate about analytics and research.

Vital skills needed:

• In-depth knowledge of SEO best practices
• Excellent analytical abilities
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Solid understanding of Google Analytics
• White hat link-building techniques

Future growth outlook

Within 2-3 years, experienced SEO specialists can rise up the ranks to Senior SEO Specialist or SEO Manager positions earning $80K+ yearly. You can also transfer your analytical skills to related fields like CRO specialist, web analytics manager, site migration specialist etc.

3. Content Marketing Specialist

Average Entry-Level Salary: $49,193 per year

Content marketing specialists create various types of content like blog posts, videos, visual graphics, white papers, eBooks, guides, etc. to attract qualified website visitors. The role is a perfect fit for compelling storytellers.

Day-to-day content marketing specialists activities include:

• Conducting keyword research to create strategic content that ranks high in SERPs
• Creating optimized content for the company blog and website
• Repurposing content for emails, ad campaigns, social posts
• Promoting new content across digital channels
• Collaborating with in-house teams like designers on content
• Analyzing content metrics in Google Analytics, adjusting strategy accordingly
• Keeping tabs on content marketing trends and best practices
• Presenting ideas for improving content performance

Companies are increasingly investing in online content for lead generation. This demand for stellar content makes it one of the most stable entry-level digital marketing jobs currently.

Skills needed

• Superb research and writing skills
• Video production abilities
• Graphic design expertise
• Innovative thinking
• Excellent communication abilities

Career growth outlook

Aspiring content marketers can swiftly rise through the ranks to Senior Content Marketer or Content Marketing Manager positions earning over $70K per year. You can also pivot into specialized writing career paths like copywriting, technical writing, SEO writing etc.

4. Social Media Manager

Average Entry-Level Salary: $47,684 per year

Social media managers handle all social media activities for a company. They ensure consistent branding across the enterprise's diverse social media channels.

Here are some essential entry-level social media managers duties:

• Managing the company's social media accounts
• Creating engaging text, visual, and video content
• Developing monthly social media strategies aligned to business goals
• Communicating with the target audience via social channels
• Collaborating with teams to promote their social initiatives
• Analyzing social media metrics and generating reports
• Keeping tabs on emerging social media trends and tools
• Providing ideas for improving social media reach

It's an amazing starting point for digital marketers interested in social media platforms and community building.

Crucial skills needed:

• Superb knowledge of trending social platforms
• Solid writing and visual content creation abilities
• Excellence in building online communities
• Video production skills
• Strong analytical thinking

Future career advancement:

Junior social media managers usually transition into roles like Senior Social Media Manager or Social Media Director within 3-5 years. You can also branch into related positions like Community Specialist, Brand Strategist, Influencer Marketing Manager etc.

5. Email Marketing Specialist

Average Entry-Level Salary: $46,249 per year

Email marketing is still highly effective for customer acquisition and retention. Specialists in this niche build and execute email campaigns that drive sales, promote brand loyalty, and increase overall ROI.

Common entry-level email marketing specialists activities are:

• Creating aesthetically pleasing and mobile-responsive email templates
• Drafting compelling email copy tailored to diverse customer groups
• Building automated welcome emails for user onboarding
• Integrating email signup forms into the website
• Segmenting customer email lists based on user attributes and behaviors
• Scheduling and sending campaign emails
• Evaluating campaign metrics like open, clickthrough and conversion rates
• Providing ideas for improving deliverability and increasing conversions

It's a great starter digital marketing job if you easily grasp marketing automation concepts and have some design skills.

Must-have skills for success:

• Excellent copywriting abilities
• HTML and CSS expertise
• Proficiency in email marketing software like Mailchimp
• Superb analytical thinking and attention to detail
• Innovative marketing ideas

Career development opportunities

Seasoned email marketing specialists usually progress into roles like Lifecycle Marketing Manager, Campaign Manager, Automation Specialist, Personalization Specialist etc.

6. Paid Search Manager

Average Entry-Level Salary: $44,245 per year

Paid search, also known as pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, involves promoting content, products or services by paying to appear at the top of SERP. As a PPC manager, you'll handle paid search and display advertising activities on channels like Google Ads and Facebook Ads Manager.

Here are some typical entry-level paid search marketing duties:

• Managing existing PPC campaigns
• Setting up and optimizing new PPC campaigns
• Conducting keyword research to expand campaigns
• Creating targeted text, display and shopping ads
• Developing daily, weekly and monthly budgets for campaigns
• Analyzing traffic metrics and tweaking underperforming ads
• Regularly reporting on paid search ROI

It's an excellent starting point for analytically-minded digital marketers keen on a career in advertising technologies and paid media buying.

Vital skills for this role:

• Solid grasp of data analysis and analytics
• Superb math skills for managing budgets and bids
• Excellence in assessing human behavior
• Patience and diligence for routine account monitoring
• Outstanding negotiation abilities

Future career development:

Once you gain around 2-3 years of experience running profitable paid search campaigns, you become eligible for lucrative senior PPC Specialist or Paid Search Manager positions potentially earning over $100k annually.

7. Web / Conversion Rate Analyst

Average Entry-Level Salary: $44,506 per year

Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is pivotal for maximizing ROI from digital marketing efforts. As a web analyst, you'll use data insights to pinpoint and eliminate roadblocks affecting conversion rates across websites and mobile apps.

Typical entry-level web analysts day-to-day duties include:

• Collecting quantitative and qualitative data on site visitors
• Identifying behavioral trends through analysis
• Performing A/B tests to gauge performance of page elements
• Offering evidence-based suggestions to improve conversions
• Evaluating success of implemented recommendations
• Collaborating with product designers, content creators etc.
• Generating reports on site visitor patterns and conversion rate changes

It's the perfect starting point for detail-oriented digital marketers interested in analytics and human behavior.

Essential skills for success:

• Strong data analysis abilities
• Excellence in identifying user behavior patterns
• Testing and analytical tools expertise
• Top-notch critical thinking skills
• Superb problem-solving abilities

Career advancement opportunities:

With 2-3 years of work experience, most web analysts transition into well-paying roles like Conversion Optimization Manager, Growth Marketing Manager, Customer Insights Manager etc.

Congratulations for taking the first step into digital marketing by exploring lucrative entry-level opportunities! Choose a role that allows you to exercise your natural abilities, aligns with your interests and offers strong career potential. Continually strengthen your skill sets and the possibilities are truly endless.