Learn how much you could as a social media marketer and how to improve your salary through education and experience level.
Are you considering exploring career opportunities in digital and social media marketing? It’s important to know your salary to make informed decisions regarding your path forward. Social media marketing salaries differ based on various factors, including what the role entails, the job’s location, the amount of experience required, and the industry you work in.
Social media marketing jobs are part of an expanding field based on the growing need for social media experts. However, every position may pay differently and have unique requirements depending on your educational background and skill set.
Explore this niche area of digital marketing, including the types of roles you might pursue and the average annual salary you can expect to earn for each.
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Social media marketing is a specific kind of marketing performed by a company to increase sales, engagement with the company’s products and website, and overall exposure. Companies enlist experts in social media to create content for their social media channels and engage with followers who ask questions or leave comments on their posts. Brands also use social media marketing to generate advertisements that social media users will see and click on, leading to more sales.
The primary role of a social media marketing professional is to grow a company's social media presence and analyze data to improve posts' performance. In this field, you will likely work with other people within the digital marketing team to achieve overarching business goals regarding increasing brand awareness and follower or customer engagement.
Read more: What Is a Social Media Marketer? And How to Become One
The following table compares salary data for different social media marketing jobs. Explore the salaries of each role and the top-paying companies for each position.
Role | Salary | What they do | Top-paying companies |
---|---|---|---|
Social media specialist | $53,006 | Collaborate across the entire marketing team to execute marketing plans and strategies through online content | Meta, Google, Accenture, Verizon, Thermo Fisher Scientific, |
Social media strategist | $63,883 | Implement marketing strategies through online campaigns, stay abreast of emerging trends, and create content to engage with the audience | Khoros, IBM, SOCi, SelfEmployed.com, Buzzfeed |
Digital marketer | $68,850 | Assist in building brand awareness for companies online in the digital sphere, aiding in content creation and managing a brand’s digital presence and relationships | Google, Freelancer, Ironpaper, SelfEmployed.com, Ramsey |
Social media analyst | $52,806 | Analyze data from social media campaigns and digital marketing strategies | Accenture, Cognizant Technology Solutions, Social Intelligence, Genpact, Click Here Digital |
Social media manager | $55,724 | Create/schedule content for a company and engages with its social media audience | Meta, Wish, Microsoft, Cisco, Apple |
*All annual base salary data sourced from Glassdoor as of December 2024; it does not include additional pay, such as commission and benefits.
Social media marketing job salaries vary widely according to many factors, including education, experience levels, location, and the industry in which you work. Get more details about each below.
Social media marketing positions require different levels of education. According to Zippia, 79 percent of social media specialists have a bachelor’s degree, typically in business, communication, public relations, or marketing [1]. Additionally, 9 percent have an associate degree, and 7 percent have a master’s degree.
After graduating with a degree in social media marketing or a related major, you can pursue multiple roles relating to your major. These jobs may range from social media management to data analytics. It depends on your strengths, skills, and the role you find exciting and desirable.
Salaries differ based on years of experience when entering a new job position. Typically, the more experience you have, the more desirable employers see you as a candidate. Often, it will also lead to you earning a higher yearly salary. According to Zippia, the following is a breakdown of annual social media manager salaries based on level of experience [2]:
Entry-level (0 to 1 years of experience): $50,000
Mid-level (3 to 6 years of experience): $55,729
Senior-level (7 to 12 years of experience): $126,777
Location is another factor that impacts your annual earnings. Discover the highest-paying cities for a social media specialist, according to Zippia [3]:
Washington, DC: $64,105
San Francisco, CA: $97,312
New York, NY: $78,188
Arlington, VA: $60,448
Seattle, WA: $89,784
Salt Lake City, UT: $75,350
Columbus, OH: $65,874
Portland, OR: $86,303
Las Vegas, NV: $86,002
Phoenix, AZ: $78,422
The industry you work in may impact the salary you earn in social media marketing. For example, Zippia reports that a social media specialist working in real estate makes an average salary of $52,371 per year compared to someone in retail who makes approximately $50,570 per year [3].
Salaries vary by industry and role as well. For example, social media managers working in technology earn an average salary of $82,546 per year while those who work in finance earn approximately $74,173 [2].
In addition to earning money from a social media marketing position, you or your company may also earn money from posting on social media channels. The following are ways you can earn more from social media marketing:
Sponsored posts: When your company or individual account collaborates with a brand that pays a commission for a post, you can earn more from the brand deal and the post's performance. You may receive a flat fee for the initial post and later earn a percentage based on the number of followers who click on the attached link.
Join monetization programs: Social media channels have monetization programs that allow you to run ads and earn money from your posts. These include but are not limited to the TikTok Creator Fund, the YouTube Partner Program, and Instagram Subscriptions. When you enroll in these programs, you have the opportunity to earn more money from social media content creation and marketing for either your own brand or a company’s brand.
Work with social media influencers and creators: Social media influencers and content creators have large, specific followings that help you reach a larger audience with your posts. Reach out to a social media influencer with your company’s product or service in exchange for a social media collaboration, where they will share your company’s product with their following. This allows you and the influencer to gain exposure and engagement, earning more money from social media marketing.
As social media usage by companies and individual users continues to rise, the demand for professional social media marketers will also increase. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that media and communication jobs will grow at a faster-than-average pace between 2023 and 2033, with approximately 109,500 job openings yearly [4]. However, advertising, promotions, and marketing manager roles have an even stronger projected growth rate of 8 percent during the same period [5].
The annual average social media marketing salary varies depending on the specific role within the industry, your completed level of education, experience, and location. With the use of technology and social media in the workspace on the rise, the potential to boost your yearly earnings through a social media career is likely.
Continue building upon your digital and social media skills on Coursera. For example, you can learn how to analyze data and use it to improve your social media presence through the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate or get job-ready by learning how to implement ads and navigate Facebook and Instagram with the Meta Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate.
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Zippia, “Best Colleges and Majors for Social Media Specialists, https://www.zippia.com/social-media-specialist-jobs/education/.” Accessed January 24, 2025.
Zippia, “Social Media Manager Salary, https://www.zippia.com/social-media-manager-jobs/salary/.” Accessed January 24, 2025.
Zippia, “Social Media Specialist Salary, https://www.zippia.com/social-media-specialist-jobs/salary/.” Accessed January 24, 2025.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Media and Communication Occupations, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/home.htm.” Accessed January 24, 2025.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers: Job Outlook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/advertising-promotions-and-marketing-managers.htm#tab-6.”Accessed January 24, 2025.
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