Last week I read the 2022 Salary Report on the Superpath blog and it was so affirming for me. Question…what do content marketers who make the average $93,000+ actually do? What do your job descriptions look like? I ask because I believe I do “all the things,” (or have for various clients) but still promote myself as a freelance writer and wonder if I changed my positioning if I could charge higher rates.

we asked people this in the salary report. we got a ton of interesting info but couldn't figure out a useufl way to publish

@freezing-petabyte-90349 My title is Sr SEO Analyst but my day-to-day is content optimization (for articles & video), managing external agencies, and helping teams develop their strategy (I'm in a very big org). As a side note, I recently summed up the $100k superpath articles, might be some useful info for you there too.

oh i didnt know about this, very cool! cc @purple-monitor-35762

Thanks! This is helpful. And David, I will take a look at that, too.

Are you asking what an in-house job looks like at $93k? Or are you asking what a freelancer would have to do to earn $93k, from which you’d have to handle all of your own overhead and taxes? Someone who makes $93k at a f/t job is essentially making significantly more than a freelancer at $93k, given taxes, paid time off, benefits, perks, equity, etc. A U.S. freelancer typically needs to earn 25 to 35 percent more than a f/t person to run at equivalent financially. And that doesn’t include the development, training and career pathing that a f/t person would get at a good employer, which makes them increasingly valuable and qualifies them for more opportunities. I know f/t writers who make $90k or significantly more. They tend to write about complex topics, which have a higher barrier to entry than simpler topics — less competition. That can include technical writing, enterprise software / B2B, personal finance (not lightweight stuff like budgeting, but stuff that takes domain expertise and / or research), defense, online security, crypto, for example. A lot of that work involves acquiring or converting users to help generate revenue, helping sales teams, etc. This can be hard for freelancers or agency folks to do well, because you rarely get robust access to the business’s SMEs, analytics, user patterns, sales funnel info, etc., versus a staff writer. Plus, if the work involves SEO, staffers should be able to kick the ass of any freelancer or agency writer, because you have inside access to all the analytics, business and product developments, and are doing testing nonstop if you’re savvy. You also have the benefit of all of your f/t coworkers’ experiments and thinking. And staff folks tend to focus on a narrower set of work vs. freelancers and agency people, so they’re essentially marinating in company sauce and developing domain expertise all the time vs. outsiders. Generally, the more revenue you help generate, the more you earn. And that’s harder to do at a distance. People who write lighter content or do general assignment reporting tend to not make much. That’s because they’re not generating much revenue. Plus, the barrier to entry is low and you end up competing against an ever-growing number of people who will write funner or easier stuff for little or no money. That suppresses your earnings even if you’re talented. Some people do a mix of work, so they have better-paying work to subsidize the cheaper, which they enjoy more. The freelancers I know who make a lot have significant repeat / tentpole and referral work. They’re often booked out for weeks to months. That allows them to cherry-pick the best clients and keep raising their rates. Successful freelancers are always testing what the market will bear price wise and they fire cheaper clients and replace them with better ones.

Thanks, Maggie. This is really helpful.

Very well said @white-potato-56800 and something I think every person considering the FT vs freelance content marketing path should consider!

Sure thing, @purple-monitor-35762. Of course, people choose freelance or f/t for various reasons beyond $. Also, it’s not necessarily a binary choice — some folks do both at the same time. And some folks will switch back and forth over their careers. One of the advantages that some freelancers have is the contacts they built while working f/t, who offer assignments, referrals and such. Also, some f/t jobs are becoming more flexible, so the tradeoffs are blurring in some cases between f/t and freelance. For instance, when I build content teams, I always try to hire grownups who can be trusted with managing their own schedules and vacations, etc., who work remotely and get work done without unnecessary oversight. I also don’t have issues with f/t people doing work on the side, as long as they fulfill their responsibilities and their side gigs don’t conflict or compete with our work. Over the years, I’ve hired a number of former freelancers into staff roles and some said they didn’t realize it was possible to have such autonomous, flexible f/t jobs, plus have benefits, perks and career dev. Increasingly, such jobs are available, but it can take time to find them. Plus, employers with the best jobs typically have the greatest choice of candidates and can be selective. The key thing is to know what’s available in the market, so you can work toward what you want.

I can throw my two cents in here as a freelance writer / content marketer who fits into that $$ demographic. My time is split between researching, writing, interviewing, and pitching for my own writing (Technical writer, cannabis). While this portion of my work brings in only a fraction of my income, it’s what gets me exposure, and why I typically find clients through word of mouth. Then, the second part of my time is managing client accounts which entail anything from content production, editing, proofing, publishing, and strategy. I manage a team of writers and editors, I do SEO audits, and create content calendars.

Thanks, Jessica. I have had clients for which I managed the companies accounts and writing team before. Just not currently.

@freezing-petabyte-90349 Do you do any brand positioning / messaging work? I do a blend of content strategy, brand messaging, and content writing. I try to avoid positioning myself as a freelancer because I think people sometimes incorrectly assume that freelancer = cheap. I also have a fairly narrow niche.

@adamant-garden-34336 I’ve only had a few clients I did strategy and/or management for. The bulk of my work has been writing. And, I removed freelance from my title a while ago after hearing that sentiment on a podcast.

Wow great advice @lemon-airport-97306 I read the blog post you shared and @white-potato-56800 my goodness this has to be one of the best advice I have received in my in-house writer journey. Will be saving this advice to apply . Thank you

@purple-monitor-35762 is just about finished with a really good piece based on this thread