Salary data
Social Media Manager Salary (May 2025 BLS Data)
The median annual pay for market research analysts and marketing specialists in the US is $78,760, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025); the top 10% earn more than $155,480. BLS doesn't publish a social media occupation. Most social media roles are counted with marketing specialists, so this page shows that group's range and state medians, and when the marketing manager figures fit better.
Key takeaways
- The median annual pay for market research analysts and marketing specialists in the US is $78,760, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025); the top 10% earn more than $155,480.
- BLS has no social media occupation, so most social media managers are counted with market research analysts and marketing specialists (13-1161).
- A head of social who runs a team, creators and a budget is closer to marketing manager pay than to the marketing specialists range.
- Social media managers starting out usually earn toward the 25th percentile of the range and move up by owning paid social, creators or community results.
- For a specific social media job, the pay range in the posting is a better guide than the national BLS figures.
How much does a social media manager make?
The median annual pay for market research analysts and marketing specialists in the US is $78,760. The middle half earn between $58,350 and $108,310, and the top 10% earn more than $155,480. About 899,580 people work in this occupation.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Occupation 13-1161.
The pay range for market research analysts and marketing specialists
Read the range, not only the median. Half of everyone in the group earns between the 25th and 75th percentile.
| Pay level | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $43,390 |
| 25th percentile | $58,350 |
| Median | $78,760 |
| 75th percentile | $108,310 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $155,480 |
| Mean (average) | $89,490 |
US, all industries. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.
Which BLS figure covers social media manager roles?
There’s no BLS occupation for social media. Most social media managers and coordinators are counted with market research analysts and marketing specialists (13-1161). Someone who runs a social team, a creator program and a budget is closer to marketing managers, so for those roles the marketing manager salary page is the better guide. The title covers a wide range, from one person posting for a small business to a head of social at a global brand.
What affects social media manager pay?
Level and scope move pay more than anything else. After that:
- Scope: a manager who runs community, creators and paid social earns more than one who schedules posts.
- Brand size: consumer brands with large audiences pay more for social than small businesses do.
- Paid social: experience buying and testing paid social is easier to price and usually pays more.
- Agency or in-house: in-house roles at brands generally pay more than agency roles at the same level.
Social media manager salary by state
The median for market research analysts and marketing specialists varies a lot by state, mostly with the cost of living and where the employers are. The table runs from highest to lowest.
| State | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $101,810 |
| Delaware | $101,270 |
| New York | $98,580 |
| District of Columbia | $98,090 |
| Washington | $95,120 |
| California | $94,700 |
| Colorado | $93,050 |
| New Jersey | $88,190 |
| Minnesota | $87,510 |
| Rhode Island | $86,240 |
| Oregon | $79,150 |
| Illinois | $79,120 |
| North Carolina | $78,410 |
| Connecticut | $77,740 |
| Virginia | $76,980 |
| Maryland | $76,370 |
| Georgia | $75,850 |
| Florida | $75,450 |
| Vermont | $74,880 |
| Ohio | $72,790 |
| Texas | $72,520 |
| Maine | $71,980 |
| Arizona | $71,940 |
| Nevada | $71,840 |
| Kansas | $70,430 |
| Missouri | $70,140 |
| Tennessee | $69,790 |
| South Carolina | $69,440 |
| Pennsylvania | $68,760 |
| Montana | $68,080 |
| Michigan | $66,780 |
| Alaska | $66,710 |
| Iowa | $66,390 |
| Arkansas | $65,430 |
| Wisconsin | $64,800 |
| New Hampshire | $64,570 |
| Indiana | $63,700 |
| South Dakota | $63,490 |
| Utah | $62,630 |
| New Mexico | $61,950 |
| Oklahoma | $61,940 |
| North Dakota | $61,580 |
| Kentucky | $61,480 |
| Wyoming | $60,990 |
| Idaho | $60,970 |
| Nebraska | $60,000 |
| Louisiana | $59,690 |
| Alabama | $59,530 |
| Hawaii | $59,390 |
| Mississippi | $56,640 |
| West Virginia | $52,340 |
Highest first. States BLS doesn't publish a median for are left out. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.
What is the average social media manager salary, and what do you earn starting out?
The median is the better guide to a typical social media manager salary than the average. The table above shows both: the mean (average) is pulled up by the highest earners, so it usually sits above the median. For a starting salary, look at the bottom two rows of the range: people new to the field usually earn between the 10th and 25th percentile, and move toward the median as they take on more scope.
To turn an annual figure into a monthly one, divide by 12. For an hourly equivalent, divide by about 2,080, which is 40 hours a week for 52 weeks.
How to use this in a salary negotiation
Use the range to anchor, not to argue. Find where the role sits: an entry-level coordinator belongs near the 25th percentile, a senior lead running a team and budget near the 75th or above. Then check the posting, since a growing number of states require employers to publish a pay range. If the posting’s range and the BLS range disagree, the posting wins: it’s the budget for this job. The BLS figure is still useful when there’s no range at all, or when you’re asked for your number first. Bringing up pay can feel awkward, but a number backed by public data is a normal, professional thing to discuss, and hiring managers expect the conversation. Put it in your own words and your own tone, say it once, then give them room to respond. Our salary negotiation guide covers what to say and when. Before your first call, write down your number and where it sits in the range above, so it’s ready when the question comes.
FAQ
Why is there no BLS figure for social media managers?
BLS hasn’t created a separate occupation for social media. Most of those roles are counted with marketing specialists, and senior ones with marketing managers.
Do heads of social media earn more?
Yes. A head of social or director of social is usually closer to marketing manager pay, and the senior part of that range.
What raises a social media manager’s pay?
Owning results rather than output: paid social performance, creator programs, community growth you can tie to sales or retention, and managing people.
Do remote social media managers earn less?
Not necessarily. BLS reports pay by where people work, and it has no separate remote figure. Many employers set remote pay by location bands, so the same remote job can carry different ranges in different states. Check the range in the posting, and the state table above for where you live.
What do freelance social media managers charge?
There’s no official figure, because BLS doesn’t survey the self-employed. Freelancers usually charge a monthly retainer per account or platform. Work back from the employed salary you’d want, add the costs an employer would normally cover, and price the scope (posting, community, reporting, paid social) rather than the hours.