Social Media Jobs: 6 Roles to Explore

Working in social media typically requires a combination of creativity, communication, strategy, and analysis.

Social media is an area of marketing that continues to grow thanks to the amount of online activity. In 2023, India had an estimated 1.2 billion people online, while globally, 4.89 billion people use social media [1,2].  

Whether you’re interested in finding an entry-level social media job or advancing your social media career, you can explore several roles. Social media can also help you develop versatile skills to apply to other aspects of marketing, such as digital marketing, as well as related careers in communications and public relations.   

Entry-level social media jobs

Beginning a career in social media means creating content and contributing to campaigns to help a company stand out on various platforms. It also requires knowledge of the major social media platforms (and familiarity with emerging platforms) and their users, as well as what type of content works best for each. 

1. Social media specialist

Sometimes called a social media marketing assistant or coordinator, a social media specialist typically helps a social media team create, schedule, and post content (written posts, images, graphics, and video). In this role, you may also analyse posts for effectiveness and engagement and monitor channels.  

• Average annual base salary: ₹3,15,000 [3]

• Required skills may include: Copywriting, graphic design, video production, knowledge of social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.), and social media scheduling and monitoring tools (Hootsuite, Sprinklr, Talkwalker, Mention, Tweetdeck)  

2. Social media analyst

Marketers rely on research to help them determine what customers want, need, and think—and social media delivers that data in droves. Social media analysts pore over an organisation’s social media posts and metrics, gathering information about likes, shares, and click-through rates. They develop recommendations to help improve a company’s marketing and business strategies on social media. 

• Average annual base salary: ₹4,63,000 [4] 

• Skills: Knowledge of trends, audiences, engagement tactics, and SEO; proficiency in media monitoring tools (Sprinklr, Khoros, Meltwater) 

3. Marketing communications associate

Sometimes called a marketing communications specialist, a marketing communications associate typically supports a marketing team’s communication and content efforts across multiple channels. Their work typically involves a lot of writing applied to social media, emails, websites, or blogs. They may also assist more senior members of the team. 

• Average annual base salary: ₹5,34,122 [5]

• Skills: Writing and editing; generating ideas and content; knowledge of content management systems, customer relationship management (CRM), and SEO; understanding of social media monitoring and listening tools  

Advanced social media jobs

Advancing in your social media career means taking on more managerial-level roles. In these cases, you’ll likely be doing less content creation and more content oversight, managing junior social media marketing team members, approving their posts, developing campaign strategies, and ensuring everything runs smoothly. 

1. Social media manager

Social media managers are primarily responsible for executing their team’s social strategy and managing all channels. They may also contribute research to campaign development, ensure all content aligns with a company’s brand identity, identify ways to increase engagement and drive traffic, and monitor channels for important results.  

• Experience: 1–3 years

• Average annual base salary: ₹3,87,996 [6]

• Skills: Advanced knowledge of all social media platforms and significant listening tools, writing and editing, content strategy, attention to detail, management, and analytics reporting 

Paid social media is a growing area focusing on developing specific advertising campaigns or sponsored messaging for social platforms. Salaries for paid social media managers tend to be higher. The average Indian base salary for a paid social media manager is ₹4,20,000 annually, according to Glassdoor [7].

2. Community manager

Developing engaged and respectful communities is a vital part of social media marketing. A savvy community manager must ensure followers feel connected to a company and vice versa. Community managers spend their time on a company’s channels, listening to what community members say, responding directly when necessary, and fostering customer relationships where possible. 

• Experience: 1–3 years 

• Average annual base salary: ₹6,33,070 [8] 

• Skills: CRM, active listening and empathy, content development, writing and editing, proficiency in all social media platforms, and knowledge of social media listening tools  

3. Social media consultant

A social media consultant is a freelance or contractual role that handles many of the same responsibilities as a social media analyst or strategist. They are savvy social media marketers who can jump in and help companies improve their social presence through various strategic recommendations.  

• Experience: 1-3 years 

• Average annual base salary: ₹5,40,283 [9]  

• Skills: Social and audience strategy, proficiency in all social media platforms, and in-depth knowledge of social media listening tools 

As you grow, you can also look for roles like brand manager, digital content manager, and audience engagement manager. The skills you’ve developed while working directly in social media should prepare you to take on the responsibilities of other marketing jobs.

Social media jobs outlook

Experts project social media users will increase to more than four billion worldwide by 2025, making social media a potentially high-growth career [2]. The demand for social media skills has only increased in recent years. Social media in India continues to grow rapidly, with experts anticipating it will surpass the one billion user mark by 2025, with a quarter of global social media users coming from India by 2026 [10]. 

Nearly all companies, organisations, and entities have a social media presence to communicate directly with consumers. It makes working in social media a versatile career choice. You can find opportunities at agencies where you’re responsible for handling multiple brands, going brand-side and working in-house for a specific company, or working as a consultant for an organisation that interests you. 

Get started in social media

If you’re interested in beginning or pivoting to a career in social media, learn about industry-specific practices. Consider Meta's Professional Certificates in social media marketing and social media management. You’ll learn how to establish an online presence and manage social accounts, among other skills.