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The differences between social media managers and virtual assistants 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 virtual assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a social media manager has an average salary of $70,287, which is higher than the $39,915 average annual salary of a virtual assistant.
The top three skills for a social media manager include instagram, twitter and digital marketing. The most important skills for a virtual assistant are data entry, customer service, and email management.
| Social Media Manager | Virtual Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $70,287 | $39,915 |
| Hourly rate | $33.79 | $19.19 |
| Growth rate | 10% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 105,475 | 49,508 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Average age | 39 | 50 |
| 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.
Virtual Assistants are remote workers who work with clients that need assistance. They usually do administrative or clerical activities such as managing soft copies of a document, writing e-mail correspondences, managing calendars, scheduling appointments, and other activities. They manage the e-mail of their clients and respond to inquiries and other messages. They also manage phone calls by answering calls, taking messages, and dialing for their clients. Virtual Assistants may also be asked to handle travel-related tasks of their clients, such as creating itineraries, booking flights, and booking hotels.
Social media managers and virtual assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Social Media Manager | Virtual Assistant | |
| Average salary | $70,287 | $39,915 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $98,000 | Between $29,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | IBM |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between a social media manager and a virtual assistant in terms of educational background:
| Social Media Manager | Virtual Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Communication | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between social media managers' and virtual assistants' demographics:
| Social Media Manager | Virtual Assistant | |
| Average age | 39 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.9% Female, 61.1% | Male, 12.4% Female, 87.6% |
| 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, 9.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 6% |