Your Content Strategist Career Guide for 2026

Key takeaways

A content strategist works for a brand or business to strategize, plan, and develop marketing content. Explore key facts:

• Content strategists earn a median total salary of $109,000 [1].

• Content strategists create campaign schedules, research content topics, and perform audits.

• You can earn a degree in marketing or business to start your journey to become a content strategist.

Learn about content strategists, the education and experience you'll typically need to take on this position, how to grow in the industry, and the skills you may need to succeed. Afterward, consider enrolling in the Adobe Content Creator: Launching Your Creative Career Professional Certificate. In as little as four months, you’ll have the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of content creation and its vital role in today’s digital landscape. Upon completion, add this credential to your resume or LinkedIn profile.

What is a content strategist?

A content strategist is responsible for planning and strategizing content creation for a business. This content can include blog posts, video advertisements, articles, social media posts, and other types of online content.

As a content strategist, you'll create campaign schedules, research content topics, and perform audits to ensure all content aligns with a business’s overall goals and vision. You might also make presentations to your colleagues explaining new ideas or going over current and past campaigns. 

What does a content strategist do?

A content strategist works with a team of other content creators to produce valuable, relevant, and engaging content that helps a business meet its goals. In this role, you'll review data to measure the level of engagement the content is getting from a specific audience.

For example, if a content strategist works for a customer-facing business that aims to increase profits with a holiday sale of its products, the strategist would use previous years’ data to draft a plan to meet that goal. That plan might include specific blog topics, social media copy, and an email campaign. The content strategist would then take this plan to their team of creatives to produce the needed content and publish it according to an agreed-upon schedule.

While the exact roles and responsibilities of a content strategist are dependent on the business itself, some of the more common tasks you might expect include:

• Develop an editorial calendar: A content strategist is responsible for creating the editorial calendar that the marketing department uses to produce and publish content.

• Conduct research: A key responsibility of a content strategist is conducting user research and competitor analysis. It's also important to continually research SEO strategies and content trends.

• Read and report on analytics: Content strategists are responsible for performing content audits to identify trends and target audiences.

• Collaborate with colleagues: As a content strategist, you'll collaborate with your organization’s sales and marketing departments. You'll also work with content managers, writers, graphic designers, and other creators.

Skills that benefit content strategists

You’ll need a broad range of marketing and content creation skills to successfully lead a team of creators. You can develop these skills through a degree, hands-on work experience, and online training. Some essential skills include:

Technical skills

• Copywriting

• Editing and proofreading

• Familiarity with cloud-based apps and other digital tools

• Understanding of SEO and content monetization 

Workplace skills

• Communication

• Multitasking

• Analytical skills 

• Leadership

• Attention to detail

• Organization

How much does a content strategist make? Salary and job outlook

According to Glassdoor, the estimated median total pay for content strategists in the US is $109,000 per year. This figure typically includes base salary and additional pay. Additional pay may represent profit-sharing, commissions, or bonuses [1].

The demand for content strategists is on the rise. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that content strategists and other media and communication roles will grow at a rate slower than average compared to all occupations between 2024 and 2034 [2]. However, Technavio's latest content marketing market analysis reports that the industry will grow at an estimated 13.9 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2024 and 2029, indicating the potential for increased job opportunities for content strategists [3].

Read more: What Is a Good Salary?

How to become a content marketing strategist

To start as a content strategist, you’ll want to have a solid marketing, communications, or advertising background. Hiring managers will typically prefer candidates with a relevant degree; according to Zippia, 78.7 percent of content strategists have a bachelor’s degree [4]. However, it's also possible to move into a content strategist role after spending time as a copywriter or other marketing professional.

Think about your current educational and professional background. The field is ever-evolving, and the role of a content strategist varies according to a business’s specific goals, so you have an excellent chance of finding a position that makes the most of your experience. For example, a company looking to grow its presence on a video platform like TikTok might want a strategist with a videography background.

Once you have an outline of how your skills match up to a content strategist role, you’ll want to make a portfolio. A portfolio allows a potential employer to see the type of creative work you can do. A portfolio for a content strategist might include an example editorial calendar, marketing report, or social media copy.

Education

A bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, advertising, or social media marketing can help you pursue a career in content strategy. Certificates in specialties, like content marketing, data and analytics, or Adobe, can help give you a greater edge. These might include:

• Adobe Certified Professional credential offered by Adobe 

• Content Marketing Certification provided by the American Marketing Association

• Content Marketing Certification course offered by HubSpot Academy

Experience

Because content strategists are responsible for high-level strategy creation, many businesses look for candidates with relevant experience that the strategist will oversee. To qualify for this role, your first step will be getting an entry-level content creator or marketer role. Experience in one of these roles shows that you’re familiar with the specifics of content creation. If you aren’t already in the field, an internship is a solid first step into a content strategist career.

Possible content strategist career path

To become a content strategist, you’ll first need to get a position within the marketing field. Here are some roles and their median total salary* ranges to consider applying for:

• Copywriter (US): $66,000 and $111,000 per year [5]

• Digital marketing professional (US): $70,000 and $131,000 [6]

From there, you could develop your skills and build experience, giving you opportunities to either earn a promotion into a content strategist or senior role or seek a position with a different company.

*All salary information represents the median total pay from Glassdoor as of November 2025. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

Where do content strategists work?

Content strategists work in a wide variety of industries. In this role, you might work at a marketing firm that manages multiple clients or in-house for corporations or organizations that offer their products or services to the public.

No-fluff help for when you’re stuck

Subscribe to our Career Chat newsletter on LinkedIn for industry updates, trends, and tips. Then, explore free, digital resources to advance in your professional career:

• Watch on YouTube: 8 In-Demand Skills from Adobe's Content Creator Certificate

• Explore jobs: Social Media Career Progression: Job Levels & Skills to Advance

• Expand your vocabulary: Social Media Terms: A to Z Glossary

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