How To Become A Social Media Editor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a social media editor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Bradley Shreve,

Dr. Stine Eckert Ph.D.

If you were told that social media editors can hack popular websites, will you believe it? That might seem impossible nowadays, but in 2010, Matthew Keys, an award-winning social media editor actually helped a hacker group by providing information that resulted in a cyber attack on the LA Times website. But don't worry -- hacks by social media editors are no longer commonplace.

What social media editors are responsible for maintaining a brand or organization's presence on social media platforms by ensuring the development and production of engaging content for their target audience. Editors make it possible to make a direct connection with a brand via social media. They may also work closely with writers and graphic designers, keep up with the latest social media trends, and develop effective online campaigns strategies to promote the brand.

Experienced editors can earn up to $23.51 an hour for their hard work. The majority of social media editors have a bachelor's degree in communication, while a masters degree is more of an exception in the field. To excel, they should be creative, detailed oriented, and able to make good decisions.

What general advice would you give to a social media editor?

Bradley Shreve

Editor, Tribal College Journal

Be flexible. An undergraduate degree in history offers a solid liberal arts background, but not a skill set that is finely tuned for most jobs. Think outside the box, and understand that the job you land probably won't be in the history profession.

ScoreSocial Media EditorUS Average

Salary

4.2

Avg. Salary $53,943

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.7

Growth rate -5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.27%

Asian 7.01%

Black or African American 3.48%

Hispanic or Latino 7.83%

Unknown 4.55%

White 76.87%

Gender

female 58.80%

male 41.20%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.3

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a social media editor

Explore social media editor education requirements

Most common social media editor degrees

Bachelor's

76.7 %

Associate

9.9 %

Master's

8.3 %

Start to develop specific social media editor skills

Skills	Percentages
Instagram	11.72%
Facebook	11.34%
Twitter	9.79%
Social Platforms	7.68%
Social Content	4.37%

Complete relevant social media editor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New social media editors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a social media editor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real social media editor resumes.

Research social media editor duties and 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.

Prepare your social media editor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your social media editor resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a social media editor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable social media editor resume templates

Build a professional social media editor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your social media editor resume.

Apply for social media editor jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a social media editor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do social media editors rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Social media editor reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019

Pros

Content management.

Cons

I love my work. I don't love who I work for. They do not understand the steps involved in social media. And keep asking for analytics. I send them in a thoughtfully presented report. And they just don't get it. Sales thinks I jack around all day on social media. That is my job. Then there's the fact that I have to be paid to monitor the work and campaigns I shoot down the feeds. Ugh. Run for your life unless you work for a corporation.