What does a PPC manager do?
A PPC manager leads paid media strategy and oversees all aspects of performance advertising. They manage campaign planning, platform strategy, budget allocation, reporting, and sometimes a team of executives or freelancers.
Their role involves keyword research, conversion tracking, creative testing, and improving cost-per-click (CPC) and return on ad spend (ROAS). They often collaborate with SEO, content, and design teams to ensure integrated campaign success.
In agencies, PPC managers may handle multiple client accounts. In-house, they typically own all paid media activity and are expected to deliver scalable, measurable results tied to revenue.
Key responsibilities of a PPC manager.
The role of a PPC manager spans execution, strategy, and leadership. They are usually responsible for:
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Leading paid media strategy across Google Ads, Bing, YouTube, and paid social
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Managing monthly budgets, forecasting, and pacing across platforms
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Conducting advanced analysis to improve campaign performance
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Overseeing campaign builds, creative testing, and optimisation workflows
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Managing platform accounts, data tracking, and conversion reporting
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Mentoring PPC Executives and coordinating with external partners
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Collaborating with designers, developers, and content creators
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Building reports using Looker Studio, GA4, and ad platform dashboards
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Staying ahead of platform updates, policies, and automation tools
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Aligning paid search activity with brand, product, and demand generation goals
This role combines platform knowledge with strategic thinking and team guidance.
Skills and requirements for a PPC manager.
PPC managers plan, run, and optimise campaigns across paid search and social. Employers typically look for:
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3–6 years of experience managing PPC campaigns
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Proven success delivering ROI across paid channels
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In-depth knowledge of Google Ads, Meta Ads, and campaign types
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Strong analytical skills and experience with GA4 and Looker Studio
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Ability to manage and forecast media budgets
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Confident writing and testing ad copy and creatives
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Experience working with design and performance teams
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Ability to manage stakeholders and report on key metrics
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Comfortable leading strategy and day-to-day optimisation
Most PPC managers come from agency or in-house teams and often manage multiple campaigns across several channels or markets.
Average salary for a PPC manager.
In the UK, the average salary for a PPC manager typically ranges from £45,000 to £65,000, depending on campaign budgets, platform knowledge, and revenue accountability.
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Mid-level PPC managers tend to earn between £45,000 and £55,000
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Senior PPC managers or those managing teams and multi-platform accounts can earn between £56,000 and £65,000
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Performance-driven roles often offer additional earnings through ROI-based KPIs
Higher salaries are common in agencies, retail, SaaS, and fast-scaling tech companies, especially in major cities.
Career progression for a PPC manager.
A PPC manager leads paid search strategy and optimisation across platforms like Google Ads and Bing. The role is a stepping stone to broader performance leadership. A typical path includes:
PPC executive
Delivers campaign setup, keyword targeting, and bid optimisation. Reports on ad performance.
PPC manager
Owns strategy, manages budgets, and tests new formats or platforms. May mentor junior staff.
Head of PPC
Leads the paid search function. Works with cross-functional stakeholders and aligns with broader growth targets.
Director of performance marketing
Owns multi-channel paid media across search, social, programmatic, and display.
VP of marketing / CMO
Transitions into full ownership of acquisition, brand, and customer lifecycle strategy.
SEO and Content Executive
Senior SEO Consultant
Senior Paid Media Manager
Senior Paid Media Manager
salary guide
Our UK marketing salary guide.
Whether you're building your in-house paid media team or growing an agency, PPC managers bring the strategy and platform expertise to drive results. But they won’t consider roles that fall short on salary.
Use our 2025 UK marketing salary guide to benchmark PPC manager salaries and shape offers that reflect the experience required.
FAQS
PPC manager FAQs.
A PPC manager owns the strategy, execution, and optimisation of paid search campaigns across platforms like Google Ads and Microsoft Ads. They manage budget allocation, conversion performance, keyword direction, and coordinate with content, SEO, and design teams to ensure ads are aligned with landing page experience.
Both. In-house PPC managers usually manage one brand’s paid search growth, while those in agencies may oversee multiple client accounts. Either setup requires strong client/stakeholder communication and campaign performance reporting.
Budgets can range from £10,000 per month in SME environments to over £1 million annually in large-scale ecommerce or SaaS businesses. Managing ROI and cost-per-conversion at scale is a key skill at this level.
While not coding-based, the role requires strong data fluency, familiarity with audience segmentation, attribution models, conversion tracking, and tools like Google Tag Manager. Some also manage scripts or automation workflows.
Most PPC managers advance into Paid Media Lead, Performance Marketing Manager, or Head of PPC roles. Others expand into cross-channel strategy roles or marketing leadership depending on their team exposure.
