Social media specialists design and manage content for social media channels. Discover how much you can earn in this role based on factors such as experience, education, and location.
Social media specialists communicate a company’s messaging and interact with consumers via social media platforms such as Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok. Social media specialists can work in various industries because creating, uploading, and managing content benefits any company.
The number of social media users grows as more individuals begin to use it. According to Statista, the United States will reach about 326.75 million social media users by 2029, an 8.61 percent increase compared to the 300.86 million users in 2024 [1].
Explore how much you can earn as a social media specialist based on your professional experience, education attained, and the geographic location in which you work.
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Launch your career as a Social Media Marketer. Build job-ready skills – and must-have AI skills – for an in-demand career. Earn a credential from Meta 5 months or less. No degree or prior experience required.
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Social Media Marketing, Generative AI in Social Media Marketing, Brand Management, Content Marketing, Digital Marketing, Performance Advertising, Social Media Marketing Strategy, Marketing, Campaign Management, Ad Management, Meta advertising, Meta Ads Manager, Marketing Content Development, content management, Content Development, Communication, Marketing Strategy, Ads Manager, Marketing Optimization, Digital Analytics
A social media specialist collaborates with a company’s marketing team to create new social media content. Your responsibilities include communicating a company’s brand message, planning future content, analyzing your posts’ performance, and responding to customers’ direct messages and comments.
When working in social media marketing, you need to know how different social media channels work and stay updated on relevant trends your company can join. You should have creative and communication skills since you’ll work alongside marketing personnel to execute your content strategies.
The average annual salary of a social media specialist ranges from $51,000 to $55,000, according to data aggregated from multiple job sites. Factors such as professional experience, industry, or additional pay sources, like bonuses or commissions, will affect your earnings.
Learn the average annual salary for a social media specialist, according to data from Glassdoor, Payscale, Indeed, and Zippia [2, 3, 4, 5]:
Glassdoor | Payscale | Indeed | Zippia |
---|---|---|---|
$52,969 | $51,466 | $54,341 | $51,584 |
Various factors may affect your salary as a social media specialist, including your professional experience, highest completed education level, and geographic location.
If you want to earn a higher salary in your social media career, consider returning to school or starting a portfolio of work samples. Update it over time to reflect how your skills have grown.
Your degree may affect your salary as a social media specialist. Zippia reports that among social media specialists, 9 percent have an associate’s degree, and 7 percent have a master’s degree. The most popular degree choice for this profession is a bachelor’s degree, with 79 percent of social media specialists holding one. This subgroup earns about $51,996 annually. In comparison, social media specialists earning their master’s earn about $54,915 [6].
As a social media specialist, more professional experience typically equates to a higher average salary. You can accumulate experience by beginning an entry-level role, developing your skills, and building up your portfolio so you can apply to higher-paying positions.
Explore the base pay you may earn as a social media specialist based on salaries from Glassdoor [2]:
0–1 years of experience: $49,849
1–3 years: $52,350
4–6 years: $53,891
7–9 years: $55,478
10–14 years: $60,462
15+ years: $72,955
The industry you work in as a social media specialist and the amount of work you will have may also affect your annual earnings. For example, Glassdoor reports that a social media specialist in the telecommunications industry makes a median salary of $58,510 annually, whereas one in pharmaceutical and biotechnology makes $76,772 [2].
The highest-paying industries for social media specialists, according to Glassdoor, are [2]:
Pharmaceutical and biotechnology: $76,772
Manufacturing: $68,369
Financial services: $61,954
Health care: $58,573
Telecommunications: $58,510
Where you work may impact your earnings as a social media specialist. Typically, professionals who work in more populated or urban areas earn higher wages. The cost of living or labor in a given location will also influence your salary.
Discover the highest-paying cities in the United States for a social media specialist, according to data from Indeed in 2024 [4]:
San Francisco, CA: $98,034
Seattle, WA: $74,696
Chicago, IL: $62,727
Atlanta, GA: $53,166
Portland, OR: $58,737
As a social media specialist, your skills may impact your earnings. Social media specialists typically need to have experience with search engine optimization, as many marketing campaigns rely on keyword research to improve traffic to a company’s website. Additionally, you must be a skilled writer and editor, ensuring that the content you deliver meets a client’s standards and is error-free.
According to Payscale, social media specialist salaries vary based on your skills in the following ways [3]:
Social media optimization: $53,111
Content management: $51,325
Social media marketing: $51,189
Marketing communications: $50,790
Copywriting: $50,520
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the job outlook for advertising, promotions, and marketing managers will grow 8 percent between 2023 and 2033. This estimate exceeds the projected average growth rate for all other roles [7]. It also predicts that an average of 36,600 job openings are expected each year in the same time period [7].
You may explore non-degree options to become a social media specialist and stand out to potential employers with a Professional Certificate or certification.
Popular certifications and certificates for social media professionals may include:
Social Media Strategist Certificate: This certificate program is a multiple-choice exam offered by the National Institute for Social Media designed to build your social media and marketing skills to improve social media strategies for companies and brands.
Certified Digital Marketing Professional: You may become a certified marketing professional with this certification from the American Marketing Association and Digital Marketing Insitute. With this dual certification, you may build your skills in topics including social media marketing, email marketing, and digital marketing strategy.
Hootsuite Academy Social Marketing Certification: Hootsuite Academy offers this social media marketing course designed to help you increase your social media performance and grow your audience. You’ll need to complete a 60-question exam to prove your knowledge of social media marketing and earn this credential.
Social media specialists create social media content that conveys a company’s brand voice and messaging, using current trends and creative strategies. You may increase your earning potential if you have a relevant educational background in a field like marketing or communications and ample professional experience.
Begin your educational journey toward becoming a social media specialist by pursuing the University of London’s BSc Marketing on Coursera. You may also enhance your social media marketing skills and prepare for your next role by exploring the Meta Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate.
professional certificate
Launch your career as a Social Media Marketer. Build job-ready skills – and must-have AI skills – for an in-demand career. Earn a credential from Meta 5 months or less. No degree or prior experience required.
4.8
(19,200 ratings)
458,966 already enrolled
Beginner level
Average time: 5 month(s)
Learn at your own pace
Skills you'll build:
Social Media Marketing, Generative AI in Social Media Marketing, Brand Management, Content Marketing, Digital Marketing, Performance Advertising, Social Media Marketing Strategy, Marketing, Campaign Management, Ad Management, Meta advertising, Meta Ads Manager, Marketing Content Development, content management, Content Development, Communication, Marketing Strategy, Ads Manager, Marketing Optimization, Digital Analytics
Statista. “US.: Social Media Users 2020-2029, https://www.statista.com/statistics/278409/number-of-social-network-users-in-the-united-states/.” Accessed December 3, 2024.
Glassdoor. “Salary: Social Media Specialist, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/social-media-specialist-salary-SRCH_KO0,23.htm.” Accessed December 3, 2024.
Payscale. “Average Social Media Specialist Salary, https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Social_Media_Specialist/Salary.” Accessed December 3, 2024.
Indeed. “Social Media Specialist Salary in United States, https://www.indeed.com/career/social-media-specialist/salaries.” Accessed December 3, 2024.
Zippia. “Social Media Specialist Salary, https://www.zippia.com/salaries/social-media-specialist/.” Accessed December 3, 2024.
Zippia. “Social Media Specialist Education Requirements, https://www.zippia.com/social-media-specialist-jobs/education/.” Accessed December 3, 2024.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/advertising-promotions-and-marketing-managers.htm#tab-6.” Accessed December 3, 2024.
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