What is the average salary for a social media manager in 2023?

2023 is coming to an end. For most social media managers, the end-of-year hustle means holiday posts galore, some well-deserved rest, and year-end salary reviews. This brings up some questions. 

What did the average social media manager make in 2023? Is my social media salary competitive for my industry and level of experience? 

Good news: We've got the answers to all of these questions. And then some! 

We surveyed our community of social media managers to uncover the average social media salary, discover the highest-paying industry for social media managers, and determine the average salary increase. Use these insights to navigate your social media career with confidence – and earn the salary you deserve!

What is the average social media manager salary in 2023?

We surveyed 247 social media managers from across the world. And the results are in!

The average annual salary for a social media manager in 2023 was $59,435.

Let’s dive into how these numbers compare when taking into consideration industry and level of experience. 

What is the average social media salary based on experience?

6.5% of social media managers reported making $100,000 or more in 2023. 

Wondering how many years of experience it takes to earn six figures as a social media manager? 

According to the survey results, most social media managers who earned over $100,000 in 2023 have at least 7 years of experience.

But not every social media manager has been in the game for that long. So, let's take a look at how the average salary for a social media manager changes with experience. In 2023 . . . 

1. Social media managers with 1–2 years of experience earned $50,147

2. Social media managers with 3–4 years of experience earned $56,228

3. Social media managers with 5–6 years of experience earned $62,275

Are social media managers earning raises? Our survey respondents report earning an average salary increase of 3.05% each year. But this growth rate largely depends on the social media manager's industry. We'll explore that next.

What is the highest-paying industry for social media managers? 

The highest-paying industry for a social media manager is the technology industry. (No surprise there, right?) 

In 2023, social media managers working in the tech industry earned an average salary of $69,545. Social media managers working in tech also reported the highest annual salary growth rate: 4.05%.

However, managing social in the tech world does come with some risks. 9.3% of social media managers report being affected by the tech layoffs in 2023. 

Coming in at #2 on the list of highest-paying industries for social media managers is the public sector. Social media managers working in the public sector earned an average salary of $68,650 in 2023. The average salary growth rate for social media managers in the public sector is not quite as high as that of tech-based social media managers. In 2023, social media managers in the public sector received an average salary increase of 2.60%. 

Here's another industry to watch: marketing and advertising. Social media managers working in marketing and advertising earned an average salary of $57,613 in 2023. And there's room to grow. Our survey revealed that social media managers in marketing and advertising earned an average salary increase of 3.64% in 2023.

Here's what social media managers in other industries earned in 2023:

1. Social media managers in the small business industry earned an average salary of $51,979 and reported a 2.54% annual salary increase

2. Social media managers in the non-profit industry earned an average salary of $56,550 and reported a 2.22% annual salary increase

3. Social media managers in the higher education industry earned an average salary of $58,500 and reported a 1.96% annual salary increase

Summary

So there you have it – the need-to-know statistics on social media marketing salaries and raises. Go ahead and use these statistics to prove your worth and earn a competitive salary for your industry and experience! 

And if you want to fast-track your success, subscribe to the HeyOrca newsletter for daily resources and all the up-to-date social scoop. 

‍