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The differences between social media managers and social media strategists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 8-10 years to become a social media manager, becoming a social media strategist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a social media manager has an average salary of $70,287, which is higher than the $62,339 average annual salary of a social media strategist.
The top three skills for a social media manager include instagram, twitter and digital marketing. The most important skills for a social media strategist are instagram, digital marketing, and twitter.
| Social Media Manager | Social Media Strategist | |
| Yearly salary | $70,287 | $62,339 |
| Hourly rate | $33.79 | $29.97 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 105,475 | 43,791 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 2 |
Social media managers are responsible for representing the company's business through social media channels. They help the company grow by enhancing its presence via social networks. Primarily, they need to implement marketing plans and identify their target clients and create a content schedule. Their duties include implementing and strategizing digital marketing campaigns. They support the development of brand identity and promotional strategies. Candidates for the job must be excellent in communication skills, have in-depth knowledge of how social platforms work, and easily understand the target audience.
A social media strategist is primarily in charge of handling a company or an individual's social media platforms, aiming for brand awareness and good public relations through positive online engagement. Their responsibilities revolve around developing and implementing social media strategies and campaigns for marketing, coordinating with content creators and writers, identifying new online marketing opportunities, keeping abreast of the latest trends, and ensuring that all content materials are relevant to the company. Furthermore, as a social media strategist, it is essential to be prepared for any issues by devising damage control plans.
Social media managers and social media strategists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Social Media Manager | Social Media Strategist | |
| Average salary | $70,287 | $62,339 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $98,000 | Between $41,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Utah |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a social media manager and a social media strategist in terms of educational background:
| Social Media Manager | Social Media Strategist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between social media managers' and social media strategists' demographics:
| Social Media Manager | Social Media Strategist | |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.9% Female, 61.1% | Male, 39.1% Female, 60.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 11% |