Side-by-side distribution
Performance Marketing
$100,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 39.5%
- Live roles
- 332
SEM
$94,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 36.9%
- Live roles
- 130
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Performance Marketing Manager
Senior Paid Media Manager
Paid Media Marketing Manager
Senior Manager of Digital Experience – Performance Marketing
Sr Manager, Performance Marketing - Amazon
Senior Performance Marketing Manager, Global Paid Social & Mobile UA
Manager, Performance Creative Strategy (Paid Media)
Performance Marketer
Account Manager (Performance Marketing)
Senior Performance Marketing Manager
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Manager, Paid Search
Growth Marketing Manager, Web & Search
Principal Growth Marketing Manager - SEO/GEO
Global Paid Search Marketing Manager
Senior Digital Marketing Manager, Paid Search
Product Manager - Paid Search / Acquisition
Sr. Manager, Paid Search (SEM)
SEM Manager
Paid Search Performance Marketing Manager
Manager of Marketing, Paid Search
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
EverAI
|
$95,268 | 20 |
Clients Blackbox, Inc.
|
$115,000 | 16 |
|
Suno
|
$157,500 | 3 |
Upstart
|
$165,300 | 2 |
| AX Axon | $143,203 | 2 |
Formlabs
|
$130,000 | 2 |
1Password
|
$127,000 | 2 |
| PG Procter & Gamble | $104,100 | 2 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Monks
|
$75,000 | 7 |
Wpromote
|
$82,000 | 3 |
|
Ovative Group
|
$130,500 | 2 |
Omnicom Media
|
$92,500 | 2 |
| ZG Zeta Global | $85,000 | 2 |
Pearmill
|
$76,250 | 2 |
Pavago
|
$30,000 | 2 |
|
Gametime United
|
$198,500 | 1 |
Performance Marketing salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $171,000 | 3 |
| Los Angeles | $160,000 | 5 |
| San Francisco | $158,750 | 10 |
| Boston | $146,250 | 3 |
| Chicago | $133,750 | 6 |
| New York | $120,000 | 22 |
| Austin | $115,000 | 6 |
| Toronto | $96,409 | 4 |
| London | $80,256 | 3 |
SEM salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $166,500 | 3 |
| New York | $105,500 | 12 |
| Chicago | $103,500 | 6 |
| Boston | $101,750 | 3 |
| Toronto | $72,593 | 3 |
Performance Marketing vs SEM: which pays more?
The median for Performance Marketing is $100,000 per year (typically $89,938–$142,938), versus $94,500 for SEM ($74,533–$118,850). That puts Performance Marketing about 6% 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.