The Complete Guide To Social Media Manager Salary [2024]

With an escalating social media prevalence, more & more businesses are relying on social media managers for a plausible social presence.

In the US, over 26,725 social media managers are employed in diverse industries, 57.3% are female & 38.3% are male.

From multimillion-dollar organizations with a substantial budget to SMBs with limited marketing funds, these professionals manage it all, executing a solid social media strategy.

As a social media manager, you do not simply post content. But with your creative implementation skills, you drive results by cultivating a community.

But have you wondered what the ideal pay for your job responsibilities should be? Or do you have a reference point to negotiate your salary? Or do you ponder upon which factors affect your pay range?

In this article, we have discussed the average industry-standard salary for social media managers & factors that have an ascendancy on the pay scale.

Dive into the blog to build an idea about an equitable wage for your job profile or a rational salary discussion & increment.

• Who Is A Social Media Manager?
• Average Social Media Manager Salary
• Social Media Manager Salary US
• Social Media Manager Salary UK
• Factors That Influence Social Media Manager Salary
• How To Increase Social Media Manager Salary

Who Is A Social Media Manager?

A social media manager is a professional who coordinates & collaborates with other creative departments of the company & has up-to-date industry news.

From content creation to customer service, PR to sales, social media managers wear many hats to enrich a corporation's business growth. By implementing their skills, they create brand visibility & work on building brand reputation & cohesiveness across social.

Glassdoor data says the average salary of a social media manager in the US is $57,000 & it requires a bachelor's degree to be a social media manager. With more & more companies taking social media seriously, the job opportunities for a social media manager are enhancing.

These professionals are the ones who hold responsibility for brand promotions, dissemination of information, and planning & execution of marketing campaigns across social media.

Along with these, social media managers also track social media analytics and ongoing trends and reciprocate comments & queries following the company's guidelines; they are the company's voice on social.

The daily work routine of these professionals includes bringing out & assemble new ideas for fresh content and collaborating with the design & products team to track the insights of the posts to get the idea if there is any room for improvement.

Learn More: How To Schedule Your Day As A Social Media Manager

Social Media Managers Skills

Skills are a crucial factor that determines a social media manager's salary. Social media managers come from diverse backgrounds & their skills also vary as per their educational background & experience.

However, there are certain specific skills that you should adhere to fit in this profession. Also, starving to learn new skills is essential for career growth. Check out the basic skills a social media manager requires:

• You need to have a good understanding of using different social media channels; also, it's vital to have a solid knowledge of advertising/branding. You also require a minimum knowledge of social media algorithms to start as an entry-level social media manager.

• A strong base of copywriting & editing skills is also required, along with the creativity to use the text for storytelling techniques. You should be able to write short copies & captions adhering to the text limits. Within these crisp copies, you should be capable of placing effective CTAs, conveying brand messages engaging the target audience.

• Social media managers must have basic knowledge & understanding of search engine optimization. Also, being familiar with different social media tools is an add-on.

Image Source: Payscale

• Besides placing innovative ideas contributing to revenue generation, strong communication skills for articulating ideas also help you display your efficacy in the profession & it always impacts your pay scale.

• Leadership qualities are vital for a ladder up in this profession. You must have a strategy & should be analytical about implementing posts to support higher-level marketing and business priorities.

• You should be able to motivate your team, excellent collaboration skills, networking & team working spirit to cooperate in the industry. A social media manager needs organizational skills, project & campaign management skills, data analysis & interpreting abilities.

• Social media managers further require to have knowledge & skills to run social media campaigns. You should have the idea of gamification, planning & implicating contests & giveaways on different social media channels to draw the target audience's attention.

Average Social Media Manager Salary

Are you a social media manager and looking for a job? Wondering how much you should be making as a full-time manager or the average social media salary in the UK or the US?

Before running into an industry, getting answers to all these questions is crucial because the pay range, according to your devoir, has a visible impact on job satisfaction & productivity.

To determine the current social media manager salary in the US and the UK, we compared three trustworthy websites – Glassdoor, PayScale, and Indeed. We have classified the resources collected from the website below:

Glassdoor Social Media Manager Salary

Glassdoor needs no introduction. It is one of the largest and fastest-growing job websites in the world. They collect data from the employees to fill in their database of interview questions, salary reports, and company reviews.

According to Glassdoor, the national average social media manager salary in the US is $54,272. The social media manager salary US ranges from $41,000 to $83,000. Cities like San Francisco and New York are exceptions & those working in these cities can expect an average salary of $97,000.

In the UK, the average social media manager salary is £28,500. The UK's social media managers' salary ranges from £20,000 to £41,000. Those who are located in London make £30,000 on average annually.

Image Source: Glassdoor

Indeed Social Media Manager Salary

This website follows a slightly different approach to collecting its data. It collects data from users, employees, and present and past job advertisements posted by several companies over the last two years.

According to the data compiled by Indeed, the average salary for Social Media Manager in the US is $46,095 per annum. According to Indeed, the average wage in the UK is £33,000.

Indeed has also compiled the senior social media manager data for both the US and the UK. For the senior post, the salary in the US is $107,449 per annum, whereas £37,500 in the UK.

Image Source: Indeed

PayScale Social Media Manager Salary

PayScale has managed to accumulate the largest salary profile database with the help of big data technologies and crowdsourcing.

According to PayScale, the national average salary for a Social Media Manager in the US is $52,109 per annum. The salary ranges from $31,000 to $74,500. The salary figure in the US also includes annual bonuses and profit sharing. This extra amount can add up to $16,000 in some cases.

In the United Kingdom, the average salary is £25,000 per annum. The salary figure ranges from £16,400 to £37,000.

Image Source: Payscale

Note:

Those who want to work as freelance social media managers may get a different salary when compared to full-time jobs. The wages for freelancers vary from website to website.

According to Indeed, the compensation ranges from £12 – £20 per hour. According to Upwork, the average salary for freelancers in the US ranges from $400 - $10,000 per project.

Social Media Manager Salary US

As per data, the top ten percent of senior-level social media managers earn $94,000 per year & the entry-level social media managers $35,000 per year in the US.

However, social media manager salary US varies depending on location, sector or industry, organizational structure types such as agency or brand, and the implementation of thriving social media campaign activities. Let's check out the best-paying cities in the US:

Best Paying Cities In the US

Social Media Manager Salary San Francisco, CA: $97K
Social Media Manager Salary Edison, NJ: $94k
Social Media Manager Salary Seattle, WA: $72K
Social Media Manager Salary Philadelphia, PA: $68K
Social Media Manager Salary Baltimore, MD: $68K
Social Media Manager Salary Las Vegas, NV: $65K
Social Media Manager Salary Washington, DC: $65K
Social Media Manager Salary Atlanta, GA: $57K
Social Media Manager Salary St. Louis, MO: $57K
Social Media Manager Salary Houston, TX: $55K
Social Media Manager Salary Raleigh, NC: $54K
Social Media Manager Salary Chicago, IL: $54K
Social Media Manager Salary Denver, CO: $53K
Social Media Manager Salary Phoenix, AZ: $50K
Social Media Manager Salary Miami Beach, FL: $49K

Note:

Most social media managers work in private-sector companies compared to the public sector. Besides, the US social media industry is inclusive.

As data says, in the US, 13% of all social media managers belong to the LGBT community.

Individuals from this profession have the highest demand in New York & the media industry pays the highest to social media managers. As per data, female social media managers earned 91% of earnings compared to their male counterparts.

Social Media Manager Salary UK

Regarding social media manager salary UK, London is the highest paying city in the United Kingdom with £35,719.

Check out the other best-paying cities In the UK as per the data provided by the UK. Indeed:

Best Paying Cities In the UK

Social Media Manager Salary Croydon: £40,368
Social Media Manager Salary Kingston: £36,554
Social Media Manager Salary Mayfair: £34,015
Social Media Manager Salary Huddersfield: £30,924
Social Media Manager Salary Leeds: £29,860
Social Media Manager Salary Manchester: £29,779
Social Media Manager Salary Bristol: £29,067
Social Media Manager Salary Birmingham: £28,835
Social Media Manager Salary High Wycombe: £28,632
Social Media Manager Salary Liverpool: £28,158

Note:

As an assistant or junior social media manager in the best-paying cities in the UK, the initial salary ranges between £19,000 and £25,000. However, it strongly depends on your experience.

An experienced senior-level professional usually earns between £30,000 and £40,000. With substantial growth in your skills & avid expertise, you can increase your pay scale to £60,000 or more.

Factors That Influence Social Media Manager Salary

Certain specific parameters highly impact the average salary of social media managers; hence, it is inconsistent across the globe. Before calculating your compensation for the post, you should consider the following factors to get a rational justification.

1. Geographical Location

A social media manager salary is highly dependent on location. For example, according to Glassdoor data, the average base social media manager salary in Los Angeles is $56,557/year & social media manager salary in California is $65,598/year.

Usually, bigger cities such as New York, Chicago, San Francisco, or London have higher pay scales for this profession.

• Location indirectly implies the cost & standard of living. Highly populated large cities have a costly living standard. Hence, professional companies in urban areas & larger cities pay more than small cities, suburban or rural areas.

• Supply & demand also have a crucial role to play. If a geographical location demands social media managers, but experience outweighs the supply, employers tend to pay more to allure a skilled & professional workforce to their corporations.

2. Experience

Experience is always a significant factor in determining a job's payroll. Your salary increases depending on how many years you have spent in the social media industry. The more your experience is, the higher your expected compensation.

• So, if you have a higher degree & substantial years of experience in the industry, you can expect higher pay. Along with expertise, industry skills are reliable metrics to measure & compare a job title with another. Different companies segment the job titles, such as content manager, social media marketing manager, etc., based on skills & determine the pay scale in the umbrella term social media manager.

• Furthermore, in some cases, the same skill sets may apply to a wide variety of job roles, which are effectively available depending on the talent; in such scenarios, the company should consider the values of the skills while determining the compensation.

Image Source: Payscale

3. Employer

The salary of a social media manager depends on the company's size, years of business, employee numbers, company performance & how much the company generates revenue from marketing team efforts.

• When you drive successful sales to the company & contribute to the revenue growth, it helps to grow your pay scale.

• Also, when you get a good recommendation from your manager or any higher authority, along with enhancing the credibility of your work, it also ensures an appraisal enhancement.

4. Job Responsibilities

A social media manager's salary also depends on the job's responsibilities.

In an organization, sometimes social media managers have to actively play the role of strategist, marketing manager, copywriter, analyst, designer, or customer service representative.

• Employers often analyze your job responsibility before deciding the pay scale. Along with that, some employers also pay social media managers based on performance reports. The impression & reach your content creates, your response time, and how your content performs on social are all considered.

Image Source: Payscale

• Employers can track performance reports With social media marketing tools like Statusbrew. Statusbrew Team Engagement reports measure how you respond to customer queries from its Engage Inbox & Team Leaderboard report, allowing employers to analyze how the team handles customer queries across the brand.

5. Industry

Social media managers can work in different industries, such as media, IT, retail, hospitality, apparel, e-commerce, etc. Each of these industries has a different salary structure.

• Because despite having the same job title, some industries are critical to work & the responsibility is more complex than others.

• US media industry pays the highest to social media managers. In media, you are required to be alert 24/7 & each and every piece of information is needed to be factually correct & there is a high-risk factor in information dissemination. So you may find a discrepancy in the wages here.

How To Increase Social Media Manager Salary

The demand for a social media manager is increasing, with everyone, ranging from political parties and personnel to companies, brands, and nonprofit organizations, realizing social media's enormous power to promote them and their products and services.

This has hence become a demanding job description. Moreover, unlike any other job, in this job, each assignment is different from the previous one. And it would help if you approached each project and challenge from a different angle.

Now, while a social media manager gets paid upwards of $50,000 to $70,000 annually, like any other job, a social media manager needs to hold a certain amount of educational qualification and, more essentially, qualities that can keep you ahead in your game.

There is scope to consistently better yourself in your job and enhance your salary in the process. Below, we have discussed a few requirements and qualities social media managers are expected to hold, which can help to enrich your pay.

Qualification

While a social media manager is expected to hold graduation, people with specific expertise in journalism, public relations, communication, and business are given particular precedence.

Some social media managers also have a postgraduate degree in digital marketing.

Big brands and companies are most keen to employ individuals with specialized knowledge in this field; hence, it is always recommended to undergo an internship before starting a career in this field to understand the mechanism of the industry.

Up-to-date Industry Skills

Along with the educational qualification to succeed in this job, it is equally necessary to possess extensive industry skills. Social media is a very competitive and focused industry, which demands a social media manager to attain a specific goal within a given period and a given set of boundaries.

1. This means that a social media manager must present the desired image within a given time frame and a set number of characters. A social media manager must have excellent communication skills that adapt to the trending acronyms and terminology, allowing them to make a positive impression with minimum effort.

2. A social media manager must be proficient with good computing skills, familiar with and adept at dealing with presentations, spreadsheets, and managing emails. They should also have some design skills, allowing them to create engaging promotional content.

3. Social media is a rat race; whoever gets their job done at the earliest stays ahead of their competitors. Hence, a social media manager must make swift decisions while keeping the image and quality of the content at par. You can rely on social media management tools like Statusbrew to streamline your work quickly & in advance.

4. Likewise, a social media manager should be a person who can effectively manage their time while also being good at managing the available assets. They should be flexible in their workplaces, leading a team of marketers, essentially being a team player, while also being able to function effectively when left on their own.

Image Source: Payscale

Know more: How To Add Resume To LinkedIn [4 Methods + Bonus]

Creativity

An essential and valuable quality of a social media manager is creativity. You must develop new ways to present and market new products and services. All social media platforms offer marketers and users feature that allow them to make their posts attractive and exciting.

A social media manager must know how each of these features functions. They should know how to make the most of it and develop creative ideas to weave a brand & product story with the available social features to reach the targeted customers and followers effectively. As per your creativity, you have the potential for career growth.

Industry Thought Leader

All kinds of industries have a set of rules and features that govern the functioning of the said industry. Many regulations and features may be standard, while many may vary.

The social media industry is no different in this matter. It, too, has a set of rules and features that govern its functioning; essentially, characteristics and traits of customers and users, the kind of competition presented within the industry, the trending topics, etc.

A social media manager acquires knowledge of these rules and features governing the social media industry. They should be well aware of the analytics presented by the various platforms, acting upon which they can essentially increase the possibility of revenue collection.

Value Creation

Finally, value creation is essential in enhancing a social media manager's pay. You should know very well to assess what investments will, in turn, attract more revenue. Ensure to analyze & understand what values a customer wants in their product. Next, you should assess how to create a campaign that matches your customer's needs and provides a better product value.

As a social media manager, you should identify the segment of customers with whom you can create more value for the said product or service and invest more content in targeted customer segments. Keep in mind that the pricing of a product focus on building & content that can lead the followers to the sales funnel.

These qualities and qualifications will go a long way in creating a sustainable and effective social media manager. And development in these fields will effectively enhance your salary.

Let’s Wrap Up

With businesses shifting their market to social media platforms, the demand for social media managers has ever been increasing. But stepping into a profession or before hiring, understand & analyze the exact amount of social media manager salary. You can use the figures mentioned in this blog to negotiate your salary.

With Statusbrew, social media professionals & brands can streamline social workflows & ensure a smooth working process.

Statusbrew's publish feature allows you to schedule social media posts months in advance. The Engage inbox delivers all your conversations in a single inbox & the reports feature helps you analyze every nitty gritty detail of your social activities.

Save your time & energy and centralize your social media management efforts with Statusbrew. Book a trial today.

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