What Skills Should Social Media Managers Have?
Learn the Skills You Need to Become a Social Media Manager
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Digital Marketing
Digital marketing utilizes the internet and web based digital platforms to promote products or services. This includes the use of digital advertisements, social media, brand identities, and more.
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Google Analytics
Google Analytics measures your advertising return on investment while tracking your video, Flash, social networking, and applications. Google Analytics works by tracking website activity through a block of JavaScript code that the web developer, designer, or website owner, embeds within pages on a website.
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Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing is the practice of using social media platforms to connect with your target audience or end-user. Social media marketing aims to build brand awareness and loyalty, increase sales, convert leads, and drive website traffic. Social media management can be done through content creation, keyword and target audience research, and the use of social media management platforms like Buffer and Hootsuite.
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Google Ads
Google Ads is the new name for Google AdWords. It is an online advertising service that allows advertisers to pay for the display of brief advertisements, video content, listings, and calls to action within the Google Display Network (GDN) to web users. You'll see Google ads on the GDN which includes Google Search, YouTube, and over 2 million other sites.
Social Media Manager Salaries
A Social Media Manager in the United States makes, on average, $62,039 annually, according to Indeed.com.
Salaries for Social Media Managers vary by region within the the United States. Listed below are some Social Media Manager salaries for specific areas with the United States compared with the average national salary:
- U.S. Average $62K source n/a
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Washington, D.C.
$76K
source
+22.94%
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New York City
$75K
source
+21.98%
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Fairfax, VA
$72K
source
+17.2%
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Orange County, CA
$71K
source
+14.56%
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Los Angeles, CA
$69K
source
+12.33%
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Chicago, IL
$69K
source
+11.62%
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Dallas, TX
$64K
source
+4.61%
- U.S. Average $62K source n/a
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Alexandria, VA
$58K
source
-6.03%
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Miami, FL
$55K
source
-11.27%
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Houston, TX
$45K
source
-27.07%
Additional Social Media Manager Resources
- Social Media Manager Job Description
- Best Cities for Social Media Managers
- Is Social Media Managment Right For Me?
- What Degree Do You Need to Become a Social Media Manager?
- Social Media Manager Career Path
- Social Media Manager Certifications
- How to Become a Social Media Manager Without a Degree in 2025
- How to Become a Freelance Social Media Manager in 2025
- Social Media Manager Job Search Tips & Best Practices
- Social Media Manager Job Outlook
- What Classes to Take to Become a Social Media Manager
- How to Become a Social Media Manager At Home
Related Careers
Social Media Managers oversee digital branding, content strategy, and audience engagement across platforms, often working alongside Digital Marketers and Strategists to optimize performance. Those interested in analytics may transition into Digital Analyst roles, using data-driven insights to refine strategies. Marketing Managers oversee campaigns beyond social media, while Web Optimization Specialists and Search Managers focus on improving visibility through SEO and paid advertising. A Paid Search Manager handles ad placement and budgeting, while a Social Media Strategist specializes in audience targeting and engagement strategies.
Salary Comparison to Social Media Manager
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Digital Analyst
$87K
+40.52%
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Web Optimization Specialist
$81K
+31.13%
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Search Manager
$80K
+30.41%
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Marketing Manager
$79K
+27.77%
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Social Media Strategist
$75K
+21.68%
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Digital Strategist
$75K
+21.03%
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Paid Search Manager
$71K
+15.3%
- Social Media Manager $62K n/a
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Digital Marketer
$60K
-1.74%
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Digital Marketer
Indeed.com Avg. Salary
$60K / year
Glassdoor Avg. Salary
$70K / year
Digital marketers are responsible for designing, managing, and reviewing digital marketing campaigns. Using their expertise in search engine optimization (SEO), social media, backlinks, and digital ads, digital marketers provide data and demographic-driven marketing strategies. They may also help companies develop content marketing strategies through the use of blogs. Digital marketers also use data analytics to review digital marketing campaign results and provide guidance for future campaigns.
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Digital Strategist
Indeed.com Avg. Salary
$75K / year
Glassdoor Avg. Salary
$82K / year
Digital Strategy is the work behind digitally rich projects like websites, social media, SEO content, digital marketing, and more. Digital Strategists identify opportunities for growth and make plans for new website releases, content for their client with a specific end goal in mind, or an advertising campaign.
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Digital Analyst
Indeed.com Avg. Salary
$87K / year
Glassdoor Avg. Salary
$75K / year
Digital analysts work with a marketing team to analyze the effectiveness and reach of digital marketing campaigns. They use Google analytics and site tagging tools to harvest user data. This data is analyzed and interpreted to provide insights into how to improve the user experience and the effectiveness of the digital marketing campaign.
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Marketing Manager
Indeed.com Avg. Salary
$79K / year
Glassdoor Avg. Salary
$81K / year
Marketing Managers oversee a team of marketing professionals who find ways to grow the business they're working for, execute those growth ideas through campaigns, and analyze and report on those campaigns.
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Search Manager
Indeed.com Avg. Salary
$80K / year
Glassdoor Avg. Salary
$94K / year
A search manager brings expertise with search engines and a deep understanding of how they work to drive results. They will generally work across search from organic search (SEO) to paid search. In this type of role, the manager would oversee both organic and paid search operations, including strategy, optimization, and reporting. In organic search, the manager would be in charge of finding the right keywords to target, improving rank for those keywords, and optimizing the site for SEO. Within paid search, the manager would build the strategy, manage the campaigns, and continually test and optimize for the best performance.
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Web Optimization Specialist
Indeed.com Avg. Salary
$81K / year
Glassdoor Avg. Salary
$70K / year
Web optimization specialists are experts at analyzing web traffic and making targeted recommendations to increase user engagement. Acting as user-surrogates, web optimization specialists analyze data on user behavior and advocate for new features or functionalities to improve the end-user experience. Web optimization specialists often work with web developers and designers to create funnels, web applications, and marketing campaigns. These professionals must have experience with data analysis, user-testing, prototyping and digital marketing development.
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Paid Search Manager
Indeed.com Avg. Salary
$71K / year
Glassdoor Avg. Salary
$79K / year
A paid search manager is tasked with leading search marketing campaigns, generally on Google and Bing Ads. The manager leads the day-to-day strategy, reporting, analysis, and optimization of paid search campaigns. Day-to-day campaign management includes updating bids, adding/removing keywords, monitoring profitability, and more. Strategy and optimization include designing and adjusting paid search strategy to align with overall business goals, running tests to improve performance, and working with other digital partners to develop omnichannel marketing campaigns.
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Social Media Strategist
Indeed.com Avg. Salary
$75K / year
Glassdoor Avg. Salary
$65K / year
Social Media Strategists design social media blueprints to achieve a client's or company's marketing targets. They also create content and manage client or company accounts.