Post job

Media specialist vs social media editor

The differences between media specialists and social media editors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a media specialist and a social media editor. Additionally, a social media editor has an average salary of $53,943, which is higher than the $50,832 average annual salary of a media specialist.

The top three skills for a media specialist include digital marketing, video production and customer service. The most important skills for a social media editor are instagram, facebook, and twitter.

Media specialist vs social media editor overview

Media SpecialistSocial Media Editor
Yearly salary$50,832$53,943
Hourly rate$24.44$25.93
Growth rate8%-5%
Number of jobs39,40137,769
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age4244
Years of experience44

What does a media specialist do?

Media specialists are individuals who establish and administer content on various social media platforms. The job involves monitoring site metrics, overseeing creative design, and responding to reader comments. Specialists offer advice to administrators and teachers on the use of non-print social media. They work for huge enterprises with multimedia departments, new media departments, and in-house websites. The skills the job requires include trend awareness, social media ads, community management, strong visual aesthetic, and understanding SEO.

What does a social media editor do?

A social media editor is in charge of handling and maintaining the social media platforms of a company or brand, ensuring to produce and develop engaging content for a target audience. Their responsibilities often revolve around editing relevant content for posting, engaging with clients professionally and promptly, and addressing issues and concerns, resolving them according to a set of given responses. One must also coordinate with graphic designers and other writers, devise strategies to identify marketing opportunities, develop online campaigns, and keep abreast of the latest trends.

Media specialist vs social media editor salary

Media specialists and social media editors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Media SpecialistSocial Media Editor
Average salary$50,832$53,943
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $73,000Between $40,000 And $72,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCStamford, CT
Highest paying stateNew JerseyHawaii
Best paying companyBP America IncRE/MAX Realty One
Best paying industryProfessionalTechnology

Differences between media specialist and social media editor education

There are a few differences between a media specialist and a social media editor in terms of educational background:

Media SpecialistSocial Media Editor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common majorCommunicationCommunication
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Media specialist vs social media editor demographics

Here are the differences between media specialists' and social media editors' demographics:

Media SpecialistSocial Media Editor
Average age4244
Gender ratioMale, 52.9% Female, 47.1%Male, 41.2% Female, 58.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 7.0% White, 76.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage12%12%

Differences between media specialist and social media editor duties and responsibilities

Media specialist example responsibilities.

  • Develop fresh leads to connect with by utilizing LinkedIn connections and resources.
  • Manage content for and development of the museum's Drupal website, cartermuseum.org.
  • Manage teams for film, video, animation, & multimedia creation of any kind.
  • Assign to work as a media associate at Starcom managing a portion of the Kellogg's account.
  • Develop and manage proprietary PPC support material.
  • Participate in brainstorming sessions, proofread and edit marketing materials, manage magazine inventory.
  • Show more

Social media editor example responsibilities.

  • Manage editorial department by editing and publishing daily content for website and daily e-newsletter.
  • Improve the aesthetic look of the organization's twitter profile.
  • Involve proofreading, basic HTML coding and working on tight deadlines.
  • Take photos of dishes and post them on the restaurant's Instagram account.
  • Provide reports and metrics for social media, including SEO impact and consumer growth.
  • Advise other departments on how to improve the SEO and social sharing for their content.
  • Show more

Media specialist vs social media editor skills

Common media specialist skills
  • Digital Marketing, 14%
  • Video Production, 7%
  • Customer Service, 5%
  • Web Content, 5%
  • Google Analytics, 4%
  • Google Adwords, 3%
Common social media editor skills
  • Instagram, 12%
  • Facebook, 11%
  • Twitter, 10%
  • Social Platforms, 8%
  • Social Content, 4%
  • Video Content, 4%

Browse arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs