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Job outlook for social media advisers in the United States
Social media adviser job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected social media adviser job growth rate is 8% from 2018-2028.
About 22,300 new jobs for social media advisers are projected over the next decade.
Social media adviser salaries have increased 8% for social media advisers in the last 5 years.
There are over 9,197 social media advisers currently employed in the United States.
There are 42,748 active social media adviser job openings in the US.
The average social media adviser salary is $121,153.
Are social media adviser jobs in demand?
Social media adviser job and salary trends over time
Social media adviser jobs over time
Social media adviser job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 9,197 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 9,267 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 9,273 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 9,057 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 8,857 | 0.00% |
Average social media adviser salary over time
Social media adviser salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $121,153 | $58.25 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | $117,951 | $56.71 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $115,733 | $55.64 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $114,383 | $54.99 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $111,914 | $53.80 | +2.2% |
Social media adviser jobs by state
Most common states for social media advisers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 135 | 19% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 854 | 12% |
| 3 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 156 | 12% |
| 4 | Vermont | 623,657 | 77 | 12% |
| 5 | Delaware | 961,939 | 108 | 11% |
| 6 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 80 | 11% |
| 7 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 306 | 10% |
| 8 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 167 | 10% |
| 9 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 139 | 10% |
| 10 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 103 | 10% |
| 11 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 88 | 10% |
| 12 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 60 | 10% |
| 13 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 668 | 9% |
| 14 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 567 | 9% |
| 15 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 98 | 9% |
| 16 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 437 | 8% |
| 17 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 161 | 8% |
| 18 | Alaska | 739,795 | 62 | 8% |
| 19 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 236 | 7% |
| 20 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 156 | 7% |
Most common cities for social media advisers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rosemead | 2 | 4% | $139,174 |
| 2 | Kokomo | 1 | 2% | $103,626 |
Social Media Adviser job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of social media adviser experts
Cabrini University
Maryville University of Saint Louis
Huntington University
Dominican University of California
University of Minnesota
Davis & Elkins College
Carson-Newman University
American University
Wright Sate University
Eastern Illinois University
University of Cincinnati
Campbellsville University
Cedar Crest College
Professor Cheryl Pilchik
Marketing at Cabrini U.Cabrini University
Business Administration, Management And Operations
What general advice would you give to a Social Media Adviser?
Professor Cheryl Pilchik: Dress to impress for interviews. Consider the benefits offered by the company, not just the compensation. Use the position as a steppingstone in your field to a second job in the future.
What Social Media Adviser skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Professor Cheryl Pilchik: Look at all the benefits offered by the company, such as medical, holidays, 401K, etc. Also, consider using the position as a steppingstone in your field to a second job in the near future.
What will help Social Media Advisers increase their earning potential?
Professor Cheryl Pilchik: Within Marketing, social media is still huge. There are many types of jobs within social media, including being an expert social media guru at an ad agency. I advise all students to be prepared and sign up for online courses if needed.
What general advice would you give to a Social Media Adviser?
Kara Alaimo PhD: The communication landscape is always changing. The social media platforms that are popular right now may not even exist by the time my students graduate, and of course they're always changing their algorithms and the kinds of content they prioritize, so professional communicators can never get too comfortable in their work. Therefore, one of the most important skills to acquire is how to stay on top of all these changes, keep learning how different platforms work, and come up with creative ideas to use on them.
What Social Media Adviser skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Kara Alaimo PhD: A lot of my former communication students who are commanding the highest salaries are working in social media management. This is because often senior communication executives who have been working in the field for decades feel like they don't know how TikTok and emerging platforms work and think people who grew up as digital natives hold the secrets of the universe, so they empower them at earlier stages in their careers to run organizations' social channels. It's not uncommon for me to see a former student who manages social media accounts on behalf of an organization get multiple promotions and raises within their first few years of graduation.
What will help Social Media Advisers increase their earning potential?
Kara Alaimo PhD: I strongly recommend that students consider jobs managing social media accounts on behalf of people and organizations. There's a lot of demand among employers to hire people for these positions right now, and a lot of my students are thrilled to discover that they can make a good living creating social media content - which many of them consider to be more like fun than work. This is why at Fairleigh Dickinson University we just created new academic programs in social media to give students the skills and credentials to go after these kinds of exciting jobs with significant labor market demand that often have particularly attractive starting salaries.
Dr. Leilani Carver-Madalon Ph.D.
Director of Graduate and Undergraduate Communication and Associate Professor of Strategic Communication and LeadershipMaryville University of Saint Louis
Public Relations, Advertising, And Applied Communication
What general advice would you give to a Social Media Adviser?
Dr. Leilani Carver-Madalon Ph.D.: People hire people who they know, like, and are competent. So, how do you become known, liked, and competent? Beyond college, some unexpected ways to a successful career are 1) Internships 2) Informational Interviews, and 3) earning certifications.
Internships: Getting an internship is not a new idea but it is a very important one. Some organizations now only hire people who intern for them first. The internship now becomes a trial before hire. For example, Fleishman Hillard, ranked the fourth best PR agency in the World, offers many full-time Internships, 40 hours a week. Recent grads who want to work for Fleishman Hillard should see getting an Internship as the best avenue towards getting a job at Fleishman Hillard. Many organizations use their internship pools as potential hiring pools so do not be afraid to do a paid internship after graduation for a premier organization.
Informational Interviews: This is a wonderful way for people within an organization to get to know you and for you to learn from others with experience. Informational interviews are short interviews where you connect with someone in our field, research them, and their company and prepare questions to ask for advice. These interviews expand your network and also help you learn. These are a wonder source of networking.
Earn Certifications: Besides going to class and doing well, it is also important to be able to show what you know through certifications. For example, Hubspot has free certifications that you can take and link to your LinkedIn account. One I recommend is their Social Media Marketing Certification at https://academy.hubspot.com/courses/social-media?library=true&= This is yet another way to show your knowledge and expertise in our field. Showing through certifications is always preferable to telling someone you have the skillset.
What Social Media Adviser skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Leilani Carver-Madalon Ph.D.: Many of my students get hired to do social media for organizations because organizations need help in this area. Knowing how to create engaging and creative content, produce quality videos, manage and understand data analytics, and respond to crises are some of the most important skills. Additionally, utilizing AI to do more with less will also become more and more important.
What will help Social Media Advisers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Leilani Carver-Madalon Ph.D.: The first thing is to do your research so that you know the market and what the salary range is for your job in your city. This article has a list of free salary calculators.
Then, you wait until an offer is made. Once an offer is made you can negotiate (but never before).
Then, you ask politely. The amount is usually around 5- 10% of the salary. I encourage you to ask for 10% because they will likely try to meet you in the middle.
For a script, you could say something like...
Thank you so much for this offer. I am very excited to work at Company X. I know my internship experiences and degree from X University will help me be able to bring value to this organization.
Regarding salary, I was looking for something closer to $_________. Is this possible?
(Then be quiet).
It is beneficial to ask. The worst thing they can say is no. Also realize that you can negotiate vacation days, working from home, a 4-day work week, and other benefits that may be important to you if they cannot offer you more money. Once when I worked for a non-profit, I maxed out their salary but I negotiated another week of paid vacation because I asked. Asking after research and with respect is always a win.
Brock Zehr
Associate Professor of Business & Economics and MBA DirectorHuntington University
Religion/Religious Studies
What general advice would you give to a Social Media Adviser?
Brock Zehr: Social media content development, data analytics, and quality video content generation will all be in greater demand. Employers tell me that the "soft skills" of being a team player, excellent communication skills, integrity, and a strong work ethic are still valued skills.
What Social Media Adviser skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Brock Zehr: Do your homework. Research salaries for the position, geographic location, and your experience level on sites like salary.com and zippia.com to determine the salary range for the position. Know the numbers. Let the employer provide the first salary number and decide how much to negotiate from there. Also, look at the entire compensation package and not the salary alone. Benefit packages vary and can encompass and large portion of compensation.
What will help Social Media Advisers increase their earning potential?
Brock Zehr: Become a solution to an employer's problem. During the application and interview process, identify the needs of the employer and propose ways you can fulfill those needs. Every job, person, project, and client can lead to greater opportunities. So even if your first job is not ideal; do it well because it can be the impetus to propel your career forward. A positive, can-do attitude and quality work can take you wherever you want to go.
Bradley Van Alstyne Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Communications, Coordinator, Online Learning and Development, Chair of the Communications and Media Studies DepartmentDominican University of California
Communication and Media Studies
What skills will help Social Media Advisers earn the most?
Bradley Van Alstyne Ph.D.: The hard skills (audio and video) usually get you the job, but the soft skills allow you to keep it and grow!
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Social Media Advisers?
Zhirong Zhao Ph.D.: I am the Director of Master of Public Policy Program (MPP). MPP is a professional graduate degree. The Covid condition has interrupted student internships and make it harder for students to navigate the job market in the traditional way, but I expect the market remains good for our students, who are mainly getting into public, nonprofit, or educational institutions.
Bridget Esterhuizen
Theatre Department Head, Assistant Professor of TheatreDavis & Elkins College
Theatre Department
What will help Social Media Advisers increase their earning potential?
Bridget Esterhuizen: Flexibility. Versatility. Creativity. Luckily, these are things we are well trained for. BUT, it's very hard to make art when you are trying to survive, which is why I'll circle back to calling on our government to think a bit like Roosevelt's administration did and put funding into governmental arts projects and initiatives.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Social Media Advisers?
Bridget Esterhuizen: I don't think anyone knows the answer to this question. In the Theatre industry, we are doing our best to attend to "the moment," I think--which is what we try to do in our work, too. Right now, we have been given a gift that theatre artists rarely have time to reflect and prioritize. This is a time for us to look at addressing social change (such as responding to the "We See You White American Theatre" statement. This is also a time for taking action to nurture the arts in a financial way. I think MANY people in our industry would say this is a time similar to the Great Depression when programming to support the arts through government funding is essential for the survival of our arts, artists and our society. The impact on graduates will unfold in 'real time'. Graduates will face a need to be more adaptable than ever as they look for work alongside a call for making meaningful work. But, they also have an advantage right now because this is a major social event that is underway--which is a great prompt for creative work. We need art and stories more than ever right now in order to get through this together.
Dr. Tamara Centis
Assistant Professor of Foreign LanguagesCarson-Newman University
World Languages Department
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Social Media Advisers?
Dr. Tamara Centis: Travel abroad and embrace diversity! Students tend to focus on technical skills, having certifications, licenses, which are all great, but let us not forget about the soft skills! When learning about people and culture we develop a broad set of skills like communication, adaptability, motivation, teamwork, and creative thinking, just to mention a few. Mastering these skills with any certification, license or course can have a great impact on your job prospects. Get out of the comfort zone, be humble, and be willing to learn. The sky is the limit.
What technical skills for a Social Media Adviser stand out to employers?
Erica Bondarev Rapach: Digital, digital, digital. Arts and entertainment organizations have become digital media organizations during the pandemic and so technical skills in social media marketing, website development and maintenance, search engine optimization, video, audio, post-production, and live streaming are standouts. And I am not even certain that's an exhaustive list!
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Social Media Advisers?
John Dinsmore Ph.D.: There is a stereotype of marketing majors that they are people who want to be business majors but don't want to do any math. That's not true anymore. With marketing being so data-driven these days, candidates with training and/or experience in marketing analytics are in short supply. We are seeing employers aggressively snatch up our Masters in Marketing Analytics & Insights students well before graduation.
What will help Social Media Advisers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Ensung Kim Ph.D.: Ability to work across media platforms. Good writing ability is a must. In addition, if you can take photos, record and edit audios and videos, have some design ability, you'll be quite marketable.
What's a good job out of college for Social Media Advisers?
Dr. Ensung Kim Ph.D.: If you can find a job at a news media outlet, getting your foot in the industry is important. If you have a strong vision of what you want to become, you will be looking for opportunities and eventually get those.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Social Media Adviser job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Jeffrey Layne Blevins Ph.D.: Well, if there is a silver-lining with the pandemic for journalism is that we're discovering how much journalistic work can be done remotely when there are no other safe alternatives. For paid interns, free lancers and other part-timers this means more opportunities for paid work from home, especially for people with design and media production skills. Journalistic work never stops because the news never stops, and journalists have to be able to adapt. The kind of things that have been fundamental to journalism -- like always do an interview in person -- have been completely reshaped by what technology allows us to do remotely. Journalists with media production skills are best positioned in the current environment to adapt and work independently.
Jeannie Clark
General Manager, WLCU-TV/FM, Assistant Professor of Broadcasting & Director of Broadcast ServicesCampbellsville University
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Social Media Adviser job market given the pandemic?
Jeannie Clark: From the employers I have worked with in the industry recently, I am seeing a trend for more remote work and a requirement for multi-skilled workers. The graduates that bring with them a combination of a degree, experience, and multiple skills seem to be more successful post-graduation than graduates that only have the degree and have not done any work to gain experience in their chosen field. With many businesses scaling down their workforce to save money, those that have multiple skills seem to be more valuable to employers than those who are qualified to do one job.
What skills stand out on Social Media Adviser resumes?
Jeannie Clark: Experience is the thing that most employers I have worked with are looking for. An applicant that has worked with specific types of equipment and software used in the industry is also more desirable since the learning curve for training is quicker.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Social Media Advisers to find work opportunities?
Jeannie Clark: I do not know of any particular area that is needing more than another. All stations I have worked with across the country are dealing with the same issues-downsized staffs and budgets. These issues, coupled with Covid-19 concerns and remote wok situations, make the job market a challenging thing to navigate. One good thing I've been told is that with remote work allowing some businesses to cut their overhead costs, there may be some new factors which will create a more optimistic future for the media job market.
What experience really stands out on Social Media Adviser resumes?
Dr. Jill Purdy: "This is partially answered previously. I think students found time to be more self-reliant and independent. Hopefully, not to a fault as they move into their careers.
On resumes, we may see more of the soft skills described. It may sound counterintuitive, but I think a different kind of interpersonal skill was developed. On a Zoom call, what do we have but people and we have to figure out how to get our message across, collaborate, debate, and communicate effectively without extraneous factors. "