Social media managers are worth a lot a money to businesses these days, yet many professionals and companies don't know their true worth.
Social media is often seen as a "free" branch of a company's overall media strategy. Because of this, businesses can risk under-funding their social media departments and assuming interns can do the job.
Meanwhile, social media marketing might be the first job someone gets out of college. They may be happy to work for free, despite the average social media manager guideline suggesting they could earn thousands of dollars a month.
This guide will reveal how much social media managers make and explain the difference between salaries for employees, and what you can earn as a freelancer or a consultant.
We'll look at the roles of a social media manager, why there is variance in pay, and how you can negotiate a better deal.
How much do social media managers make
If you're wondering how much social media managers make, we're sorry to report that there's no one-size-fits-all approach here.
A social media manager salary ranges from nothing to $80,000 and beyond. The average salary for a social media manager is $55,000. However, aspiring social media managers can be paid a lot less.
Salaries vary significantly depending on factors such as your expertise, geographical location, and the industry and company you work for.
Keep in mind that the more experience and skills you possess, the higher your salary potential becomes.
But you might never reach your salary potential in certain businesses because of how they value their social teams.
Below, we've broken down the expectations for a social media manager's salary and also the roles that come with better pay.
What's in this guide
Understanding the role of a social media manager
Overview of social media manager salaries
Salary variances by industry and location
Understanding the role of a social media manager
Before looking at social media manager salary ranges, it's important to underhand what the job entails.
Scope of responsibilities
As a social media manager, your role goes beyond simply posting updates on various platforms.
You are responsible for developing and implementing your company marketing strategy to increase brand awareness and foster a strong online presence.
Responsibilities include:
- Community management: Engaging with your brand's audience by responding to comments, answering questions, and addressing concerns.
- Content creation: Crafting high-quality content tailored to each platform's specifications and audience preferences.
- Analytics and reporting: Monitoring the performance of social media campaigns, analyzing the data, and adjusting the strategy accordingly.
As a manager you might have to do these tasks yourself, or you might have to manage employees who do the work for you. Either way it requires a lot of creation and management skills.
Required skills and expertise
Indeed, to excel as a social media manager you need to possess a diverse skill set that combines both technical and soft skills.
You need to understand content creation even if you don't make images, captions, and videos yourself. You also need to be a good manager and oversee project strategies.
Some key skills include:
- Platform expertise: Understanding the features, algorithms, and best practices for each social media platform, such as Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Youtube.
- Creativity: Producing––or understanding the process of––eye-catching visuals, compelling copy, and share-worthy content to captivate audiences and meet marketing objectives.
- Data-driven decisions: Leveraging analytics on a platform like Brandwatch to make informed decisions and optimize content for better engagement.
- Time management: Overseeing the balancing of multiple tasks and deadlines, staying organized, and prioritizing effectively.
- Communication: Collaborating with fellow stakeholders, providing clear instructions, and effectively conveying marketing messages to your target audience.These skills are crucial whether you're a lone social media manager or working as part of a large team.
Overview of social media manager salaries
Let's now get into the detail around how much social media managers make. There are two types of figures here: the average social media salary and salary ranges.
Here's what you need to know:
Average salary
The average social media manager salary in 2024 is $55,000 per year.
This number is based on the national average salary for social media managers, but keep in mind that your actual earnings may vary depending on your experience, location, and other factors.
It also doesn't factor in managers who work for free either, because they are doing work pro bono or are working as an unpaid intern.
Salary range
The salary range for social media managers can vary greatly, and it may not always correlate with your experience.
Entry-level professionals should be earning around $35,000 per year, while experienced managers can make more than $80,000 per year.
Here's a quick breakdown of the salary range:
Entry-level: $35,000 - $45,000
Mid-level: $45,000 - $60,000
Senior-level: $60,000 - $80,000+
However, industry is often a greater driver of the average social media manager salary than expertise. You can find out why in our next section.
Salary variances by industry and location
Industry and location play a large part in the range for a social media manager salary.
If you're working in Silicone Valley for a multi-million dollar start-up that's desperate to generate attention, then you may be paid a lot more than if you manage the social media platforms for a pizza franchise in downtown Milwaukee.
Highest paying industries for social media managersHere are some of the top paying industries for social media managers:
- Technology
- Finance
- Healthcare
- E-commerce
- Advertising and public relations
- Gambling
Why is this? The main factor is money. These industries rely on social media to generate sales and further investment.
Social media professionals often have big targets to meet, and they are duly awarded when their campaigns work well.
On the other end of the spectrum, some of the lowest paying industries are:
- Non-profit organizations
- Retail
- Hospitality and tourism
- Media and publishing
- Politics
You might create an amazing social media campaign in these industries but often, companies don't have the money to pay professionals at the same level as PR, finance, and gambling brands.
Geographic differences in salaries
Another factor that influences social media manager salaries is the geographic location. Generally, major cities offer higher salaries than rural or smaller urban areas, due in part to the higher cost of living.
For example, social media managers in San Francisco tend to earn higher salaries compared to the national average, as California is one of the highest paying states.
In terms of countries, Canada and the UK tend to have competitive salaries for social media managers and are ideal for English-speaking corporations in the US.
However, keep in mind that salaries can vary within the country itself, with larger cities like Toronto and Vancouver typically offering higher pay.
Now, geographic location is becoming less of an issue as more people work remotely. These days you can find amazing freelance social marketers at the other end of the country.
Comparing social media management salaries
The average salary for a social media manager also depends on your work status. You might be:
Working in-house at a small company
Working for large corporationWorking as a freelancerWorking in an agencyWhen you research salaries, it's important to know where you might fit in the industry. Here's some more detail on the four types of employment.
1. Working in-house
Small to medium-sized businesses often employ one or two social media managers to oversee their entire social content.
It's likely that you will be paid the industry average of around $55,000, but you could end up earning less if you are inexperienced or working in a low-paying industry.
It's important you're paid fairly for your efforts, so make sure you compare salaries with similar sized companies, as well as job descriptions.
2. Working for large corporations and agencies
Big corporations and agencies pump millions of dollars into their social media marketing. You may be paid a higher salary here if you climb the ladder, but expect to earn less when you're starting off.
Corporations usually operate in a salary scale, so you're rewarded for your loyalty.
Agencies may offer bigger bonuses for successful social media campaigns, and reward you for retaining clients.
3. Working as a freelancer
Freelance social media managers can earn the top-end of the scale if they market themselves correctly. You have the flexibility to work for multiple clients and manage various accounts.
Freelance social media managers typically charge between $15 and $60 per hour, but you can go higher if you feel your services generate positive ROI for your clients.
Charge per project and you could swiftly be making $80,000 or more.
What's more, a freelance social media manager can train to specialize in one field.
You may choose to become a social media consultant, improve your graphic design skills and become a content creator, or offer to oversee project management as a content strategist.
There really is no limit when working as a freelancer. Once you have a foot in the door of professional industries like social media management it's easy to get more work.
Enhancing earning potential
Many social media managers fail to realize how valuable they are to the businesses and clients they work for. It's possible to boost your social media manager's salary.
After all, this sort of job is in high demand and you can always take your services elsewhere.
Below, we look at how a social media manager can take their earnings to the next level.
Salary negotiation
It's not uncommon for a social media manager to be underpaid for what they do. Sadly, salary negotiations with employers can be difficult, but there are ways to smooth the process and secure higher salaries.
It all comes down to proving your worth.
To do this, you need to prepare to explain why your existing role needs to be better remunerated.
Secondly, it's important to show what your employer gets in return for giving you a higher salary.
Why you deserve more money
Start by thinking about why you deserve to be paid better. You can do this in four steps:
- Research: Gather information about the average salaries for social media managers in your industry and location. Look at job ad sites like Cision for help. This can provide a solid foundation for your negotiation.
- Know your worth: Highlight your experience, skills, and accomplishments that make you a valuable asset. Be prepared to back them up with specific examples, such as successes on recent projects. Use a tool like Brandwatch to pull together reports on successful social media campaigns.
- Be flexible: While negotiating for a higher salary, also consider additional benefits or perks that could add value to your overall compensation package. For example, you might not get more money but could be given a better healthcare deal.
- Maintain professionalism: Throughout the negotiation process, remain polite and professional, and don't be afraid to ask for what you deserve. Some employers can try to stonewall you during negotiations, so it's important to stay true to your values.
What you can give in return
Next, think about what you can offer in return for a salary increase. Things to consider include:
- Dedication to process: Provide assurances that you will oversee improvements to how your social media team operates and the processes that can reduce waste within a team.
- Working collaboratively: Explain how more money and more responsibility means you can become a stakeholder in other projects within your company, which fuels a collaborative approach.
- A structured career path: As a better-paid employee you're more likely to stay loyal to your company and move up the corporate ladder there.
- Loyalty: If your company isn't willing to offer you a competitive social media manager salary then you can always explain that you're on the hunt for a job elsewhere. Ask them: how much is your loyalty worth?
Changing jobs
Another way to enhance your earning potential is to change jobs. There's no value in shifting from one social media manager role to the same one at a similar company or industry.
To make a real impact in your salary, it's important to look beyond your current situation.
Here's a brief overview of what to look for in the social media manager job market:
- Demand: Social media managers are highly sought after, as companies recognize the importance of a strong online presence. Use this to your advantage when seeking a new job.
- Competitive pay: Social media managers earn an average salary of $55,000 per year. This should be your baseline when entering salary negotiations or researching jobs elsewhere.
- Job security: As the digital world continues to expand, the need for social media marketers is expected to grow.
