Side-by-side distribution
Performance Marketing
$112,980
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 37.4%
- Live roles
- 289
SEM
$105,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 35%
- Live roles
- 140
Highest-paying jobs
Principal Product Marketing Manager - GenStudio for Performance Marketing
Senior Performance Marketing Manager
Performance Marketing Manager, International
Senior Performance Marketing Manager
Performance Marketing Manager
Manager - Global Performance Marketing Technology
Performance Marketing Manager, Paid Social & EMEA Growth
Paid Media Senior Manager
Senior Manager, Performance Marketing, SEM
Senior Manager of Digital Experience – Performance Marketing
Highest-paying jobs
Global Paid Search Senior Manager
Senior Manager, Paid Search
Senior Manager, Performance Marketing, SEM
Senior Performance Marketing Manager, Paid Search
Senior Performance Marketing Manager, Paid Search
Senior Performance Marketing Manager, Paid Search
Senior Performance Marketing Manager, Paid Search
Global Paid Search Marketing Manager
Product Marketing Manager - Brave Search APIs
Product Manager - Paid Search
EverAI
VML
Suno
Talkspace Corporate
Formlabs
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Harvey
|
$170,000 | 4 |
Wpromote
|
$87,000 | 4 |
|
Airwallex
|
$145,000 | 3 |
OneTrust
|
$140,625 | 2 |
Omnicom Media
|
$92,500 | 2 |
| WM WPP Media | $82,463 | 2 |
Monks
|
$75,000 | 2 |
Remotely
|
$17,143 | 2 |
SEM salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $147,500 | 6 |
| Atlanta | $140,625 | 3 |
| Chicago | $127,500 | 8 |
| New York | $97,500 | 11 |
Performance Marketing vs SEM: which pays more?
The median for Performance Marketing is $112,980 per year (typically $90,000–$155,644), versus $105,000 for SEM ($82,000–$140,000). That puts Performance Marketing about 8% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Performance Marketing and SEM are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.