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Hourly Wage for Social Media Communications Manager Salary in the United States

What is the hourly salary range of Social Media Communications Manager?

As of August 01, 2026, the average hourly rate for a Social Media Communications Manager in the United States is $54, which translates to an annual salary of about $112,754.

However, the hourly wage can vary significantly based on several factors. Here’s a detailed look at the typical pay range per hour:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $65 per hour
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $48 to $60 per hour
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $43 per hour
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Social Media Communications Manager Salaries

A Social Media Communications Manager's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Social Media Communications Manager Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Social Media Communications Manager's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Social Media Communications Specialist III (4-7 years): $91,619
  • Social Media Communications Specialist IV (7+ years): $113,051
  • Social Media Communications Manager (7+ years): $112,754
  • Social Media Communications Senior Manager (7+ years): $150,957
  • Social Media Communications Director (7+ years): $171,394
Job Role Years of Experience Average Salary
Social Media Communications Specialist III4-7 years$91,619
Social Media Communications Specialist IV7+ years$113,051
Social Media Communications Manager7+ years$112,754
Social Media Communications Senior Manager7+ years$150,957
Social Media Communications Director7+ years$171,394
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How Do Social Media Communications Managers Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Social Media Communications Managers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $124,841.
  • California: $124,368.
  • Massachusetts: $122,710.

Top Paying Cities for Social Media Communications Manager

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $142,217
  • San Francisco: $140,659
  • Oakland: $137,695

What Skills Can Increase a Social Media Communications Manager's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Insight (Mentioned in 4.38% Job Postings): Insight is the understanding cause and effect based on the identification of relationships and behaviors within a model, context, or scenario.
  • Brand Awareness (Mentioned in 3.5% Job Postings): Brand awareness is the extent to which customers are able to recall or recognize a brand under different conditions. Brand awareness is one of two dimensions from brand knowledge, an associative network memory model.
  • Content Creation (Mentioned in 2.14% Job Postings): Content creation is the contribution of information to any media and most especially to digital media for an end-user/audience in specific contexts. Content is "something that is to be expressed through some medium, as speech, writing or any of various arts" for self-expression, distribution, marketing and/or publication. Typical forms of content creation include maintaining and updating web sites, blogging, photography, videography, online commentary, the maintenance of social media accounts, and editing and distribution of digital media. A Pew survey described content creation as the creation of "the material people contribute to the online world."
Skills Demand Percentage
Insight 4.38%
Brand Awareness 3.5%
Content Creation 2.14%
See More Skills

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Social Media Communications Manager's salary.

  • Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
  • Social Marketing: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
  • Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Innovation $118,392
5%
Social Marketing $117,264
4%
Leadership $117,264
4%
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Social Media Communications Manager Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

Social Media Communications Manager salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $126,222. While startup companies pay approximate $106,780.

Social Media Communications Manager Salary by Company Size

Company Size Employees Average Salary
Startup 1~50 $106,780
Growth Stage 51~500 $112,933
Established 501~5000 $121,889
Enterprise 5000+ $126,222

Social Media Communications Manager Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Social Media Communications Manager roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 100% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Biotechnology and Aerospace & Defense sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 50% above the average. In contrast, Social Media Communications Manager positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Transportation typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Social Media Communications Manager as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a Social Media Communications Manager

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Biotechnology$169,131$81.050%

How Education impacts an Social Media Communications Manager's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Social Media Communications Manager enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Social Media Communications Manager with a Bachelor's Degree is between $111,351 and $119,041.

Social Media Communications Manager Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Social Media Communications Manager
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 5.4%
High School 2.7%
Associates 2.7%
Bachelors 75.7%
Masters 13.5%
Doctorate 2.7%
View as Graph

Social Media Communications Manager Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Social Media Communications Manager's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026
$100,489
Average $112,754/year
$124,341
$8,374
Average $9,396/month
$10,362
$1,932
Average $2,168/week
$2,391
$48
Average $54/hour
$60
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $124,341 $10,362 $2,391 $60
Average $112,754 $9,396 $2,168 $54
25th Percentile $100,489 $8,374 $1,932 $48

Most common benefits for Social Media Communications Manager

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Social Media Communications Manager

Here are companies hiring for Social Media Communications Manager and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Social Media Communications Manager

1. What are the responsibilities of Social Media Communications Manager?

Manages a team of specialists that create social media content and campaigns. Ensures work is consistently aligned with established strategies and branding. Analyzes social media data and uses it to improve content and campaigns. Identifies opportunities to grow the audience and improve brand awareness. Performs research on current benchmark trends and audience preferences. Stays up to date with current technologies and trends in social media, design tools, and applications. Requires a bachelor's degree. Typically reports to a director. Manages subordinate staff in the day-to-day performance of their jobs. True first level manager. Ensures that project/department milestones/goals are met and adhering to approved budgets. Has full authority for personnel actions. Typically requires 5 years experience in the related area as an individual contributor. 1 - 3 years supervisory experience may be required. Extensive knowledge of the function and department processes.

2. What are the skills of Social Media Communications Manager

Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.

1.)

Insight: Insight is the understanding cause and effect based on the identification of relationships and behaviors within a model, context, or scenario.

2.)

Brand Awareness: Brand awareness is the extent to which customers are able to recall or recognize a brand under different conditions. Brand awareness is one of two dimensions from brand knowledge, an associative network memory model.

3.)

Content Creation: Content creation is the contribution of information to any media and most especially to digital media for an end-user/audience in specific contexts. Content is "something that is to be expressed through some medium, as speech, writing or any of various arts" for self-expression, distribution, marketing and/or publication. Typical forms of content creation include maintaining and updating web sites, blogging, photography, videography, online commentary, the maintenance of social media accounts, and editing and distribution of digital media. A Pew survey described content creation as the creation of "the material people contribute to the online world."

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources. We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.

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