Most of us spend a lot of our downtime scrolling through our favorite social media platform to keep in touch with friends and family, and stay up to date. We all get a kick out of crafting the perfect post, but some are able to turn their love of social media into the career of their dreams.
There is a lot of demand for skilled social media professionals. Companies are paying their social media managers well too. Today, we’ll explore the essential skills, the primary job titles, and how much each role pays in 2023. Your path to an exciting new career in social media management starts here!
Essential Social Media Manager Skills
The social media landscape is always changing, making the skill requirements for some of these roles feel like a bit of a moving target. The ability to adapt to new and emerging platforms is invaluable to professionals in the field. Every role is different, and there are few absolute truths in an industry that changes so rapidly.
Generally speaking, those looking to break into the industry should focus their development on the following skills:
- Time management
- Organization
- Flexibility
- Communication
- Creativity
- Marketing
- Customer service
- Copywriting
- Graphic design
- Video editing
- Public speaking
- Community engagement
- Data analysis
It may look like a long list, but social media skills are developed over an entire career. Time management and organization are critical, so start there if that’s a weak spot. For the more technical skills mentioned above, consider taking a night course or carving out some spare time to read, watch videos, and learn.
Highest Paying Social Media Roles for 2023
Social media is big business. The largest brands in the world invest a sizable chunk of their marketing budgets in social media campaigns, community management departments. Still, most Americans assume social media jobs are hard to find, or don’t pay well. To prove those people wrong, here are the most popular social media roles and their corresponding salaries.
Social Media Campaign Manager
Salary: up to $87,000 a year.
Social media campaign managers create, edit, and implement digital advertising campaigns in a variety of formats, including text, email, social media and more. They’re expected to manage ad budgets, and make sense of ad performance data like impressions, likes, clicks, and more. They earn an average of $56,000 per year, though that salary can climb as high as $87,000.
Digital Community Manager
Salary: up to $96,000 a year.
Community managers play a critical role in a brand’s online presence. They monitor social media trends and online discussions to get a temperature of a brand’s digital reputation. They often help coordinate social media events and engage with the public directly. Digital community managers should expect to earn roughly $61,000 a year, though salaries for the role have been known to climb as high as $90,000.
Social Media Content Specialist
Salary: up to $88,000 a year.
The average social media content specialist earns around $46,000 a year, though they have been known to climb as high as $88,000. Content specialists are in charge of implementing social media strategies by developing content across the necessary social media platforms. They often work alongside internal marketing departments or agencies to deliver measurable results.
Sr. Social Media Strategy Manager
Salary: up to $106,000 per year.
As you might expect, senior level positions earn the most. These top-earning social media professionals usually have enough experience in the field or with their employer to garner a higher annual salary. They share a lot of duties with the other roles mentioned above, but can be called on to make higher-level strategy decisions and manage a team.
Start Your Journey Today!
If you have a passion for social media and think you’re skilled enough to turn pro, the time to transition is now! Recruiting companies and job boards are waiting for the right candidate to fill their growing number of social media manager jobs. So start taking the steps towards an exciting new career.
You can start right now by making a list of the skills you have, and the skills you still need to learn. Exploring learning opportunities and polishing your resume can help too. Better yet, if you know anyone in the industry, now is the time to pick their brain. Whatever you do, stay focused, and don’t give up until you get to where you want to be.
Shutterstock: Perspective Jeta