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Job outlook for social media directors in the United States
Social media director job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected social media director job growth rate is 8% from 2018-2028.
About 6,300 new jobs for social media directors are projected over the next decade.
Social media director salaries have increased 14% for social media directors in the last 5 years.
There are over 10,789 social media directors currently employed in the United States.
There are 39,016 active social media director job openings in the US.
The average social media director salary is $70,846.
Are social media director jobs in demand?
Social media director job and salary trends over time
Social media director jobs over time
Social media director job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 10,789 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 10,484 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 10,231 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 9,759 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 8,848 | 0.00% |
Average social media director salary over time
Social media director salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $70,846 | $34.06 | +4.1% |
| 2024 | $68,072 | $32.73 | +2.1% |
| 2023 | $66,688 | $32.06 | +3.2% |
| 2022 | $64,644 | $31.08 | +3.7% |
| 2021 | $62,343 | $29.97 | +3.1% |
Social media director jobs by state
Most common states for social media directors
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 267 | 31% |
| 2 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 693 | 22% |
| 3 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 152 | 22% |
| 4 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 624 | 21% |
| 5 | Louisiana | 4,684,333 | 701 | 15% |
| 6 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 601 | 15% |
| 7 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 408 | 14% |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 877 | 13% |
| 9 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 625 | 13% |
| 10 | Vermont | 623,657 | 75 | 12% |
| 11 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 153 | 11% |
| 12 | Delaware | 961,939 | 102 | 11% |
| 13 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 295 | 10% |
| 14 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 135 | 10% |
| 15 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 73 | 10% |
| 16 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 648 | 9% |
| 17 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 529 | 9% |
| 18 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 148 | 9% |
| 19 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 97 | 9% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 93 | 9% |
Most common cities for social media directors
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cambridge | 1 | 1% | $77,314 |
| 2 | Davie | 1 | 1% | $46,415 |
| 3 | Gainesville | 1 | 1% | $47,602 |
| 4 | Los Angeles | 2 | 0% | $87,374 |
| 5 | New York | 1 | 0% | $91,320 |
| 6 | San Francisco | 1 | 0% | $108,143 |
| 7 | Washington | 1 | 0% | $73,633 |
Social Media Director job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of social media director experts
Cabrini University
Maryville University of Saint Louis
Huntington University
University of Houston - Downtown
West Los Angeles College
Berea College
Seattle University
Campbellsville University
Prairie View A&M University
Eastern Washington University College of Business
University of Central Missouri
What will help Social Media Directors increase their earning potential?
Rich Johnson: Digital media covers a lot of mediums and requires many skill sets (print, static online, animation, interactive). The print arm is a lesser component although still valuable in the scope of marketing. Smartphones, tablets and gaming have moved a lot of digital into a customer expectation of interactive and customizable content. The present model of career specialization in a certain aspect of this spectrum of skills is changing. The age of the generalist is becoming more of a reality as design tools are becoming more accessible and A.I. is assisting in the more complex tasks. I would say that someone working in digital media will need to focus more on the big picture of design, predicting trends and developing solutions from a point of view with perspective. It will be even more important to understand the needs of a system from the top down and provide solutions that enhance that system. This might be through partnering with marketing and sales to conceptualize solutions, pitching product ideas and other functions related to creative and art direction. And be curious, all of the time. Keep up to date with everything that is happening. Take classes, watch tutorials, read articles and be obsessed with the breakneck rate of change. Digital media is constantly changing and possibilities are always expanding. It can be near impossible to be a master of all of these trajectories, but you can understand them well enough to bring in a specialist when the challenge requires it. This is where I predict that A.I. will be a major paradigm shift. There will be a time when you will ask the system to solve a problem, and you can choose what parts of the process that you want to control. So to boil it down... Develop a well rounded set of skills Further develop specialist level skills where you excel Keep on top of change and keep a thirst for learning Strengthen your connection to problem solving and creative innovation Keep an eye on the future predicting what might be around the bend
Professor Cheryl Pilchik
Marketing at Cabrini U.Cabrini University
Business Administration, Management And Operations
What general advice would you give to a Social Media Director?
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 Director 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 Directors 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 Director?
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 Director 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 Directors 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 Director?
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 Director 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 Directors 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 Director?
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 Director 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 Directors 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.
Dr. Richard Conde Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Houston - Downtown
Marilyn Davies College of Business
What soft skills should all Social Media Directors possess?
Dr. Richard Conde Ph.D.: The need for soft skills are consistent through time. With our societal focus on social media, texting, emojis, etc. It appears to me companies are looking for the following:
- Active listening skills
- Willingness to be self-reflective and accept feedback
- Accept different perspectives. The collision of ideas creates knowledge
- Communicate to the listener (at their level). Flex communicators
- Cultural intelligence. Demographics changes will require better understanding of team member's, boss', customer's, etc. cultural context
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Social Media Directors?
Anthony Cuomo: We have changed the ways in which we communicate with each other. Now, more than ever, we know that technology is pervasive and has revolutionized the way we communicate personally and professionally. Virtual interviews, online group meetings and presentations are the new norm. Job seekers who are able to communicate effectively online will have an advantage in our new context. I don't think Zoom meetings or Skype are going away any time soon. So, practicing how to sustain eye contact with a camera, being personable and communicating enthusiasm virtually will set you apart from other applicants.
What's a good job out of college for Social Media Directors?
Anthony Cuomo: A job that you are passionate about and helps you begin your journey. Pursue jobs that spark your interest and also provide opportunities to learn, grow and seek out mentorship. Think long term and how you a strengthening your professional foundation while also providing opportunities to support yourself and your lifestyle.
What will help Social Media Directors increase their earning potential?
Anthony Cuomo: Personally, every unpaid opportunity I pursued early on in my career led to a paid opportunity in the future. We should know our worth and expect our labor to be compensated, but we should also look at the bigger picture and identify service opportunities, volunteering and working outside of our required job duties provide new prospective, skills and a chance to develop our resumes. It pays off in the future.
J. Ian Norris Ph.D.
Professor of Marketing and Fellow, American Council on EducationBerea College
Economics and Business Department
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Social Media Directors?
J. Ian Norris Ph.D.: There is little doubt that workers will continue some of their work remotely. This was a trend already underway before the pandemic that was greatly accelerated during the pandemic. In marketing specifically, many businesses had to shift business to online that had not been online before. It is likely that this will also have a lasting impact on how business is conducted. This was particularly true in the service industry and in arts and entertainment. The big take-home lesson for marketing graduates is that digital literacy has never been more important. All marketers are digital marketers, to some degree or another, today.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Social Media Directors?
J. Ian Norris Ph.D.: Digital marketing skills are essential for any area of marketing. Luckily there are many online certifications available for this purpose. On the research side, Google Analytics offers a certification. It will also be valuable to know the analytics platforms on social media sites such as facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Conversely, all of these sites also offer training on digital advertising and promotion, such as Google AdWords. Any coursework in digital marketing that provides instruction in Search Engine Marketing (SEM) will also be highly valuable. Finally, digital video and editing skills are also quite valuable, as all kinds of companies and organizations are using the short video format for storytelling and brand advertising.
What will help Social Media Directors increase their earning potential?
J. Ian Norris Ph.D.: No matter what area of marketing you are working in--in fact, no matter what job you are working in at all, statistical literacy is essential. There is so much data out there that data literacy will confer significant competitive advantage to those who can leverage it. This doesn't mean everyone has to be able to do regression modeling, but being able to interpret correlational patterns and draw actionable meaning from it will be a foundational skill. A big bonus would be some basic coding skills. Finally, it is worth mentioning that while most social media marketing still happens on Facebook, it will be essential to know platforms such as Instagram and TikTok for any products or services targeted to younger consumers.
Colette Hoption Ph.D.
Associate Professor of ManagementSeattle University
Albers School of Business & Economics
What technical skills for a Social Media Director stand out to employers?
Colette Hoption Ph.D.: Stand-out technical skills likely vary by field. For example, when working with big data, database management, and data mining and modeling would be extremely important. I also imagine that programming skills would be an asset. Thinking of my field (Management) in particular, here are some technical skills that I'd emphasize: writing skills, proficiency in using collaborative decision-making tools, project management, and familiarity with productivity trackers. Finally, in an earlier question I noted that organizations may embrace more remote work; in that situation, I can see how critical it will be for managers to show that they can effectively establish goals, rally enthusiasm, coach and mentor employees from a distance. A lesson the pandemic has taught many organizations is that forging human connections in remote work is a challenge, and those who have developed the skills to do this are invaluable.
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 Director 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 Director 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 Directors 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.
Dr Rick Baldwin
Associate Professor of PracticePrairie View A&M University
Management and Marketing Department
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Social Media Director job market given the pandemic?
Dr Rick Baldwin: -Employers seeking applicants who have demonstrated the use of social media to promote their ideas and interests.
-Employers seeking applicants with minors in a liberal arts degree or interdisciplinary degree or entrepreneurship that provides a comprehensive understanding of an issue.
What Social Media Director skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr Rick Baldwin: I would recommend students to develop their creativity, problem-solving, self-awareness, need assessment, and opportunity awareness skills. I would recommend that students should travel to both developing countries and underdeveloped countries in this gap year. Traveling to these countries will allow students an opportunity to see how needs and opportunities are being addressed in areas with resources and without resources.
William Martin Ph.D.
Associate Professor of MarketingEastern Washington University College of Business
Chair, Department of Finance and Marketing
What skills stand out on Social Media Director resumes?
William Martin Ph.D.: Relevant work experience is always a big plus, and internships are a great way for students to obtain it. Employers are most interested in specific examples of actions that applicants took that had significant, demonstrable benefits for those they previously worked with.
Joe Moore Ph.D.
Professor of Communication Program Coordinator, Digital Media ProductionUniversity of Central Missouri
Department of Communication
What skills stand out on Social Media Director resumes?
Joe Moore Ph.D.: Well, first I would strongly urge them to reconsider taking a gap year. If we are in a pandemic and go into another shutdown, where are you going to work? If you're thinking you'll just go to school at a community college and work on your gen eds, how are you going to do that if they are shut down, too? But, if they DO take a gap year, I would encourage students to work on their writing. That's the skill we see that students struggle with the most, and in talking with employers, it is the one skill that really sets applicants apart. And don't just "write". I mean, start a blog to write about your experiences, practice writing scripts, cover some news in your area, yes. But practice writing WELL. Go to https://owl.purdue.edu/ and do some writing lessons to practice proper grammar. Texting and emails have killed proper writing because it is not expected, but if you have good grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization (basic writing skills) AND can tell a good story, just like that you've set yourself apart.