2027 Salary Guide · Social Media
There is no Bureau of Labor Statistics occupation called social media manager. This guide uses Public Relations Specialists as an approximate benchmark, because O*NET's definition of that occupation says some specialize in social media; it had a May 2025 median of $74,750, about $79,500 projected to 2027. Managers usually run strategy, budgets and other people's content, so the guide places them from the median to the 90th percentile, $74,750 to $135,150.
Which data fits
O*NET mentions social media in two places: in the definition of public relations specialists, and as the sample title Social Media Specialist under Search Marketing Strategists, part of the marketing specialists occupation. Their national figures are close.
| Measure | Public Relations Specialists | Marketing Specialists (incl. Search Marketing Strategists) |
|---|---|---|
| Median, May 2025 | $74,750 | $78,760 |
| 10th percentile | $44,110 | $43,390 |
| 90th percentile | $135,150 | $155,480 |
| Employment, 2025 | 314,500 | 952,700 |
| Projected growth, 2025-2035 | 1% to 2% | 7% or higher |
| Closer fit for | Community, brand voice and public-facing social roles | Paid social, performance and analytics-heavy roles |
This page uses Public Relations Specialists. The marketing specialist figures are for the whole occupation, which also includes market research analysts.
Pay distribution
The bar is the national distribution for public relations specialists. The shaded band is an estimate of where social media manager roles sit, not a BLS figure for the title. Coordinators and specialists usually sit below it, from the 10th percentile of $44,110 up toward the median.
Typical for the Social Media Manager title: $74,750 to $135,150 (50th to 90th percentile of Public Relations Specialists)
| Percentile | BLS, May 2025 | 2027 planning estimate |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $44,110 | $47,000 |
| 25th percentile | $56,260 | $60,000 |
| Median | $74,750 | $79,500 |
| 75th percentile | $100,370 | $106,500 |
| 90th percentile | $135,150 | $143,500 |
Pay drivers
These are the factors that most often separate a coordinator-level offer from a manager-level one.
Managing ad spend and reporting the return on it moves the job toward performance marketing, which is closer to the marketing specialist pay range.
Directing freelancers, creators or an outside agency, rather than producing every post yourself.
Setting KPIs, reading platform and web analytics and reporting results to leadership. O*NET lists Google Analytics among the PR specialist occupation's technology skills.
Handling negative posts and fast-moving issues with PR and legal teams. O*NET's PR task list includes responding to media requests and designating a spokesperson, and social channels are now part of that work.
Outlook
BLS projects 1% to 2% growth for public relations specialists from 2025 to 2035, with about 23,000 openings a year. Social media roles counted as marketing specialists fall under a much faster projection, 7% or higher, so neither projection is a clean fit for the title.
BLS Employment Projections via O*NET OnLine. Projections cover Public Relations Specialists as a whole.
Local pay
These metro figures are for all PR specialists. Seattle ($96,000) and Hartford ($87,830) rank above New York ($84,130) and Los Angeles ($79,860), the two metros most associated with media work. Pittsburgh is lowest, at $55,910.
| Metro area | Median | 10th – 90th | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Bay Area | $102,520 +37% | $58,030 – $179,710 | 6,290 |
| Washington, DC | $101,680 +36% | $61,520 – $195,990 | 22,810 |
| Seattle | $96,000 +28% | $62,330 – $146,220 | 3,980 |
| Hartford | $87,830 +17% | $53,380 – $158,810 | 710 |
| New York City | $84,130 +13% | $55,410 – $162,170 | 24,820 |
| Denver | $82,930 +11% | $56,720 – $149,990 | 4,560 |
| Boston | $81,440 +9% | $53,800 – $145,720 | 5,380 |
| San Diego | $81,240 +9% | $50,390 – $147,560 | 2,730 |
| Los Angeles | $79,860 +7% | $48,090 – $136,870 | 11,910 |
| Atlanta | $78,920 +6% | $46,540 – $132,630 | 4,750 |
| Metro area | Median | 10th – 90th | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland | $78,380 +5% | $48,170 – $129,400 | 3,050 |
| Baltimore | $77,570 +4% | $47,750 – $133,870 | 1,880 |
| Providence | $77,210 +3% | $47,200 – $128,630 | 1,250 |
| Chicago | $77,050 +3% | $49,460 – $150,890 | 4,920 |
| Charlotte | $75,190 +1% | $43,920 – $149,990 | 2,470 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | $73,780 -1% | $44,970 – $120,000 | 6,170 |
| Phoenix | $70,490 -6% | $46,430 – $116,360 | 3,860 |
| Austin | $69,470 -7% | $44,320 – $113,270 | 4,170 |
| Buffalo | $69,380 -7% | $41,640 – $112,250 | 820 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | $69,280 -7% | $44,480 – $113,780 | 7,300 |
| Raleigh | $68,790 -8% | $44,540 – $149,130 | 2,330 |
| Houston | $68,320 -9% | $40,290 – $109,640 | 5,160 |
| Albany | $68,240 -9% | $44,050 – $115,680 | 1,580 |
| Detroit | $66,100 -12% | $39,470 – $126,550 | 2,930 |
| Tampa | $64,690 -13% | $39,750 – $115,680 | 2,590 |
| Miami | $64,600 -14% | $35,110 – $115,660 | 5,460 |
| Philadelphia | $64,550 -14% | $39,540 – $114,090 | 5,220 |
| Nashville | $62,870 -16% | $40,200 – $99,250 | 1,350 |
| Pittsburgh | $55,910 -25% | $31,200 – $95,880 | 1,970 |
BLS metro estimates, May 2025. Percent compares the metro median with the national median. "Jobs" is BLS estimated employment in the metro; blank where BLS does not publish it.
Title ladder
These stages map common social titles onto PR specialist percentiles. They are a planning guide, not BLS figures for each title.
About $44,000 to $56,000 (10th to 25th percentile)
Schedules posts, monitors comments and messages, and pulls weekly metrics.
About $56,000 to $75,000 (25th percentile to median)
Plans content calendars, writes and produces posts, and runs small paid campaigns.
About $75,000 to $100,000 (median to 75th percentile)
Owns strategy and reporting across channels, manages budgets and works with PR, product and customer service.
About $100,000 to $135,000+ (75th to 90th percentile)
Leads a team and sets the brand's social strategy. Titles at this level may be counted by BLS as managers rather than specialists.
Compare
Digital and content marketing roles fall in Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists, with a median of $78,760, about $4,010 above PR specialists. Communications managers, a common next step, have a median of $146,910.
| Role | BLS median | 2027 estimate | Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Media Manager | $74,750 | $79,500 | Slower than average |
| Digital Marketing Specialist | $78,760 | $83,500 | Much faster than average |
| Public Relations Specialist | $74,750 | $79,500 | Slower than average |
| Content Marketing Manager | $78,760 | $83,500 | Much faster than average |
| Communications Manager | $146,910 | $156,000 | Faster than average |
FAQ
BLS does not track social media managers as a separate occupation. Using public relations specialists, the closest fit, the national median was $74,750 in May 2025 and the 90th percentile $135,150. This guide places manager-level social roles in that upper half; the 2027 planning median for the occupation is about $79,500.
Entry roles are usually titled coordinator or specialist. Among PR specialists, the 10th percentile was $44,110 and the 25th percentile $56,260 in May 2025. Among marketing specialists, the other BLS home for social media work, the 10th percentile was $43,390.
BLS does not survey the self-employed, so it publishes no freelance rate. For employees, the PR specialist occupation's median hourly wage was $35.94 in May 2025, according to BLS data on O*NET, and the 75th percentile $48.25. A freelance rate also has to cover benefits, self-employment taxes and unbilled time.
It can be either, depending on the employer. O*NET's definition of public relations specialists says some specialize in social media, and it lists social media specialist as a sample title for search marketing strategists, part of the marketing specialists occupation. Paid ads and analytics roles lean marketing; community and brand-voice roles lean PR.
O*NET reports that 91% of respondents for the PR specialist occupation said new hires need a bachelor's degree. Beyond the degree, employers look for accounts you have managed, results with numbers attached, and comfort with tools such as Canva and Google Analytics, both listed in O*NET's technology skills for the occupation.
Careerscape recruiters who specialize in marketing send pre-screened social media candidates for direct hire, contract, contract-to-hire or temporary roles.
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