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The differences between creative leads and social media managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 8-10 years to become both a creative lead and a social media manager. Additionally, a creative lead has an average salary of $93,742, which is higher than the $70,287 average annual salary of a social media manager.
The top three skills for a creative lead include sketch, project management and adobe creative suite. The most important skills for a social media manager are instagram, twitter, and digital marketing.
| Creative Lead | Social Media Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $93,742 | $70,287 |
| Hourly rate | $45.07 | $33.79 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 6,384 | 105,475 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 10 |
A creative lead is responsible for leading a team of creative staff in conceptualizing designs according to project requirements and client specifications. Creative leads must have excellent technical and critical-thinking skills for utilizing various software tools and applications to generate designs and adjust initial outlines as needed. They also assist the creative staff with the documentation and submission of layouts that meet quality standards and budget limitations. A creative lead works closely with the creative director to establish creative solutions that would attract the audience and enhance the brand's image on market platforms.
Social media managers are responsible for representing the company's business through social media channels. They help the company grow by enhancing its presence via social networks. Primarily, they need to implement marketing plans and identify their target clients and create a content schedule. Their duties include implementing and strategizing digital marketing campaigns. They support the development of brand identity and promotional strategies. Candidates for the job must be excellent in communication skills, have in-depth knowledge of how social platforms work, and easily understand the target audience.
Creative leads and social media managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Creative Lead | Social Media Manager | |
| Average salary | $93,742 | $70,287 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $169,000 | Between $50,000 And $98,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a creative lead and a social media manager in terms of educational background:
| Creative Lead | Social Media Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Communication |
| Most common college | University of Wisconsin - Madison | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between creative leads' and social media managers' demographics:
| Creative Lead | Social Media Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.1% Female, 37.9% | Male, 38.9% Female, 61.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |