Social media is undeniably one of the most popular marketing channels brands and businesses use today. Whether you’re already in this fast-growing industry or contemplating becoming a social media manager, you might have wondered what the average social media manager salary is.
In this article, we’ll take a close look at the industry to see what social media managers earn in different regions of the U.S., as well as in different countries around the world. We’ll also compare salaries depending on years of experience and specific industries.
Want to jump to a specific section? You can use this table of contents.
- What does a social media manager do? A brief overview
- What is the average social media manager salary in the United States?
- The average social media manager salary broken down by state
- What is the average social media manager salary in different countries?
- What is the average social media manager salary across different industries?
- How does a social media manager’s salary vary depending on years of experience?
- How does the social media manager salary compare to other marketing job titles?
- Key takeaways and further reading
Before we begin, let’s remind ourselves what a social media manager does and what skills you need to have to land this gig.
1. What does a social media manager actually do? A brief overview
Social media managers handle social media marketing for brands and businesses. The exact role of the social media manager depends on the type of company they work for, and how big the team is. In a smaller company, the social media manager may take care of social media strategy and directly implement it themselves. In a bigger company with a dedicated social media team, they may oversee the entire department, working with junior colleagues who interact directly on social media platforms.
Generally, the social media manager develops and executes marketing strategies. These are aimed at increasing brand awareness, growing a following, and eventually generating sales for the company across several platforms. Depending on the brand type, they may focus on social networks like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest, among others.
The social media manager keeps their eye on industry trends, experiments with strategies, and monitors and analyzes engagement and overall results.They also liaise with other departments such as content marketing, sales, designers, and PR. Social media managers need a variety of skills, from copywriting to social media savvy and analytics.
Learn more: A guide to social media manager job descriptions (and what they really mean).
Now, let’s see what the data says about social media manager salaries in the U.S.
2. What is the average social media manager salary in the United States?
Although pay can vary widely depending on where you live in the U.S. and your level of experience, it’s totally possible to make a decent living as a social media manager. Here are some average annual salaries for social media managers based on our research:
These come to an average social media manager salary of $54,874, which is not a bad start at all! You may be able to earn more depending on where you live in the U.S. Let’s see how different regions fare in terms of pay.
3. Social media manager salary by region
The regional cost of living has a big impact on expected salaries throughout the U.S. In more expensive cities like New York, San Francisco, and Honolulu, you can expect to earn more as a social media manager.
We selected four cities from each of the five major U.S. regions to investigate, and you can find the average social media manager salaries for each of them below:.
Social media manager salaries in the northeast
- New York City, NY: $61,788 (Glassdoor)
- Boston, MA: $56,780 (Glassdoor)
- Providence, RI: $51,057 (Salary.com)
- Portland, ME: $50,000 (Payscale)
Social media manager salaries in the southeast
- Savannah, GA: $55,960 (Glassdoor)
- Washington, DC: $69,167 (Indeed)
- Miami, FL: $53,591 (Glassdoor)
- Richmond, VA: $51,669 (Glassdoor)
Social media manager salaries in the southwest
- Phoenix, AZ: $55,460 (Glassdoor)
- Austin, TX: $57,162 (Glassdoor)
- Colorado Springs, CO: $57,000 (Built in Colorado)
- Los Angeles, CA: $61,273 (Glassdoor)
Social media manager salaries in the northwest
- Seattle, WA: $66,384 (Payscale)
- Portland, OR: $50,098 (Glassdoor)
- Salt Lake City, UT: $58,043 (Indeed)
- Boise, ID: $54,698 (Glassdoor)
Social media manager salaries in the midwest:
- Chicago, IL: $57,127 (Glassdoor)
- Wichita, KS: $55,516 (Indeed)
- Omaha, NE: $58,395 (Indeed)
- Minneapolis, MN: $58,007 (Glassdoor)
4. Social media manager salaries around the world
Now let’s consider the average social media salary in different locations around the world.
United Kingdom
The average salary for a social media manager in London, UK is £40,621 with pay ranging from £27,000 to £62,000, according to Glassdoor.
Canada
The average salary for a social media manager in Canada is $48,532 (CAD) with pay ranging from $35,000 to $67,000, according to Payscale.
Australia
The average salary for a social media manager in Australia is $90,000 (AUD) with pay ranging from $77,000 (AUD) to $120,000 (AUD), according to Talent.com.
Germany
The average salary for a social media manager in Germany is €35,590 with pay ranging from €20,000 to €56,000, according to Payscale.
France
The average salary for a social media manager in France is €39,240 with pay ranging from €30,000 to €54,000 according to Glassdoor.
5. Social media manager salaries in different industries
The average social media manager salary doesn’t just vary based on your geographic location, but also your specific industry. Some industries have a greater marketing budget than others and so might lend themselves better to social media marketing. Here are some estimated average social media manager salaries across industries, as sourced from Zippia:
- Technology: $82,546
- Finance: $74,173
- Professional: $71,455
- Internet: $71,000
- Media: $70,960
6. The average social media manager salary based on years of experience
Entry level social media manager jobs, like all entry level positions, pay less than more senior roles. Hopefully, the figures we’ve gathered here will help give you an idea of what to expect from the job market based on your years of experience.
Entry level social media manager salary:
Mid-level:
Senior social media manager salary:
7. What are some other marketing titles and their salaries?
Not sure that the social media manager role is right for you? If you’d still like to remain in the realm of digital marketing, check out what some other digital marketing positions pay.
- SEO manager: $86,499
- Performance marketing manager: $129,161
- Email marketing manager: $84,241
- Social media manager: $54,368
- Content marketing manager: $76,563
- Paid search manager: $89,198
You can learn more about some of the top jobs in digital marketing in this round-up.
8. Key takeaways and further reading
We all need to pay the bills. So, while exploring your job options, it’s crucial to research salaries, taking into consideration geography and work experience. If you live in the U.S., keep in mind that cities with a higher cost of living will likely offer higher paying jobs—although it will cost more to live there.
As you review our guide with estimates from various cities and countries, also remember that these are broad estimates to keep you in the loop of industry expectations. You can always negotiate higher pay and boost your social media marketing skills to bring more value to your job. If you’re reviewing salaries in preparation for an interview, be sure to check out this guide to the most common social media manager interview questions (and how to answer them).
New to social media and digital marketing in general? If you’re interested in how to get into the field, check out this free, 5-day short course. It’ll show you the basics of the tools, skills, and processes used in the field, without having to commit to a full course.
Still curious about salaries in digital marketing? Check out the following: