7 social media job roles and how much they pay

Social media has evolved and created new ways for companies to communicate with their audiences and customers. Naturally, new roles have emerged to support these channels. But it's not always clear what responsibilities are expected of these jobs or what you can expect to earn if you pursue one.

In this listicle, we’ll distinguish social media managers from creators, and strategists from analysts, outlining what they get up to at work and how much they can expect to earn in the US.

Here are the seven most popular social media roles.

A social media manager shapes a brand's online persona across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. They're the voice and driving force of the brand online. This role involves a mix of creativity and strategy to interact with audiences and grow the brand’s presence.

They earn an average of $59,000 per year, with salaries ranging widely from $41,000 to $74,000, depending on their experience and location. In major cities or for top brands, they can earn more, up to $100,000 in places like San Francisco.

Develop and deploy content: Social media managers craft and distribute content that reflects the brand’s voice across different social media accounts.
Assess data insights: They evaluate metrics to refine strategies and increase audience retention.
Track industry trends: Keeping tabs on the latest trends is crucial to producing appealing and topical content.
Liaise with other departments: Together with the sales and marketing departments, they collaborate to align social media initiatives with company goals. The social media manager should ensure their activities contribute to overall business objectives, whether that’s boosting brand awareness, driving sign-ups, or helping maintain the brand’s persona in public.
Get involved with the community: Managing user-generated content to build community and improve brand loyalty.
Handle feedback: Often social media managers must monitor and respond to user comments, queries, and feedback to provide customer service and bolster engagement.
Lead social media teams: Overseeing a team of content creators and marketers, providing guidance, and setting goals.

Why are they needed? Social media managers have a direct impact on how consumers perceive the brand. They can convert casual browsers into committed customers. With their finger on the pulse of social trends, they keep the brand relevant and engaging and can help foster customer loyalty. Good social media managers are skilled in making the brand stand out in a congested market.

Various people work on laptops and smart phones in social media roles at the same desk.

A social media specialist manages a brand's online presence by creating posts, scheduling content, analyzing results, and executing campaigns. Their main responsibility is to create interesting and engaging material that appeals to viewers while supporting marketing objectives.

The average salary for a social media specialist in the United States in 2024 is around $52,000 per year. Salaries can range from $38,000 to $68,000.

Create and schedule content: Social media specialists design and plan the release of digital content across platforms.
Analyze campaign results: They track the performance of social media initiatives to determine effectiveness and areas for improvement.
Execute marketing campaigns: Specialists are often in charge of rolling out the social media arm of digital campaigns, aiding the promotional efforts of the larger marketing team.
Collaborate with teams: To ensure the brand’s social media activities align with the marketing team and even corporate objectives, they frequently collaborate with other teams like marketing and creative, as well as product and customer support for a well-rounded approach.
Monitor trends: Staying up-to-date with the latest social media trends is crucial to keep content fresh and engaging.
Customer interaction: Responding to comments and messages to foster a community and support customer service efforts.

Why are they needed? Social media specialists are essential for firms looking to maintain a strong online presence. They verify that materials are unique, current, and aligned with the overall marketing strategy.

Their ability to interact with clients and analyze conversations enables them to adjust their social media strategy to fit the needs of their target audience. This leads to increased brand visibility and customer loyalty.

A social media analyst supervises and refines social media campaigns. They use data to spot trends, measure impact, and find ways to improve results.

The average salary for a social media analyst in the U.S. in 2024 is about $56,000. Salaries range from $40,000 to $67,000 per annum.

Analyze campaign data: They identify trends and patterns with the help of tools like social listening tools to optimize strategies.
Monitor social media platforms: Analysts track updates and features to see how they affect user behavior and content performance.
Develop performance reports: They create detailed reports that highlight high-performing social media campaigns as well as the successes and areas for improvement of social media campaigns.
Guide content strategy adjustments: Based on data insights, they recommend changes to content strategies to boost reach and effectiveness.

Why are they needed? Social media analysts are indispensable for interpreting complex data from marketing campaigns. They provide the insights needed to make informed decisions, which helps brands tailor their social media strategies. Their work enables data-driven social media initiatives aligned with the company's objectives.

A social media content developer creates interesting content across various social media platforms. Writing articles, making graphics, and making videos all fall under this category. Their content must educate, inform, or entertain in a meaningful way that preserves the brand's voice and contributes to the marketing strategy.

The average salary for social media content creators in the United States in 2024 is around $55,000 per year. However, this can range from $37,000 to $67,000.

Develop multimedia content: Content creators produce a variety of materials such as videos, images, and text posts.
Engage with followers: They interact with the audience to cultivate attract, educate, entertain, or simply interact with the community.
Monitor trends: Staying current with trends helps make content relevant and appealing.
Optimize content for each platform: They tailor posts specifically for each social channel to maximize reach and drive conversions.
Analyze performance metrics: Content creators use data to see what works and refine future content strategies accordingly.

Why are they needed? Brands need skilled content creators to help them connect with their audiences through social media. Creators contribute to an active and appealing online presence, aiding brand visibility and audience retention.

Their ability to create captivating content directly impacts the brand's capacity to attract new followers and keep the existing ones engaged.

Need help managing social media? Read our guide to social media packages and picking the right one for you.

Influencer records video for social media.

Influencer marketing strategist

An influencer marketing strategist develops and manages relationships with influencers to enhance brand promotion. This role involves planning and executing strategies that effectively utilize influencers to reach target audiences and amplify marketing messages.

Influencer marketing strategist salary

The average salary for an influencer marketing strategist in the United States is around $84,000 per year, with a range typically between $63,000 and $116,000.

Influencer marketing strategist responsibilities

Develop marketing strategies: They craft and implement plans that use influencers to promote brands. They must research relevant influencers effective in leading opinion and encouraging people to purchase.
Manage campaigns: This includes overseeing budgets, timelines, and influencer activities.
Analyze effectiveness: To ensure your team is selecting the right influencers, strategists must evaluate the results of your influencer campaigns in terms of meaningful metrics to your business. Did the influencer boost brand awareness or drive sales? If so, it would be worth working with them in the future.
Create client reports: They compile data into insightful presentations for key stakeholders.
Keep up with trends: Staying informed about social media and influencer trends is crucial.

Why are they needed? If you’re looking to benefit from an influencer’s reach and popularity, you may need an influencer marketing strategist in your marketing team.

Conducting effective research and building rapport with the key figures influencing your audience are skills crucial to succeed in this marketing channel. And getting your brand name in front of potential customers could offer the brand exposure your business needs to increase sales.

Discover how social media can facilitate lead prospecting

Community manager

Community managers create and interact with the brand’s online community via social media, forums, and blogs. Their primary task is to maintain a positive environment, encourage interaction among community members, and make sure the brand's message resonates well with its audience.

Community manager salary

In 2024, the average salary for a community manager is about $64,000, and ranges from $45,000 to $75,000.

Community manager responsibilities

Nurture engagement: They stay connected with the people in the community to promote involvement.
Content management: Community managers create and moderate content to guarantee it follows the brand’s voice and community standards.
Feedback loop: They gather and report community feedback to relevant company departments to help improve products and services.
Crisis management: They handle online crises or negative feedback in a way that protects the brand's reputation.
Strategy development: Community managers also contribute to the strategic planning of marketing and communication efforts.

Why are they needed? Community managers play a vital role in bridging the gap between a brand and its followers. They improve the client experience and satisfaction by providing ongoing engagement and assistance.

Effective community management contributes to the development of a strong, loyal consumer base and has a substantial impact on a brand's public perception and success.

People use social media management tools at a desk.

A social media coordinator manages a brand's presence across social media platforms. This role involves crafting and posting content, engaging with followers, and analyzing social media performance to refine marketing strategies.

In 2024, the average salary for a social media coordinator in the U.S. is approximately $45,000 and ranges from $37,000 to $60,000.

Plan and execute social media strategy: Coordinators develop strategies that utilize various social media platforms to increase brand visibility and engagement.
Content creation and scheduling: They produce and schedule posts, manage content calendars, and verify that all published content aligns with the brand’s voice and goals.
Monitor trends and platform updates: Social media coordinators need to stay updated with the latest social media trends and platform changes.
Analyze and report on performance: Social media coordinators track analytics to gauge the effectiveness of social media campaigns and report these insights to enhance future marketing efforts.
Collaborate on marketing campaigns: They work closely with the wider marketing team to confirm that social media strategies complement overall marketing objectives.

Why are they needed? Social media coordinators ensure the brand's voice is consistent across all social channels. This consistency is vital for building brand identity and trust with audiences.

They are at the forefront of engaging with existing and potential customers, creating and sharing campaigns relevant to various social media platforms and their user bases.

Like any other role, social media workers are only as effective as the tools they use. There are many different tools and platforms that aid in creating, sharing, and analyzing social media campaigns.

Transpond is a platform for managing your email and social media marketing. Plan and oversee effect campaigns, publish monthly mailers, or craft personalized content that speaks directly to your customers’ needs.

It’s also great for analyzing performance and discovering the best ways to communicate with your customers and leads.

Transpond offers several key features for managing social media campaigns:

Create, schedule, and post campaigns: Users can design and schedule social media posts for platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X directly within Transpond.
Account integration: It enables easy integration with various social media accounts ensuring streamlined management of campaigns.
Analytics and tracking: Transpond provides detailed analytics to track the engagement of each campaign and utilizes site tracking to measure the effectiveness of posted links.
Automations: The platform also offers automations triggered by link-clicks within your campaigns, so you can focus on your work while Transpond looks after the repetitive stuff.
Customization: Users can customize the content for each social channel, including adjusting text, links, and images to suit different platform requirements.

For more details and to explore these features, visit Transpond's Social Campaigns page. Or explore how Transpond integrates with CRMs like Capsule for easy communications.

Here’s a quick wrap-up of the seven social media job roles we covered, highlighting their duties and potential earnings. This roundup should give you a good grasp of the diverse roles within the social media field, how each contributes to brand success, and what one might expect to earn in these positions.

Social media manager: The strategist and voice behind the brand’s social profiles, managing content and community interactions. They earn around $59,000 annually, with potential highs depending on location and experience.
Social media specialist: Focuses on creating and scheduling content, analyzing campaign results, and supporting overall marketing strategies. On average, they make about $52,000 each year.
Social media analyst: Digs into the data behind campaigns to improve strategy and execution. These roles typically pay around $56,000.
Social media content creator: Crafts engaging multimedia content tailored to different platforms, playing a crucial role in engagement and brand presence, earning around $55,000 annually.
Influencer marketing strategist: Develops relationships with influencers to boost brand exposure and sales, earning between $63,000 and $116,000.
Community manager: Builds and nurtures the brand’s online community, providing a critical link between the brand and its followers, with salaries ranging from $45,000 to $75,000.
Social media coordinator: Manages daily social media operations, ensuring consistent and strategic content delivery, with an average salary of $37,000 to $60,000.

Each position plays a distinct role in delivering social media campaigns that boost a brand's reach and client engagement. These professions provide a variety of chances for both analytical and creative brains.

Try Transpond with Capsule for 14 days for free to see how you can make the most of automated marketing campaigns with a straightforward CRM.

7 social media job roles and how much they pay

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