How to hire a social media director

How to hire a social media director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step social media director 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 director job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new social media director
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a social media director do?

Post a social media director job for free, promote it for a fee

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your social media director job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a social media director for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   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 director's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, social media directors 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.

   This list presents social media director salaries for various positions.

   Type of Social Media Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Social Media Director	Public relations managers plan and direct the creation of material that will maintain or enhance the public image of their employer or client. Fundraising managers coordinate campaigns that bring in donations for their organization.	$19-59
   Public Relations Manager	A public relations manager is responsible for monitoring the public relations department to boost its brand image and attract potential clients through press releases and media coverage. They work closely with the marketing team, developing marketing campaigns and promotional strategies for creating brand awareness... Show more	$30-61
   Client Relations Manager	A client relations manager is responsible for managing and maintaining healthy and professional relationships with business partners and clients. Client relations managers coordinate with account managers and the marketing department to monitor the growth and development of client accounts by strategizing methods of enhancing the brand image in the market... Show more	$26-62

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

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

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage client Facebook accounts to increase their sales/promotions.
   • Perform administrative duties including ordering photography supplies, managing expenses bookkeeping, updating photography inventory and archives.
   • Determine KPIs and metrics for success across platforms and develop strategies to meet client ROI expectations.
   • Create addiction and recovery relate blog posts for fifteen hours each week through a WordPress account.
   • Negotiate SmartPlus, Arbitron and Nielsen contracts.
   • Engage and nurture social media communities using HootSuite.

   More social media director duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your social media director job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A social media director can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, social media directors' average salary in florida is 58% less than in idaho.
   • Seniority. Entry-level social media directors 68% less than senior-level social media directors.
   • Certifications. A social media director with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a social media director's salary.

   Average social media director salary

   $70,846yearly

   $34.06 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level social media director salary

   $40,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 12, 2026

   Average social media director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$111,276	$54
   2	California	$108,143	$52
   3	Oregon	$107,369	$52
   4	New York	$91,320	$44
   5	Arizona	$89,370	$43
   6	New Jersey	$85,535	$41
   7	Massachusetts	$77,365	$37
   8	Colorado	$75,169	$36
   9	Ohio	$70,058	$34
   10	Missouri	$69,457	$33
   11	North Carolina	$65,009	$31
   12	Tennessee	$61,804	$30
   13	Illinois	$57,287	$28
   14	Georgia	$57,093	$27
   15	Texas	$56,939	$27
   16	Oklahoma	$56,410	$27
   17	Louisiana	$51,150	$25
   18	South Carolina	$48,891	$24
   19	Florida	$46,723	$22

   Average social media director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Accenture	$143,010	$68.75	240
   2	Palo Alto Networks	$131,674	$63.30
   3	Nike	$131,011	$62.99
   4	Amazon	$127,166	$61.14	39
   5	Edelman Financial Engines	$120,958	$58.15
   6	Gap Inc.	$119,093	$57.26
   7	R/GA	$112,360	$54.02
   8	Audible	$110,927	$53.33
   9	Merkle	$110,225	$52.99
   10	Sony Pictures	$106,892	$51.39
   11	NBCUniversal	$101,697	$48.89	21
   12	University of Massachusetts Boston	$101,678	$48.88
   13	Ball Arena	$97,987	$47.11	1
   14	MGM Studios	$93,638	$45.02
   15	Carnival Cruise Line	$93,502	$44.95	8
   16	Fidelity Investments	$91,790	$44.13	2
   17	Nintendo	$90,242	$43.39
   18	Ricoh	$89,118	$42.85
   19	Participant	$85,545	$41.13
   20	CyberCoders	$83,460	$40.13

4. Writing a social media director job description

   A good social media director 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 director job description:

   Social media director job description example

   RIGHT PLACE! ✅ RIGHT TIME! ✅ RIGHT COMPANY! ✅ RIGHT NOW!!
   Are you an expert in all things social? Do you have proven success in getting results for your clients and running a social media department? Do you have experience in managing 100+ social media accounts?
   If you answered "yes" to these questions, keep reading.
   The SMB Team is the fastest-growing digital marketing and coaching business for attorneys in the nation. We will finish this month with revenues almost 4X HIGHER than this time last year! We are in need of an internal Social Media Director who can help us do the same over 2022 and beyond.
   
   WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?
   Leading The Social Media Department for the #1 Fast Growth Lawyer Marketing & Coach Company 25 PAID TIME OFF Days (Work Hard Play Hard!) Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, and Disability Insurance Simple IRA WITH Match Team Member Education/Upskilling Budget Company Outings & Retreats Hybrid In-Office/Remote Work Model And MUCH, MUCH MORE!
   Qualifications 3+ Years Experience Required Managed 100+ Client Accounts with total Client Ad Spend of $3M+ per year Experience with Video Ad & Image Ad Campaigns Experience with Facebook Lead Campaigns Experience with Click Funnels
   Character Traits Self-Managing with the Ability to Take Initiative on Problem Solving
   Ability to Thrive in a High-Paced Environment Excellent Communication Skills - BOTH Verbal AND Written Desire to Grow and Learn EVERY DAY
   **This place isn’t for everyone . It’s challenging. It's fast-paced. Your job description may change. But, the rewards of accomplishment are amazing! ____ Who is the SMB Team?
   SMB Team is a rapidly growing marketing agency and coaching business for lawyers, based out of Philadelphia. After 3 years of 300% year-over-year growth, we have quickly become one of the top brands in the legal-industry.
   Bottom Line: We change lives. Want proof? Read our Google My Business reviews.
   There are 3 parts to our business. Educational Branding, Marketing Services, and Group Coaching. Here's how we will grow each of them...
   Educational Brand : We run the largest talk show in the legal industry right now. Every week, we get hundreds of lawyers on our webinars by interviewing top thought leaders (as seen on our YouTube). The goal is to become THE source of education for lawyers. Marketing Services : We offer a full-suite of marketing services to our clients including PPC, SEO, Website Design, Video, and Social Media management. Our goal is to scale our services business to over $15M in revenue by 2023. Coaching Services : We have a rapidly-growing coaching program for lawyers. In our first year we built our coaching business into a multi-seven figure business. Our program has been identified as the most comprehensive coaching program for attorneys and we plan to double the size of our clients in the next year.
   The SMB Team is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The policy of The SMB Team is to extend opportunities to qualified applicants and employees on an equal basis regardless of an individual's race, color, gender, age, national origin, religion, citizenship status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other categories protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.
   The SMB Team is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Minority/Female/Disabled/Protected Veterans

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find social media directors for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your social media director job on Zippia to find and recruit social media director candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with social media director 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.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 director

   Once you have selected a candidate for the social media director 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 equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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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How much does it cost to hire a social media director?