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Job outlook for social media marketers in the United States
Social media marketer job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected social media marketer job growth rate is 19% from 2018-2028.
About 150,300 new jobs for social media marketers are projected over the next decade.
Social media marketer salaries have increased 5% for social media marketers in the last 5 years.
There are over 29,372 social media marketers currently employed in the United States.
There are 52,486 active social media marketer job openings in the US.
The average social media marketer salary is $51,505.
Are social media marketer jobs in demand?
Social media marketer job and salary trends over time
Social media marketer jobs over time
Social media marketer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 29,372 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 29,004 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 28,858 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 27,848 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 26,850 | 0.01% |
Average social media marketer salary over time
Social media marketer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $51,505 | $24.76 | +3.2% |
| 2024 | $49,924 | $24.00 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $49,400 | $23.75 | --0.2% |
| 2022 | $49,486 | $23.79 | +1.1% |
| 2021 | $48,962 | $23.54 | +0.7% |
Social media marketer jobs by state
Most common states for social media marketers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 186 | 27% |
| 2 | Vermont | 623,657 | 136 | 22% |
| 3 | Delaware | 961,939 | 205 | 21% |
| 4 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 229 | 17% |
| 5 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 97 | 17% |
| 6 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 138 | 16% |
| 7 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 121 | 16% |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,033 | 15% |
| 9 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 207 | 15% |
| 10 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 160 | 15% |
| 11 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 245 | 14% |
| 12 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 148 | 14% |
| 13 | Alaska | 739,795 | 100 | 14% |
| 14 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 398 | 13% |
| 15 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 221 | 12% |
| 16 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 796 | 11% |
| 17 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 671 | 11% |
| 18 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 537 | 10% |
| 19 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 352 | 10% |
| 20 | New York | 19,849,399 | 1,771 | 9% |
Social Media Marketer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of social media marketer experts
Webster University
Saint Xavier University
Xavier University
Indiana University Bloomington
University of San Francisco
University of Scranton
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Webster University
University of North Georgia
Dominican University of California
University of Central Oklahoma
Southern Connecticut State University
Adelphi University
University of Minnesota
Davis & Elkins College
Julia Griffey
Associate Professor of Interactive Digital Media and Media ProductionWebster University
Radio, Television, And Digital Communication
What will help Social Media Marketers increase their earning potential?
Julia Griffey: I think the best way to make the most money is to not have someone else define what that salary should be. There are so many new ways to launch online ventures that anyone can take advantage of. And if you graduate with digital media production skills - you are in a great position to create the content needed for this type of endeavor. But if you decide you want to work for a company or organization and maximize your starting salary - it helps to understand the salary landscape. Any data that you have to support your salary requests will help you get the salary you want. You can also consider living and working in an area where salaries are higher. If this could translate into a remote work situation - you could land a higher paying salary and then move somewhere with a lower cost of living.
What Social Media Marketer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Gulay Guzel PhD: Maximizing salary potential at the outset of one's marketing career requires strategic considerations. Marketing is inherently interdisciplinary, drawing from fields such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, and data science. Graduates should first identify their specialization within the marketing realm, whether it's in market research, product design, pricing strategy, or another area. Next, they should articulate what sets them apart from other candidates and highlight additional value they bring to the table. Realism is key when setting salary expectations; candidates should conduct thorough industry research to inform negotiations. Additionally, leveraging diverse experiences gained from internships and coursework to bolster their applications can significantly enhance their bargaining power.
What Social Media Marketer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Len Hostetter: Proficiency and comfort with business data analytics skills is a must. This is foundational to business and marketing. Marketing has become very data driven. Additionally, understanding Artificial Intelligence (AI), being comfortable using it, and understanding how it will impact your work in the future. Some work will be eliminated, other work transformed. Finally, the ability to communicate, both orally and in writing.
Gina Rossetti PhD
Professor and Interim DeanSaint Xavier University
English Language And Literature/Letters
What general advice would you give to a Social Media Marketer?
Gina Rossetti PhD: An English major can maximize salary potential by first securing experience in prior professional internships. Additionally, the English major should also become adept with the Microsoft Office Suite, as well as gain expertise in the role of social media for corporate branding and expansion of such brands.
What will help Social Media Marketers increase their earning potential?
Mario Schulzke: It depends on the industry, but a marketing specialist would likely do much support work at this entry-level job, such as research, presentation prep, first drafts, and grunt tasks. You won't be leading any strategy as a marketing specialist.
Catherine Cuckovich
Assistant Professor of TeachingWhat Social Media Marketer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Catherine Cuckovich: According to the American Marketing Association, marketing consists of activities and "processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large." Given this broad-ranging definition, it is not surprising that there are a wide variety of entry-level marketing jobs. The most well-known areas are Advertising, Sales, Marketing Research and Analytics, and Digital Marketing and Analytics. Public Relations and Brand Management are also part of the field.
Most entry-level Marketing jobs involve creating or managing some form of communication (including ads) or promotions that are directed to customers. So, there is every chance your first job will involve helping create such materials. Some titles you might find are Account Coordinator, Product Development Coordinator/Assistant. Client Marketing Assistant, Social Media Coordinator, Digital Broadcast Traffic Specialist.
A large proportion of entry-level jobs involve in-person or remote interaction with customers, to help improve customer experience and solve customer problems. These jobs may or may not be sales-related. Some job titles you might find are Sales Rep/Associate, Retail Analyst, Client Marketing Associate.
Marketing Research and Analytics involves analysis of both customers and competitors. An entry-level job here would be called Market Research Analyst. However, every marketing professional is expected to use research and analytics in their job.
Here is a good link that describes job titles and their duties.
https://www.ama.org/marketing-news/marketing-job-titles/
KATHERINE (KATE) Katherine Loveland Ph.D.
Chair & Associate ProfessorXavier University
Marketing
What will help Social Media Marketers increase their earning potential?
KATHERINE (KATE) Katherine Loveland Ph.D.: I would probably give this advice to any graduate, but it is particularly important in marketing: work on building your personal connections. By this, I don't just mean building your online professional network, although this is important, I mean put in the actual face time. Pick up the phone, walk down the hall, go into the office, schedule the lunch (or coffee or drink), attend the networking event and then follow-up. We are social beings and I hear from managers all the time that the new hires who stand out are those who take the time to build relationships. Also, marketing is fundamentally about building connections between customer needs and organizational offerings. The best way to spot opportunities is to be actively engaged with a broad spectrum of people both within and outside the organization.
Professor Steve Vinson
Director of Undergraduate StudiesIndiana University Bloomington
Middle/Near Eastern And Semitic Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
What will help Social Media Marketers increase their earning potential?
Professor Steve Vinson: By being flexible, and by standing out. Cultivate multiple skills that complement your area studies/language skills, especially digital skills.
Stephen Kraus Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, USF (also, CEO of Next Level Sciences)University of San Francisco
Marketing
What will help Social Media Marketers increase their earning potential?
Stephen Kraus Ph.D.: Get a good degree from a good university. Academic credentials are still a gateway to career growth. Build expertise in high-demand areas (e.g., AI, data science). Move to a big city with lots of growth opportunities. Work hard. Building a good reputation and getting on a good trajectory are particularly important early in one's career.
What general advice would you give to a Social Media Marketer?
Stephen Kraus Ph.D.: 1. Get a good degree from a good university. Academic credentials are still a gateway to career growth.
2. Build expertise in high-demand areas (e.g., AI, data science)
3. Move to a big city with lots of growth opportunities. Places like San Francisco and NYC are hubs for economic activity - there are lots of job opportunities, and they are great places for building a network of valuable connections.
4. Work hard. Building a good reputation and getting on a good trajectory are particularly important early in one's career. As a young professional, it pays to grind.
Dr. Robin Murphy
Professor of Rhetoric and WritingWhat will help Social Media Marketers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Robin Murphy: Critical thinking and communication skills, both verbal and written, will always set you apart from others in any field. Making sure you can incorporate your skillset into social media trends and AI will be critical in the next 3 years.
What general advice would you give to a Social Media Marketer?
Dr. Peter Andersen: I may be able to give some insights for the article. However, you should send me the article after it is out with the reference link.
Purvi Shah
Associate Professor of Marketing, The Business School at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Marketing
What Social Media Marketer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Purvi Shah: With technology advancements and the fast growth of AI applications in marketing, content
strategy, marketing and data analytics, metaverse community management, storytelling,
customer relationship management, influencer marketing, performance marketing, growth
marketing, and continuous learning are going to be sought after skills for different marketing
roles in the future.
Having said that, a marketer's core competencies are here to stay even in the future. These
include knowledge of marketing concepts/frameworks, market research, communication skills,
presentation skills, creativity, and strategic, lateral and analytical thinking.
Then, there are a set of skills specific to the marketing role an individual chooses as a career
option. These will also be in-demand specific to the role. For e.g., Digital and social media
marketers must be proficient in at least one or few of the following skills: content marketing,
email marketing, search engine optimization and management, video marketing, data-driven
decision making, social media marketing, storytelling, influencer marketing, ability to self-learn
and adapt, web designing, user experience, branding, and ethics. They should also be tech
savvy and persuasive.
Rebecca Guth-Metzler
Assistant Professor of ChemistryWebster University
Radio, Television, And Digital Communication
What Social Media Marketer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Rebecca Guth-Metzler: The integration of captured media such as sound and image recordings with computer-assisted elements will continue to define the digital creator toolbox, and I believe that motion graphics, visual effects, image retouching, sound design, and especially what we're now calling "virtual cinema production" will all continue to grow in importance in the next few years.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Social Media Marketers?
Mary Norman: -Project management skills
-Knowledge of key marketing tools and analytics:
-Social media tools like Hootsuite, Google analytics, etc.
-Design tools like Canva, Photoshop, Illustrator
-Email and Survey tools like Mailchimp and Survey Monkey
-SEO Tools like Google Ads
-Digital/Social Media Marketing Skills in the following areas:
-Email marketing
-Search Engine Marketing and Search Engine Optimization (SEM/SEO)
-Email marketing
-Content marketing - ability to create content for social media and additional formats like blogs, etc.
-Social Media marketing through top platforms: i.e., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, etc.
-Data Analysis - mining insights into customer behavior based on website and social media analytics
-Trendwatching / Consumer insights
Bradley Van Alstyne Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Communications, Coordinator, Online Learning and Development, Chair of the Communications and Media Studies DepartmentDominican University of California
Communication and Media Studies
What skills will help Social Media Marketers earn the most?
Bradley Van Alstyne Ph.D.: The hard skills (audio and video) usually get you the job, but the soft skills allow you to keep it and grow!
Stacia Wert-Gray Ph.D.
Professor of Marketing, ChairpersonUniversity of Central Oklahoma
Department of Marketing
What soft skills should all Social Media Marketers possess?
Stacia Wert-Gray Ph.D.: Communication is important in any job but especially in marketing. These professionals must be able to communicate with customers/clients about product/service benefits and must be able to listen and represent the needs of customers/clients to their own company.
Charles Gamble
Adjunct ProfessorSouthern Connecticut State University
Marketing Department
What soft skills should all Social Media Marketers possess?
Charles Gamble: Be a good communicator (internally and externally). Marketing is all about effective communication. Most of the roles in marketing are basically managing the various channels through which the communications are disseminated (Events, PR, Paid Search, Web, Social Media, etc.). If you can communicate effectively, you will be a strong asset to the team, and your skills will be easily transferable to multiple roles within the marketing organization. This will provide you security in your current role and a path for career advancement. Three things help to make you a more effective marketing communicator:
-Empathy - Have deep empathy for your prospective customer and the challenges that they are facing. Understand their industry, language, motivation, what their day is like, why they do what they do, who their customers are, etc.
-Product Knowledge - Have a deep understanding of the product or service that you are marketing. Understanding how the functionality of a product or a solution can solve a prospective customers pain point
-Macro Mindset - Think about how content layers together to create a hierarchy or matrix. Understanding how a content theme can be expanded or contracted can help you see the "big picture" and offer more granular detail on a particular topic.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Social Media Marketers?
Mark Grabowski: I'm not going to sugarcoat it: The pandemic could permanently setback the college students who graduated during it. Timing is very important in the job market. Research shows that college graduates who start their working lives during a recession really struggle for many years afterward. So, if you're graduating now, you really need to hustle to succeed.
What's a good job out of college for Social Media Marketers?
Mark Grabowski: A good job would be one where you're happy, able to grow professionally and make enough money to get by. Your first job is probably not going to be your dream job. It may not pay great. And there will be boring days, bad days and perhaps all-nighters. But, because you're spending so much time working, you should try to find something you enjoy doing. You want to avoid taking on credit card debt or medical debt, so you may need to turn down opportunities that only provide "experience" or "exposure" over an actual salary and benefits. That said, it's hard to find an entry-level job that is both fun and pays a decent wage. So, you're going to have to strike a balance between doing what you love for peanuts versus making money but being miserable. Finally, you want to work at a place that will enable you to advance in your career or at least acquire skills that will help you in life. Otherwise, you're just wasting your time. And your first few years after college are prime years, so use them wisely.
What will help Social Media Marketers increase their earning potential?
Mark Grabowski: In media, it's important to have multimedia skills, so that you can be an effective and compelling digital storyteller. You should know how to record sound, how to shoot video, how to edit sound and video, how to write using search engine optimization, how to create a webpage, etc. That said, being able to write and speak well remain the most important skills - and so few young people do that well because they've been isolated this past year and they primarily communicate through texting.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Social Media Marketers?
Zhirong Zhao Ph.D.: I am the Director of Master of Public Policy Program (MPP). MPP is a professional graduate degree. The Covid condition has interrupted student internships and make it harder for students to navigate the job market in the traditional way, but I expect the market remains good for our students, who are mainly getting into public, nonprofit, or educational institutions.
What's a good job out of college for Social Media Marketers?
Zhirong Zhao Ph.D.: Many of our students aim for a career in public or nonprofit organizations to address issues of social inequality and power imbalance. These are great jobs that align well with the skill sets of our students and their future career goals.
What will help Social Media Marketers increase their earning potential?
Zhirong Zhao Ph.D.: People in a public or nonprofit career aims not only for the growth of personal earning potential, but also the opportunity to make positive changes to the society.
Bridget Esterhuizen
Theatre Department Head, Assistant Professor of TheatreDavis & Elkins College
Theatre Department
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Social Media Marketers?
Bridget Esterhuizen: I don't think anyone knows the answer to this question. In the Theatre industry, we are doing our best to attend to "the moment," I think--which is what we try to do in our work, too. Right now, we have been given a gift that theatre artists rarely have time to reflect and prioritize. This is a time for us to look at addressing social change (such as responding to the "We See You White American Theatre" statement. This is also a time for taking action to nurture the arts in a financial way. I think MANY people in our industry would say this is a time similar to the Great Depression when programming to support the arts through government funding is essential for the survival of our arts, artists and our society. The impact on graduates will unfold in 'real time'. Graduates will face a need to be more adaptable than ever as they look for work alongside a call for making meaningful work. But, they also have an advantage right now because this is a major social event that is underway--which is a great prompt for creative work. We need art and stories more than ever right now in order to get through this together.
What's a good job out of college for Social Media Marketers?
Bridget Esterhuizen: Even in a pre-COVID world, a good job is tricky to find right out of college. Graduates rely on the connections they've made during their time in college and the people in their circle of connection. Right now, there are work-from-home and online opportunities--which is exciting new territory that might strengthen family bonds and will create new avenues of work--that's something to take advantage of.
What will help Social Media Marketers increase their earning potential?
Bridget Esterhuizen: Flexibility. Versatility. Creativity. Luckily, these are things we are well trained for. BUT, it's very hard to make art when you are trying to survive, which is why I'll circle back to calling on our government to think a bit like Roosevelt's administration did and put funding into governmental arts projects and initiatives.