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The differences between social media marketers and marketing communications managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a social media marketer, becoming a marketing communications manager takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a marketing communications manager has an average salary of $84,146, which is higher than the $51,505 average annual salary of a social media marketer.
The top three skills for a social media marketer include facebook, instagram and social media marketing. The most important skills for a marketing communications manager are web content, marketing campaigns, and digital marketing.
| Social Media Marketer | Marketing Communications Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $51,505 | $84,146 |
| Hourly rate | $24.76 | $40.45 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 52,486 | 106,556 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Average age | 37 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 10 |
A social media marketer utilizes online platforms for marketing campaigns and projects. They typically perform market research and analysis to find opportunities and trends, identify the target audience, develop marketing plans and strategies according to the projects' needs, coordinate with content specialists and graphic designers, create marketing materials, and monitor the progress of all operations. There are also instances where they prepare and present reports to managers. Moreover, as a social media marketer, it is essential to have attention to detail and be proactive at dealing with issues.
A marketing communications manager's role is to oversee all operations involving media and public relations. They are primarily responsible for devising marketing strategies and programs to improve brand awareness, handling communications and various issues within the company, and crafting communication strategies for product launches and other events. Furthermore, they also must handle correspondence, take the lead in creating newsletters, press releases, and other mediums, ensuring that they align in the company's vision, mission, and regulations. As a marketing communications manager, it is essential to lead and encourage staff while implementing company policies and guidelines.
Social media marketers and marketing communications managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Social Media Marketer | Marketing Communications Manager | |
| Average salary | $51,505 | $84,146 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $71,000 | Between $60,000 And $117,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | Boston Consulting Group |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between a social media marketer and a marketing communications manager in terms of educational background:
| Social Media Marketer | Marketing Communications Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between social media marketers' and marketing communications managers' demographics:
| Social Media Marketer | Marketing Communications Manager | |
| Average age | 37 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.6% Female, 56.4% | Male, 32.3% Female, 67.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 10.3% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |