Should You Manage PPC In-House, Through an Agency, or as a Freelancer?
Hey there! I’m Dii Pooler, and I’ve been doing PPC “Pay-Per-Click” for over 11 years now. I’ve tried all three paths (PPC Agency, PPC Freelance, and PPC In-house), and trust me, I have some thoughts.
So you’re trying to figure out where to take your PPC career, huh? I get it. When I was starting out, everyone gave me different advice. “Go agency to learn fast!” “In-house is way less stressful!” “Freelancing is where the money is!”
Here’s the thing: they’re all right, and they’re all wrong. It depends completely on what you want out of life and where you are right now.
Let me break down what each path actually looks like, because I’ve been there and done all three. And I’m going to be brutally honest about the good, the bad, and the stuff nobody talks about. Wait – if you have no idea of who I am & what gives me the authority on this topic, you can learn a bit more about me here.
First Things First: PPC Isn’t What It Used to Be
Before we dive in, let’s talk about how much this field has changed. When I started, PPC was basically “set up some keywords and adjust bids.” Now? We’re dealing with AI that’s making half our decisions for us, and honestly, it’s both exciting and terrifying.
The role has exploded way beyond just Google Ads. You’re expected to understand attribution, work with creative teams, analyze data like a scientist, and somehow predict what Performance Max is going to do next (spoiler: nobody knows).
And here’s something cool: you can literally work from anywhere now. I’m writing this from a coffee shop because my “office” is wherever I have good WiFi. The pandemic changed everything, and remote PPC jobs are everywhere if you know where to look.
Agency Life: The Boot Camp Experience
Why I Tell Everyone to Start at an Agency
Look, I’m going to be real with you. Agency life is intense. Like, really intense. But if you’re just starting out or you want to level up fast, it’s the way to go.
Here’s what actually happens at an agency:
You’ll work on maybe 8-15 accounts if you’re lucky, sometimes more if management is feeling ambitious. One day you’re optimizing campaigns for a plumbing company, the next you’re trying to figure out why a SaaS client’s cost per acquisition just tripled overnight.
It’s chaos, but it’s beautiful chaos because you learn SO much. In two years at an agency, you’ll see more scenarios than most in-house people see in five years. Trust me on this.
The Good Stuff:
- You get access to tools that cost thousands per month that you’d never afford on your own
- You’re surrounded by other marketers who actually get what you’re talking about when you rant about iOS updates
- Client variety means you never get bored (and trust me, you will get bored eventually)
- You learn to work fast and think on your feet
The Not So Good Stuff:
- Your phone will ring at 7 PM because a client’s campaign “stopped working” (it didn’t, they just checked at the wrong time)
- You’ll have days where you feel like you’re drowning in client requests
- The pressure to show results immediately for every single client is real
- Work life balance? What’s that?
Money Talk: Agency salaries start around $50K and can go up to $199K for the really senior folks. Not bad, but remember you’re earning every penny of that salary.
What Type of Marketer Should Work in a Agency:
- You’re new and want to learn everything as fast as possible
- You thrive under pressure and don’t mind the occasional weekend work
- You want to build a killer network in marketing
- You’re not ready to settle down into one company yet
In-House: The Grown-Up Choice (respectfully)
Why In-House Might Be Your Happy Place
After three years of agency madness, I moved in-house, and wow, what a difference. Suddenly I had ONE company to focus on. ONE set of goals. ONE brand voice to learn.
It was like someone turned down the volume on my entire life.
Here’s What In-House Really Looks Like:
You become the PPC expert for your company. Not just someone who runs campaigns, but the person who understands your customers better than anyone else in the building. You’ll sit in product meetings and actually have input on what gets built. You’ll work with sales and hear directly from customers about what’s working.
It’s strategic in a way agency work rarely gets to be.
The Good Stuff:
- You can actually plan more than three months ahead
- No more jumping between completely different industries every hour
- You get to see the long term impact of your work
- Work life balance is actually possible (most of the time)
- Your coworkers understand your company’s goals, so less explaining
The Challenges:
- The learning curve flattens out after a while
- You might get restless if you’re used to constant variety
- Internal politics can be just as stressful as client drama
- If something goes wrong, all eyes are on you
Money Talk: In-house salaries typically range from about $62K to $124K, but the benefits are usually way better than agency life. Think full health coverage, 401k matching, and actual paid time off that you can use without guilt.
Real Talk About Getting Hired: Here’s something nobody tells you: most good in-house jobs want 3-5 years of experience minimum. Companies don’t want to train you on PPC basics AND their business. They want someone who can hit the ground running.
Who Should Go In-House:
- You’ve got some solid experience under your belt
- You want to deeply understand one business instead of surface level knowledge of many
- Work life balance matters more to you than maximum earning potential
- You like being part of a team working toward the same big picture goals
Freelancing: The Wild West of PPC
The Truth About Going Solo
Okay, this is where I’m currently at, and let me tell you, freelancing is not for everyone. It’s like being an entrepreneur who happens to specialize in PPC.
Freelance PPC people often make more money than agency or in-house folks, with average earnings around $96K. But that number doesn’t tell the whole story.
What Freelancing Actually Involves:
About 60% of my time is actual PPC work. The other 40%? I’m doing sales calls, sending proposals, managing contracts, doing my own accounting, updating my website, posting on LinkedIn, networking, and a million other business tasks.
If you’re not comfortable with that reality, freelancing will make you miserable.
The Amazing Parts:
- I charge $80-120 per hour depending on the client and complexity
- I choose my clients (mostly)
- I work from wherever I want, whenever I want
- No office politics or agency drama
- If a client is terrible, I can fire them
The Tough Parts:
- Some months are great, some months are terrifying
- You have to constantly be selling yourself
- No paid time off, no health insurance from an employer
- You’re completely on your own when something goes wrong
- Fast or famine income cycles are real
Getting Started: Don’t quit your day job immediately. Build up a client base first. I started taking freelance projects nights and weekends while I was still in-house. Once I had enough monthly recurring revenue to cover my expenses, then I made the leap.
Who Should Freelance:
- You’ve got solid experience and can confidently sell your skills
- You’re comfortable with income uncertainty in exchange for higher earning potential
- You actually enjoy the business side of running a business
- You’re self-motivated and don’t need a team around you to stay productive
The Money Conversation Nobody Wants to Have
Let’s get specific about what you’ll actually make, because the ranges are huge and depend on so many factors.
Starting Out (0-2 years):
- Agency: $45K-55K plus benefits
- In-House: Hard to get hired, but $60K-70K if you do
- Freelance: Don’t do it yet, you’ll struggle
Getting Good (3-5 years):
- Agency: $65K-90K plus benefits
- In-House: $80K-110K plus better benefits
- Freelance: $60K-120K depending on how good you are at finding clients
Senior Level (5+ years):
- • Agency: $100K-180K plus benefits and maybe equity
- • In-House: $110K-160K plus excellent benefits
- • Freelance: $120K-250K+ if you’re really good and have steady clients
Remember, agencies often deliver better results than in-house teams because of their experience and resources, which is why businesses are willing to pay agency rates. But that doesn’t mean agency employees see all that money.
Let’s Talk About Stress Because Nobody Else Will
Over half of workers are dealing with burnout right now, and PPC can definitely contribute to that if you’re not careful.
Agency Stress:
- Multiple clients means multiple emergencies
- You’re constantly context switching between different businesses
- Client calls at weird hours
- Pressure to show immediate results for every account
In-House Stress:
- All the pressure is on you if campaigns don’t work
- Internal stakeholders who don’t understand PPC but have opinions
- Budget fights every quarter
- Less variety can get boring
Freelance Stress:
- Will I have enough clients next month?
- Chasing down payments from clients
- Being the only person responsible for everything
- Isolation from not having coworkers
Honestly? I’ve been stressed in all three situations. The key is figuring out what kind of stress you can handle and what environment helps you manage it.
Career Growth: Where Do You Go From Here?
Agency Path: You usually go from Specialist to Account Manager to Senior Strategist to Director. If you’re good and stick around, you might make VP or even partner. Takes about 7-10 years to get to director level if you’re aggressive about it.
In-House Path: PPC Manager to Senior Manager to Marketing Director to VP to maybe CMO if you’re lucky and smart. Takes longer, usually 10-15 years, but you get broader business experience.
Freelance Path: This one’s wild because you can go anywhere. Stay solo and just charge more. Build an agency and hire other freelancers. Create courses and become a thought leader. Consult for bigger companies. The sky’s the limit, but it’s all on you to make it happen.
The industry is moving toward more specialized roles like Performance Marketing Manager, which is great if you want to expand beyond just search ads.
Remote Work Changed Everything
I can’t stress this enough: remote work has completely changed PPC careers. You’re not limited to jobs in your city anymore. I have friends working for companies in different time zones, different countries even.
The trade-off is you need to be really good at communicating in writing and on video calls. But if you can do that, the world is your office.
What I Wish Someone Had Told Me
Here’s my real advice after doing all three paths:
Start at an agency if you’re new. Yes, it’s stressful, but you’ll learn faster than anywhere else. Give it 2-3 years minimum.
Move in-house when you want more stability and deeper strategic work. Don’t do this too early, you need the agency experience first.
Consider freelancing only after you’ve proven yourself and are comfortable with business uncertainty. And please, have at least 6 months of expenses saved up first.
Don’t be afraid to switch paths. I know people who went agency to in-house to freelance to starting their own agency. Your career doesn’t have to be linear, and honestly, the variety of experience makes you more valuable.
The Bottom Line
There’s no “right” path, just the right path for you right now. And that might change as your life changes.
If you’re young and hungry and want to learn everything fast, go agency. If you want stability and deeper work, go in-house. If you’re entrepreneurial and experienced, try freelancing.
But here’s the real secret: success in PPC isn’t about which path you choose. It’s about staying curious, always learning, and actually caring about getting results for the businesses you work with.
The industry changes every few months, AI is reshaping everything, and privacy updates keep us all on our toes. The people who do well are the ones who roll with those changes instead of fighting them.
So pick a path, give it your all, and don’t be afraid to change direction when it makes sense. The PPC world needs good people who actually know what they’re doing, regardless of whether they’re sitting in an agency, a corporate office, or a coffee shop like me.
What questions do you have? I’m always happy to chat with other PPC folks trying to figure out their next move. You can reach out to me on my LinkedIn here or Facebook page here.