Senior SEO Consultant Gehalt?

drefd · **drefd** » 15.06.2015, 14:12 **Senior SEO Consultant Gehalt?**

Sorry for my English, but my German is kind of rusty.

Anyway, for the forum users who are kind enough to respond, I need to know if a salary I've been offered, is decent enough or underpaid for the Germany standards and cost of living in the particular area.

Brutto: 40.000
Job: Senior SEO Consultant
City: Frankfurt
Company: Advertising Agency
Experience: Seasoned SEO 8+ years, 3+ languages

And how much the Senior SEO Consultant position is estimated roughly in Frankfurt, as in the scale of average/starting/top, if you happen to know.

Thanks in advance for reading this

Vegas · **Vegas** » 15.06.2015, 17:14 **Senior SEO Consultant Gehalt?**

Senior SEO Consultant 8+ years of experience and 3+ languages? Totally underpaid! Double your 40K and with loads of luck you'll find someone....and I doubt 80k is really enough.

drefd · **drefd** » 15.06.2015, 17:56 **Senior SEO Consultant Gehalt?**

Thanks @Vegas

I've found that 60K+ would be a good starting point, but I wasn't aware that wages could go so high.

It seems they are fishing for cheap labor..

Again, appreciate it

UweT · **UweT** » 15.06.2015, 21:29 **Senior SEO Consultant Gehalt?**

It strongly depends on your endorsements and your SEO- and communication skills - @ 80k your should be able to manage a team. 40k is fine to start your German career and in a typical range for agencies in that area.

best
uwe

drefd · **drefd** » 16.06.2015, 07:09 **Senior SEO Consultant Gehalt?**

Thanks @tbone78, I know where this goes, underpaid again.

STB · **STB** » 16.06.2015, 07:50 **Senior SEO Consultant Gehalt?**

@drefd:
if you refer to the "Frankfurt" in the center of Germany (and not the one on the border to Poland) 40k seems to be underpaid in my opinion. Frankfurt is by far the town with the strongest financial industry in Germany and thus the wages and living costs there are definitely above avarage.

80k is probably too much to expect if you are moving into another country, need to get to know it and need to improve your language skills. But with 8+ years and 3+ languages 60k should be a reasonable number, I think.

What you could do is considering to apply for an inhouse position in a company, which is internationally orientated. In this case your 3+ languages would be a good benefit. In Germany advertising agencies are generelly known to often pay less than companies do for inhouse positions.

drefd · **drefd** » 16.06.2015, 08:25 **Senior SEO Consultant Gehalt?**

Thanks @STB

The offer was made from Frankfurt am Main (downtown), which I know well it's very expensive comparing to other parts. Recently been to Frankfurt, I know this from first hand.

My expectations, given what I bring to the table, was roughly 50-60K, thus left me with a bitter taste, being offered a starting salary of 40K for a Senior position that could easily bring in an additional 10-20K+.

Your points are correct, appreciate it.

Cheers

e-fee · **e-fee** » 16.06.2015, 09:33 **Senior SEO Consultant Gehalt?**

Well - that's a thing of an "advertising agency" here in Germany.
I've been working in one as a web developer for two years, in Cologne. And have talked to my co-workers who have seen even more agencies.
These agencies are well known for underpaying in most cases - hey, you have a cool and creative work environment ... you can't actually want money?
Another experience of mine: They didn't look so much for quality work, it just had to look cool. Might be the same with the SEO position, although "senior". I don't think they specialised in this field, they just offer it "too", on a basic level.

drefd · **drefd** » 16.06.2015, 09:42 **Senior SEO Consultant Gehalt?**

@e-fee you can't be more right leaving a comment like this.

I've spent a whole day within the agency, talking to people from head to bottom, basically it looked to me like I was training them, and I was impressed by the lack of expertise and their outdated methods, and we all know how harmful outdated SEO can be.

At the end they've asked for my notes which I freely left, and trained their link builders into earning and not buying a link, which they did and probably will do in the future.

Had plans for me to lead the international team, underpaid I assume.

So, free training + my expenses => bottom salary? No way!