618,000 marketers changed jobs in 2021

It’s a shocking number. During what has become known as the “Great Reshuffle,” 618,000 marketers left their jobs in 2021. That figure is 31% higher than in 2020.

You should expect more reshuffling for the remainder of 2022. In the U.S. alone, 24% of marketers are actively looking for a new job, and 62% are considering changing jobs this year. That’s all according to LinkedIn’s 2022 Marketing Jobs Report. 

Remote work growing. LinkedIn also noted that there was a 121% year-over-year increase in remote marketing job share. 

In a separate report, LinkedIn reported that remote jobs accounted for the majority of applications on LinkedIn for the first time in February. Despite making up less than 20 percent of all paid job listings, applications for remote jobs received more than 50% of all applications. 

Hot jobs. Social Media Marketing Specialist was the most in-demand job within marketing, followed by Marketing Strategist and Marketing Manager. While search marketing wasn’t directly mentioned, SEO and PPC live under the great umbrella of marketing – and all marketing influences or is impacted by search to some extent. 

How hot are digital marketing and social media jobs? Half of the top 10 jobs posted on LinkedIn were in the digital or media space, LinkedIn said in a February blog post.

The report listed the top 10 fastest growing occupations:

1. Media Coordinator
2. Search Manager
3. Social Media Coordinator
4. Search Engine Marketing Manager
5. Media Manager
6. Marketing Analyst
7. Search Specialist
8. Email Marketing Specialist
9. Search Engine Optimization Analyst
10. Digital Media Manager

(By the way, if you’re looking for a new job, make sure to check out the latest jobs in search marketing.) 

Where are marketers going? Not surprisingly, many marketers on the move are relocating to big cities. In the U.S., the top five most popular places for marketers to move to were: New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, D.C./Baltimore and Phoenix. 

Marketers are willing to move to get a better salary. The places with the top marketing salaries in the U.S. are Seattle, San Francisco, Atlanta, Fayetteville, and Minneapolis-St.Paul. (Although the cost of living is also incredibly high in Seattle and San Francisco.)

Why we care. Brands and agencies are finding hiring challenging right now. The pandemic has reshaped work – and how employees think about it. There were many successful remote-only companies, even more after COVID-19. So if you’re thinking of going back to an office-only model, you may need to rethink your plans. Maybe consider a hybrid model. Marketers got a taste of remote work – and the data shows that many clearly liked it. Also, to attract talent, you may have to offer higher salaries and a greater benefits package.

For job seekers, one thing that was made clear: marketers can thrive in a fully-remote environment. It’s a job seeker’s market right now. So if you’re among those looking for a new role, best of luck in your search. I hope you find a role that fulfills you and makes you feel valued (and pays you what you’re worth). 

About The Author

Danny Goodwin is Senior Editor of Search Engine Land. In addition to writing daily about SEO, PPC, and more for Search Engine Land, Goodwin also manages Search Engine Land’s roster of subject-matter experts. He also helps program our conference series, SMX – Search Marketing Expo. Prior to joining Search Engine Land, Goodwin was Executive Editor at Search Engine Journal, where he led editorial initiatives for the brand. He also was an editor at Search Engine Watch. He has spoken at many major search conferences and virtual events, and has been sourced for his expertise by a wide range of publications and podcasts.