What it takes to hire your own marketing person

Median pay for the roles a small business might hire in the US and Canada, the tools that person would need with their list prices, and the work one person can cover alone.

Hiring in-house means putting a marketer on your own payroll. In the US, the median annual wage for market research analysts and marketing specialists, the group that includes search marketing strategists, was $78,760 in May 2025. That is median pay: the employer adds taxes, benefits and paid tools, and building or designing the website is a separate trade with its own pay.

What does hiring in-house mean for a small business?

Hiring in-house means bringing a person onto your own payroll to do your marketing. That person works for your business alone, learns your customers, and is present every day. For a small business this is a large step, because it may be the first hire of any kind.

The official counts show why. The US Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy counts 36,207,130 small businesses in the United States, and 82.3% of them, 29,811,495 firms, have no employees (February 2026 edition). In Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada counted 1.08 million small employer businesses, with 1 to 99 paid employees, as of December 2024, and 170,512 of them were in British Columbia.

So the question is practical. Is there enough marketing work to fill one person's week, all year, and can the business pay for it? This page gives the pay figures, the tools and the limits of one person, so you can answer with numbers.

What the roles pay in the United States

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes median pay for each occupation. The median is the middle value: half the workers in the job earn more and half earn less. The figures below are for May 2025, from pages last modified on August 27, 2026.

Which of these roles is the SEO hire?

When a small business owner says they want to hire an SEO person, the first row of that table is the match. Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the work of making a website easy to find on Google and in AI assistants. BLS publishes one median for market research analysts and marketing specialists as a group, and O*NET, the US Department of Labor's job database, lists search marketing strategists inside that group, with the same 2025 median of $78,760 a year, or $37.87 an hour.

O*NET describes the job in one line: search marketing strategists employ search marketing tactics to increase visibility and engagement with content, products or services. In plain words, they help people find the business and then act on what they find.

For the website itself, BLS reports a combined 2025 median pay of $99,520 a year, or $47.85 an hour, for web developers and digital designers taken together. Keep that figure in mind, because the person who finds a problem on your website and the person who can repair it are often two different people.

What the roles pay in Canada

Canada's Job Bank publishes wages from Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey. The figures below are medians for the reference period 2023 to 2024, updated on November 19, 2025. Job Bank gives them per hour, and we leave them that way.

The digital marketing specialist is the closest Job Bank match for a person who would run a small business's search work. Across Canada the median is $35.58 an hour, and in the Lower Mainland-Southwest Region, which includes Vancouver, it is $33.65.

Median pay is one part of what a hire costs

Every figure above is median pay. It leaves out what the employer adds: payroll taxes, benefits, paid holidays, a computer, software, and the hours the owner spends hiring and training. We put no number on those costs here, because the sources above give none and they vary by province, state and business.

The median also sits inside a wide range. In Job Bank's data for digital marketing specialists across Canada, the low wage is $20.50 an hour and the high wage is $57.44 an hour, with the median at $35.58. The pay you offer decides which part of that range you can hire from.

Ask yourself honestly: would a person at this pay be busy all week with your marketing? If the answer is yes, a hire gives you a full week of attention from someone who knows the business. If the work is a few hours a week, compare the salary with a year of the monthly fees described on our page about what an agency retainer includes.

The tools that person will need

A search marketer works with tools, and some of them are paid. The free tools come from Google and Microsoft. The paid tools are research tools, which estimate what people search for, which websites link to you and to your competitors, and where your pages appear.

A small business can start with the free tools and one paid research tool. Google encourages every site owner to use Search Console, because its data comes directly from Google Search, and it says third-party tools have no access to Google's internal ranking data. The tools that big companies add on top publish no price for their paid business plans: Similarweb asks businesses to contact its sales team for a custom package, and Profound lists a free trial and a custom-priced Enterprise plan.

What one person can cover

A person inside the business has one advantage no outside provider has: they hear customers every day. The questions a receptionist is asked on the phone are the questions your pages should answer, and an employee can walk across the room to ask about them.

One capable search marketer can own the steady work of being found, the work that repeats every month. Let us say you hire well. Each month, that person can:

• read Google Search Console and report which searches brought visitors and which pages received fewer clicks;
• keep the Google Business Profile correct, add photos and posts, and ask customers for reviews;
• research what customers search for and plan the pages that answer them;
• write new service pages and rewrite unclear ones, with their titles and descriptions;
• find local websites, directories and partners that could mention the business;
• set up Google Analytics and read it each month.

What still needs outside help

Search work also depends on trades that are separate jobs with their own pay. BLS lists web developers at a median of $92,650 a year and web and digital interface designers at $104,000 (May 2025). A search marketer who finds a slow page or a broken form needs a developer to repair it, and a new website needs a designer and a developer.

Some marketers write well. A business that needs a steady flow of articles may still look at a writer, whose median pay BLS puts at $76,910, or a technical writer at $90,390. Press coverage and partnerships are the work of public relations specialists, at a median of $74,750. Leading a marketing plan with a budget and staff is the work of a marketing manager, at a median of $166,790, or an advertising and promotions manager at $133,660.

So one hire covers the trades that person has learned. The rest comes from freelancers, an agency, or a service such as Licheo, whose specialist agents build the website and keep the search work going together. Put that outside help in the budget from the first day.

When to hire, and when it is too early

Hire when the marketing work fills a week and will keep filling it: many locations, a steady flow of new products or services, daily posts and events, or customers who need detailed explanations that someone inside the business gives best. A hire is also right when you want marketing knowledge to stay in the company as it grows.

If you do hire, create every account in the business's name: the domain, Google Search Console, Google Business Profile, Google Analytics and each paid tool. Add the employee as a user. Keep a shared document of every change made to the website, with its date and its reason, which is the same list Google advises owners to ask of any SEO provider. When the person leaves one day, the accounts, the data and the history stay with the business.

It is too early when the business has no employees yet, when the work comes to a few hours a week, or when the website itself must be built first. In those cases, do the free work yourself, or pay for the work in parts. Licheo is one way to do that: the website, search and AI work that big companies pay whole teams for, done for your small business, with no long contract and nothing live until you approve it. Contact us for pricing.

Part of a larger guide

This page is one part of Who does your marketing. The other parts:

• What an agency retainer includes
• Freelancer or agency
• What AI agents do
• Switching agencies
• Judging any provider

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to hire an SEO specialist in the US?

Hiring an SEO specialist in the US starts with pay: the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $78,760 in May 2025 for market research analysts and marketing specialists, the group where O*NET places search marketing strategists. That figure is median pay. The employer adds payroll taxes, benefits, equipment and paid tools such as Semrush or Ahrefs on top of it.

What does a web developer earn in the United States?

A web developer in the United States earned a median annual wage of $92,650 in May 2025, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. A small business needs that skill when its website must be built, rebuilt or repaired, for example to fix a slow page or a broken contact form. A search marketer on staff will call on a developer for that work, as a freelancer or through an agency.

What does a digital marketing specialist earn in Canada?

A digital marketing specialist in Canada earns a median wage of $35.58 an hour, according to Job Bank, the Government of Canada's job site, using Statistics Canada data for the reference period 2023 to 2024. Job Bank lists a low wage of $20.50 and a high wage of $57.44 an hour for the same job. The employer's full cost is higher once payroll taxes and benefits are added.

How much do web developers make in Vancouver?

Web developers in the Lower Mainland-Southwest Region of British Columbia, which includes Vancouver, earn a median wage of $37.44 an hour, according to Job Bank figures for the reference period 2023 to 2024, updated November 19, 2025. Across Canada the median for web developers is $38.46 an hour. A Vancouver business hiring a developer on staff should budget for that pay plus the employer's own costs.

Is the salary the whole cost of hiring a marketing employee?

The salary is one part of what a marketing employee costs: the employer also pays payroll taxes, benefits, a computer and the tools the job needs. The tools alone are a monthly bill, since Semrush's SEO plan was listed at $139 a month billed monthly on 27 September 2026. Add the owner's hours spent hiring and training, and compare the total with outside fees before deciding.

What tools does an in-house SEO person need?

An in-house SEO person needs Google's free tools and one paid research tool to start. Google Search Console, Google Business Profile and Google Analytics are free, and Bing Webmaster Tools is free to start. For paid research, Ahrefs Lite was listed at $129 a month and Moz Pro Standard at $99 a month paid monthly on 27 September 2026. Add more tools when the work needs them.

Can one person handle all of a small business's SEO and website work?

One person can handle the steady search work of a small business, such as reading Search Console, keeping the Google Business Profile current and writing pages. O*NET describes search marketing strategists as people who employ search marketing tactics to increase visibility and engagement with content, products or services. Building and designing the website are separate trades, so plan for outside help with those.

What marketing work still needs outside help after I hire someone?

After you hire one marketer, the work outside that person's trade still needs outside help: website building, design, press and senior planning. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics lists public relations specialists as their own occupation, with a median annual wage of $74,750 in May 2025. A search marketer can spot a press opportunity, and winning the coverage is a separate skill with its own pay.

Should my first employee be a marketer?

Your first employee should be a marketer if marketing is the work that fills the most hours in your business. For most small businesses this would be the first hire of any kind: the SBA's Office of Advocacy reports that 82.3% of US small businesses, 29,811,495 firms, have no employees. If marketing takes a few hours a week, compare the salary with a year of outside fees before deciding.

Should I hire a writer for my website content?

Hire a writer for your website content when you need a steady flow of pages and articles that you or your marketer cannot write in the time available. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $76,910 in May 2025 for writers and authors, and $90,390 for technical writers. For a few pages a year, a freelance writer or your marketer can cover the work.

Sources

1. Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business, 2026, U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy. Published February 2026, accessed 27 September 2026.
2. Key Small Business Statistics 2025, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. Published 2026-04-23, accessed 27 September 2026.
3. Market Research Analysts, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Published 2026-08-27, accessed 27 September 2026.
4. Search Marketing Strategists 13-1161.01, O*NET OnLine, O*NET OnLine (U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration). Accessed 27 September 2026.
5. Web Developers and Digital Designers, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Published 2026-08-27, accessed 27 September 2026.
6. Writers and Authors, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Published 2026-08-27, accessed 27 September 2026.
7. Technical Writers, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Published 2026-08-27, accessed 27 September 2026.
8. Public Relations Specialists, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Published 2026-08-27, accessed 27 September 2026.
9. Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Published 2026-08-27, accessed 27 September 2026.
10. Digital Marketing Specialist in Canada: Wages, Job Bank, Government of Canada (data: Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey). Published 2025-11-19, accessed 27 September 2026.
11. Digital Marketing Specialist in the Lower Mainland-Southwest Region: Wages, Job Bank, Government of Canada (data: Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey). Published 2025-11-19, accessed 27 September 2026.
12. Web Developer in Canada: Wages, Job Bank, Government of Canada (data: Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey). Published 2025-11-19, accessed 27 September 2026.
13. Web Developer in the Lower Mainland-Southwest Region: Wages, Job Bank, Government of Canada (data: Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey). Published 2025-11-19, accessed 27 September 2026.
14. Web Designer in Canada: Wages, Job Bank, Government of Canada (data: Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey). Published 2025-11-19, accessed 27 September 2026.
15. About Search Console, Search Console Help, Google. Accessed 27 September 2026.
16. Bing Webmaster Tools (about page), Microsoft Bing. Accessed 27 September 2026.
17. Google Business Profile, Google. Accessed 27 September 2026.
18. Google Analytics (Google Marketing Platform), Google. Accessed 27 September 2026.
19. Semrush Plans and Pricing, Semrush. Accessed 27 September 2026.
20. Ahrefs Plans & pricing, Ahrefs. Accessed 27 September 2026.
21. Moz Pro pricing, Moz. Accessed 27 September 2026.
22. SEO Spider Pricing, Screaming Frog. Accessed 27 September 2026.
23. Similarweb pricing, Similarweb. Accessed 27 September 2026.
24. Profound Pricing, Profound. Accessed 27 September 2026.
25. Google Search's guidance on using third-party SEO tools, services, and advice, Google Search Central. Published 2026-06-05, accessed 27 September 2026.
26. Do you need an SEO?, Google Search Central. Published 2026-06-05, accessed 27 September 2026.

Keep reading

• Who does your marketing: the five options compared
• What an SEO agency retainer includes
• Freelancer or agency for search work
• The free search tools and what each one does
• Big-company marketing at small-business size
• What big-company marketing tools cost in 2026
• Run the free Get Found Check

See what the job involves before you hire

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