How to hire a social media associate

How to hire a social media associate, step by step

Here's a step-by-step social media associate hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a social media associate job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new social media associate
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a social media associate do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the social media associate you need to hire. Certain social media associate roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A social media associate's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, social media associates from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of social media associate salaries for various roles:

   Type of Social Media Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Social Media Associate	Public relations specialists create and maintain a favorable public image for the organization they represent. They design media releases to shape public perception of their organization and to increase awareness of its work and goals.	$17-32
   Campaign Coordinator	A campaign coordinator is responsible for managing media campaigns and press communications for marketing efforts on business or other industry needs. Campaign coordinators perform administrative and clerical duties under the supervision of a campaign manager and develop event activities according to the campaign theme and requirements... Show more	$13-29
   Public Relations Coordinator	A public relations coordinator is responsible for developing brand awareness for the organization's brand image. Public relations coordinators work closely with the marketing department to manage marketing campaigns, mainly social media platforms and events, promoting the organization... Show more	$16-28

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Instagram
   • Facebook
   • Social Media Marketing
   • Twitter
   • Social Media Analytics
   • Digital Marketing
   • Media Management
   • Social Media Management
   • Social Platforms
   • Linkedin
   • YouTube
   • Google Analytics
   • Social Content
   • Social Strategy

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Leverage tools such as HootSuite and TweetDeck to manage various social media content calendars.
   • Manage social media presence and engage the community of students and recruiters on platforms (Facebook, twitter, Tumblr).
   • Promote products and services on social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, etc.
   • Film and edit videos for the organization's Youtube channel.
   • Generate, edit, publish and share daily content (original text, images, video or HTML).
   • Design images for the website, Facebook, email campaign, and design the layout of some professional proof books.

   More social media associate duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the social media associate job description is a good way to get more applicants. A social media associate salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a social media associate in South Carolina may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level social media associate. Additionally, a social media associate with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average social media associate salary

   $50,661yearly

   $24.36 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level social media associate salary

   $37,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average social media associate salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$68,194	$33
   2	California	$60,838	$29
   3	Washington	$59,436	$29
   4	Connecticut	$57,411	$28
   5	Colorado	$57,408	$28
   6	New Jersey	$55,783	$27
   7	Ohio	$55,482	$27
   8	North Carolina	$54,372	$26
   9	Oregon	$53,857	$26
   10	Pennsylvania	$53,491	$26
   11	New York	$52,446	$25
   12	Massachusetts	$52,326	$25
   13	Illinois	$51,936	$25
   14	Maryland	$51,625	$25
   15	Arkansas	$51,289	$25
   16	Texas	$44,004	$21
   17	Michigan	$43,871	$21
   18	Georgia	$43,058	$21
   19	Indiana	$42,510	$20
   20	Alabama	$41,627	$20

   Average social media associate salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Eli Lilly and Company	$95,822	$46.07	4
   2	Earthjustice	$82,589	$39.71
   3	ZS	$80,588	$38.74	1
   4	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$79,363	$38.16	28
   5	Keller Williams Capital Properties	$78,504	$37.74
   6	Wpp Us Holdings Inc	$76,837	$36.94	33
   7	BlackRock	$70,936	$34.10
   8	Accenture	$65,061	$31.28
   9	Pwc	$59,289	$28.50
   10	Prudential Bank	$58,965	$28.35
   11	Conair	$58,339	$28.05
   12	Activision Blizzard	$56,720	$27.27	1
   13	New York City Economic Development	$56,545	$27.19
   14	HealthTrust	$54,882	$26.39	1
   15	Havas Edge	$53,023	$25.49
   16	GroupM	$52,608	$25.29
   17	World Education Services	$52,428	$25.21
   18	Golin	$52,367	$25.18
   19	ICONMA	$51,927	$24.96
   20	Darden Restaurants	$51,656	$24.83

4. Writing a social media associate job description

   A good social media associate job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a social media associate job description:

   Social media associate job description example

   The Social Media Associate/Sr. Associate for Chase will support a LinkedIn-focused social media ambassador program aimed at raising awareness for Chase's Technology and Product & Experience teams as an exciting place to work for prospective employees, while highlighting our people, culture, innovations, community and more. This position reports to the Head of Chase Technology and Product Communications. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
   Creating organic content for a LinkedIn-focused social ambassador program. Supporting the ongoing development and execution of an editorial calendar, including content creation of assets (working with internal agencies to edit photo/video assets) and copywriting Social posts on behalf of senior executives. Partnering closely with PR, creative and brand marketing teams to provide feedback and assist in the creation of social first concepts. Working closely with Chase's communications and social media team to craft engaging content using audience, industry, and social listening insights. Track monthly KPIs and report performance using Sprinklr, adobe analytics and applicant tracking systems.
   Qualifications and Skills:
   3-4 years of experience in Social Media and/or Content strategy highly preferred. Experience using Sprinklr with strong knowledge of social media landscape and trends (focus on LinkedIn). Experience supporting thought leadership profiles, ability to copywrite on behalf of executives, in their tone of voice and language. Experience supporting organic social media campaigns. Ability to source content ideas from SMEs and turn them into digestible long and short pieces of content. Excellent written and verbal communications skills. Self-starter mentality with the ability to navigate ambiguity. Highly creative individual with enthusiasm to conceptualize and implement programs that are disruptive while maintain brand elevation. Team player with enthusiastic attitude and entrepreneurial spirit. Eager to learn, contribute, and make an impact.
   
   Chase is a leading financial services firm, helping nearly half of America's households and small businesses achieve their financial goals through a broad range of financial products. Our mission is to create engaged, lifelong relationships and put our customers at the heart of everything we do. We also help small businesses, nonprofits and cities grow, delivering solutions to solve all their financial needs.
   
   We recognize that our people are our strength and the diverse talents they bring to our global workforce are directly linked to our success. We are an equal opportunity employer and place a high value on diversity and inclusion at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute, including race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital or veteran status, pregnancy or disability, or any other basis protected under applicable law. In accordance with applicable law, we make reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as any mental health or physical disability needs.
   
   The health and safety of our colleagues, candidates, clients and communities has been a top priority in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. JPMorgan Chase was awarded the "WELL Health-Safety Rating" for all of our 6,200 locations globally based on our operational policies, maintenance protocols, stakeholder engagement and emergency plans to address a post-COVID-19 environment.
   
   As a part of our commitment to health and safety, we have implemented various COVID-related health and safety requirements for our workforce. Employees are expected to follow the Firm's current COVID-19 or other infectious disease health and safety requirements, including local requirements. Requirements include sharing information including your vaccine card in the firm's vaccine record tool, and may include mask wearing. Requirements may change in the future with the evolving public health landscape. JPMorgan Chase will consider accommodation requests as required by applicable law.
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veterans

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right social media associate for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your social media associate job on Zippia to find and recruit social media associate candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as pr news job board, pr council, prsa job center, hoojobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with social media associate candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new social media associate

   Once you have selected a candidate for the social media associate position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new social media associate first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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