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

What is a social media project manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Ahmad Asady

Social media project managers help companies increase their reach by developing a communications strategy for their social media platforms. They have extensive knowledge of social media trends, from established platforms like Instagram and Twitter to newcomers like Clubhouse. They use their market research to develop an overall strategy to increase a brand's social media reach and conversion. Social media project managers also help implement their communications strategy by delegating duties to team members, creating content for social media, and engaging with the audience. They often need to have an eye for social media copywriting, graphic design, and metrics to track their social media success.

Most social media project managers start their careers with a bachelor's or even a master's degree in marketing or a similar field. They also have practical experience managing social media accounts for a brand, for example, through an internship.

Social media project management is a fast-growing field as more and more businesses are relying on social media to grow their audience. Social media project managers can rely on a steady market for their skills and an average annual salary of $73,233.

What general advice would you give to a social media project manager?

Ahmad Asady

Assistant Professor of Management Faculty Scholar, Challey Institute for Global Innovation and Growth, North Dakota State University

The role of a Marketing professional is as rewarding as it is demanding. On one hand, it offers the chance to unleash creativity, see the direct impact of your work, and enjoy a variety of experiences across different projects and industries. On the other hand, it comes with its fair share of challenges, such as the pressure to perform under tight deadlines and budgets, the constant need to stay ahead in a fast-evolving field, and the stress of quantifying the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Despite these challenges, the role remains appealing for those drawn to a career that demands both strategic thinking and creative innovation, underscored by the powerful tool of persuasion to shape consumer behavior and drive business success.

ScoreSocial Media Project ManagerUS Average

Salary

6.3

Avg. Salary $81,039

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.5

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%

Asian 8.15%

Black or African American 3.04%

Hispanic or Latino 8.67%

Unknown 5.32%

White 74.58%

Gender

female 59.01%

male 40.99%

Age - 38

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 - 38

Stress level

7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a social media project manager

Explore social media project manager education requirements

Most common social media project manager degrees

Bachelor's

78.5 %

Master's

9.3 %

Associate

7.6 %

Start to develop specific social media project manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Media Management	12.00%
Social Media Management	8.23%
Twitter	7.88%
Instagram	7.17%
Social Media Marketing	6.90%

Complete relevant social media project manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New social media project managers 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 project manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real social media project manager resumes.

Research social media project manager duties and responsibilities

Perform administrative duties including ordering photography supplies, managing expenses bookkeeping, updating photography inventory and archives.
Integrate videos into PDF documents and on webs & LinkedIn.
Publish events/features on Facebook, LinkedIn, and blogging tools.
Assist with video development, editing, and execution for YouTube and company websites.

Apply for social media project manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a social media project manager 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 project managers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Social media project manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2020

Pros

I love managing teams and taking the challenge

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019

Cons

Unreasonable deadlines.