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

Q: How do I become a good social media specialist?

To become a good social media specialist, you typically want to get postsecondary education and prior relevant experience to become a good social media specialist. Although it's possible to become one with just a high school diploma if you have the relevant experience to prove your skills, most social media specialists obtain a bachelor's degree, typically in a related field like communication, marketing, and public relations.

Q: How do I start a social media career?

To start a social media career, it's important to educate yourself and start small. The good news is that there isn't just one right way to start a career in social media; there are many. It's good to consider your timeline and your short and long-term career goals before you get started.

Q: How much do media specialists make?

Media specialists make about $49,000 yearly or $23.58 hourly. As most jobs go, factors like location, industry, and experience can determine your exact salary. On the lower end of the salary range, they can make around $29,000, usually for entry-level positions or for low-paying states like Louisiana and South Carolina. On the higher end, they can earn around $81,00 or more.

Q: Is social media specialist a good career?

Yes, being a social media specialist is a good career if you enjoy making creative content, engaging with people online, and the high salary possibilities. Social media specialists are professionals responsible for creating and administering content on all social media platforms to build an audience and ensure customer engagement. Their duties include customer service, copywriting, data analysis, and creative direction, making the job feel fast-paced and exciting.

Q: What are the skills required for social media specialist?

The skills required for social media specialists are content marketing, major social media platforms, and other tools to measure engagement. Social media specialists are generally responsible for creating and administering content on all social media platforms to build an audience and ensure customer engagement.

Q: What experience do you need to be a social media specialist?

The experience you need to be a social media specialist is typically an internship in a related field like marketing, social media, or public relations. In general, relevant experience in handling customers and selling products to them, such as a sales associate, can be useful.

What is a social media specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Mike Bromberg,

Dr. Tom Hallaq

A social media specialist plays a critical role in building and maintaining a solid online presence for their organization. They are responsible for developing content for social media platforms, analyzing performance metrics, monitoring online trends, and staying up-to-date with the latest social media tools and best practices. They manage and promote a company's social media presence. They create and implement social media marketing strategies to increase brand awareness, engage with customers, and drive website traffic.

What general advice would you give to a social media specialist?

Mike Bromberg

Assistant Professor, East-West University

There are many great careers out there that can be attained as a result of getting a degree in English. One great example is the fact that many companies find that it's a necessity to develop and maintain their social media presence. They look for Communications Coordinators, social media managers, and media directors to make sure their materials, themes, and messages are organized and broadcasted efficiently and appropriately. Some people go on to graduate programs such as law school, as English courses engage heavily with reading, writing, and critical thinking skills.

ScoreSocial Media SpecialistUS Average

Salary

4.0

Avg. Salary $51,584

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.3

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.59%

Asian 5.29%

Black or African American 10.03%

Hispanic or Latino 11.92%

Unknown 5.09%

White 67.08%

Gender

female 61.38%

male 38.62%

Age - 40

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 - 40

Stress level

7.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.8

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a social media specialist

Explore social media specialist education requirements

Most common social media specialist degrees

Bachelor's

78.7 %

Associate

8.8 %

Master's

7.1 %

Start to develop specific social media specialist skills

Skills	Percentages
Social Media Marketing	7.76%
Instagram	7.59%
Digital Marketing	7.44%
Facebook	7.33%
Twitter	6.45%

Complete relevant social media specialist training and internships

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

Research social media specialist duties and responsibilities

Develop and manage blogger outreach program and KPIs.
Assist in managing the social network pages (Facebook/Twitter) as well as editing the site.
Create, curate, and manage all publish content (images, video and written).
Develop and help manage online links and search engine optimization (SEO) efforts to drive traffic to sites

Prepare your social media specialist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your social media specialist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a social media specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable social media specialist resume templates

Build a professional social media specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your social media specialist resume.

Apply for social media specialist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a social media specialist 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 specialists rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Social media specialist reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019

Pros

Content management.

Cons

I love my work. I don't love who I work for. They do not understand the steps involved in social media. And keep asking for analytics. I send them in a thoughtfully presented report. And they just don't get it. Sales thinks I jack around all day on social media. That is my job. Then there's the fact that I have to be paid to monitor the work and campaigns I shoot down the feeds. Ugh. Run for your life unless you work for a corporation.

What is a social media specialist and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a social media specialist?

Social media specialist career paths

Key steps to become a social media specialist

Explore social media specialist education requirements

Most common social media specialist degrees

Start to develop specific social media specialist skills

Complete relevant social media specialist training and internships

Research social media specialist duties and responsibilities

Prepare your social media specialist resume

Choose from 10+ customizable social media specialist resume templates

Apply for social media specialist jobs

How did you land your first social media specialist job

Average social media specialist salary

How do social media specialists rate their job?

Social media specialist reviews

Social media specialist FAQs

How do I become a good social media specialist?

How do I start a social media career?

How much do media specialists make?

Is social media specialist a good career?

What are the skills required for social media specialist?

What experience do you need to be a social media specialist?

Search for social media specialist jobs

Social media specialist jobs by state