What Does a Social Media Manager Do?
A social media manager runs a brand's accounts on platforms such as Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and TikTok day to day: planning the content calendar, writing captions, briefing designers, approving posts, and answering the comments and direct messages that follow. When a post draws complaints or a customer issue goes public, they are usually the first to see it and the one who decides whether to reply, hide or escalate. Compared with other marketing roles, the work is public, constant and closely tied to the brand's voice.
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Business Development Specialist, Communications Specialist, Demographic Analyst, Market Analyst, Market Research Analyst, Market Research Consultant, Market Research Specialist, Market Researcher.
Social Media Manager Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a social media manager include:
- Plan a weekly or monthly content calendar for each platform, mapping posts to product launches, events and seasonal moments.
- Write captions, short video scripts and replies in the brand's voice, adjusting tone between LinkedIn and TikTok.
- Create quick graphics and video edits in Canva or Adobe Photoshop, and brief designers or videographers on larger shoots.
- Schedule and publish posts, then watch the comments closely in the first hours after something goes live.
- Answer comments, direct messages and mentions, routing billing problems, product defects and press inquiries to the right team.
- Set up and monitor paid social campaigns, including audience targeting, budgets and creative testing.
- Report monthly on reach, engagement, follower growth, link clicks and website traffic using platform insights and Google Analytics.
- Vet and manage creator and influencer partnerships, including contracts, content approvals and disclosure of paid posts.
- Keep a written escalation plan for negative viral moments and work through it with communications and legal staff when one happens.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a social media manager, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Writing short, specific copy quickly and cutting it to fit each platform's format
- Hands-on content production in Canva, Adobe Photoshop and mobile video editing apps
- Familiarity with the ad managers and analytics dashboards built into each major platform
- Reading Google Analytics referral data to show which posts actually send people to the website
- Knowledge of the rules for disclosing paid partnerships and sponsored posts
- Thick skin and steady judgment when replying to angry customers in public, where every reply can be screenshotted
- Organized handoffs with designers, product managers and legal reviewers so posts go out on schedule
- Close awareness of platform trends and algorithm changes, picked up from using the apps every day
Education and Training
Most social media managers have a bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, journalism or public relations. Across the broader marketing specialist occupation, a little under 6 in 10 workers report a bachelor's degree and about 4 in 10 a master's. Many people reach the manager title after time as a coordinator or specialist, or after running accounts for a small business, nonprofit or student group. A portfolio of accounts you have grown, with screenshots of posts and the results behind them, usually matters more than coursework. Short courses from the major platforms on paid advertising are useful, and no license is required.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $58,350 - $108,310 per year, with a median of $78,760.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists.
Social Media Managers are in strong demand as companies recognize the critical role that social platforms play in brand building, customer engagement, and revenue generation. The emergence of new platforms and formats such as short-form video and social commerce continues to expand the scope of this role. Professionals who can demonstrate measurable business impact from social media activities and who stay ahead of platform trends will have excellent career prospects. Advancement opportunities include director of social media, head of digital marketing, or broader marketing leadership roles.
Social Media Manager Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $43,390 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $58,350 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $78,760 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $108,310 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $155,480 |
Highest-Paying States for Social Media Managers
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are Massachusetts ($101,810), Delaware ($101,270), New York ($98,580), District of Columbia ($98,090), Washington ($95,120). Pay is lowest in Hawaii ($59,390), Mississippi ($56,640), West Virginia ($52,340).
Median pay in all 51 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $59,530 |
| Alaska | $66,710 |
| Arizona | $71,940 |
| Arkansas | $65,430 |
| California | $94,700 |
| Colorado | $93,050 |
| Connecticut | $77,740 |
| Delaware | $101,270 |
| District of Columbia | $98,090 |
| Florida | $75,450 |
| Georgia | $75,850 |
| Hawaii | $59,390 |
| Idaho | $60,970 |
| Illinois | $79,120 |
| Indiana | $63,700 |
| Iowa | $66,390 |
| Kansas | $70,430 |
| Kentucky | $61,480 |
| Louisiana | $59,690 |
| Maine | $71,980 |
| Maryland | $76,370 |
| Massachusetts | $101,810 |
| Michigan | $66,780 |
| Minnesota | $87,510 |
| Mississippi | $56,640 |
| Missouri | $70,140 |
| Montana | $68,080 |
| Nebraska | $60,000 |
| Nevada | $71,840 |
| New Hampshire | $64,570 |
| New Jersey | $88,190 |
| New Mexico | $61,950 |
| New York | $98,580 |
| North Carolina | $78,410 |
| North Dakota | $61,580 |
| Ohio | $72,790 |
| Oklahoma | $61,940 |
| Oregon | $79,150 |
| Pennsylvania | $68,760 |
| Rhode Island | $86,240 |
| South Carolina | $69,440 |
| South Dakota | $63,490 |
| Tennessee | $69,790 |
| Texas | $72,520 |
| Utah | $62,630 |
| Vermont | $74,880 |
| Virginia | $76,980 |
| Washington | $95,120 |
| West Virginia | $52,340 |
| Wisconsin | $64,800 |
| Wyoming | $60,990 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as market research analysts and marketing specialists about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 100% spend more than half the workday sitting
- 100% use email every day
- 91% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 78% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 70% are on the phone every day
- 70% usually work more than 40 hours a week
- 61% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 57% |
| Master's degree | 39% |
Tools and Software Social Media Managers Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy leading, persuading and making business decisions as well as organized work with data, records and clear procedures.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Reading Comprehension, Writing, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Speaking, Complex Problem Solving.
Knowledge areas used most: English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Sales and Marketing, Mathematics, Administration and Management.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 4 of 5, which means considerable preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 13-1161.00 (Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.