Social Media Manager
Social media managers plan and run a brand's presence on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn, and report on how that content performs.
- Median salary*
- $64,500
4.4%vs last year, before tax
- People employed*
- 18,500
1.1%vs last year
- Projected growth*
- +8.2%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Moderate
- automation risk
- Average hours*
- 38/wk
−2h vs all jobs
- Shortage status*
- Not in shortage
national
Social media managers work inside a marketing team, at an agency, or alone as the only person running a brand's channels. The role sits closer to the audience than a content writer's does, because it includes real-time community management and quick calls about what to post when something takes off or goes wrong. Many roles also carry some paid social budget, which puts campaign spend and results alongside the creative work.
How much do social media managers earn?
The median full-time salary for a social media manager is $64,500 per annum, before tax, up $13,600 since 2018.
Pay moves most with the sector you work in: an in-house role at a large organisation or an agency usually pays more than being the only marketer at a small business, and seniority counts for more than years served. Freelance and contract work can bring a higher day rate, but it comes with unpaid pitching time and no paid leave. Roles that manage a paid budget or a small team tend to sit higher in the range.
What does a social media manager do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Building a content calendar around campaign briefs, product launches and the seasonal moments that matter to the brand
- Filming and editing short videos, then writing captions and scheduling them across several platforms
- Answering comments and direct messages, including the ones that need a judgement call on tone or a handover to customer service
- Pulling reach, engagement and click data out of Meta Business Suite and Google Analytics to see which posts earned their place
- Meeting designers, writers or an agency to keep the calendar full and flag when a format is starting to lose traction
What skills do social media managers need?
Employers look for marketing analytics, content creation and writing, data analysis, backed by Meta Business Suite fluency and strong written communication.
Specialist skills
- Marketing analytics
- Content creation and writing
- Data analysis
- Selling and negotiation
- Account and relationship management
Software and tools
- Meta Business Suite
- Hootsuite
- Canva
- Google Analytics
- Later
General skills
- Written communication
- Customer service
- Problem solving
Is the job growing?
About 18,500 people work as social media managers in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 8.2% over the decade to 2035. That's modest growth: demand is steady rather than booming.
How do you become a social media manager?
Here's the path most social media managers take, step by step.
- 1Get a qualification that covers the basics
A bachelor degree in marketing, communications or business is the most common background, though a diploma or certificate IV in marketing also gets people in. About 38% of people already in the role hold a Bachelor degree, and employers vary in what they ask for.
- 2Build a portfolio on real channels
Run accounts for a small business, a sports club or a cause you care about, and keep the numbers. Employers hiring for this role want to see what you posted, what it did and what you changed as a result, which no certificate can show.
- 3Start in a support role
Marketing assistant, content creator and marketing coordinator jobs are common entry points, as are internships at agencies. You get paid to learn the tools and the approval process while someone else carries the reporting.
- 4Learn the platform and analytics tools properly
Meta Business Suite, Google Analytics and a scheduling tool such as Hootsuite or Later are the everyday software, and basic paid social skills widen the roles you can apply for.
- 5Specialise as you go
After a few years, people move towards senior social media, strategy or broader marketing roles, or build a freelance client list. Choosing a sector, such as retail, hospitality or a cause area, makes that move easier.
Ready to apply as a social media manager?
Whether you're working toward becoming a social media manager or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can a social media manager move to?
Moving into Marketing Manager typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $74,700 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Manager A social media manager brings campaign delivery and platform knowledge to broader marketing leadership, adding planning and team skills through reskilling. | +$74,700 | 24% | reskill |
| SEO Specialist A social media manager brings content and audience insight to search optimisation, adding technical keyword skills through a short course. | +$37,300 | 46% | short course |
| Digital Marketing Specialist A social media manager brings channel expertise and engagement know-how to a broader digital marketing role, extending analytics skills through reskilling. | +$37,300 | 44% | reskill |
| Content Writer A social media manager brings brand voice and content planning to writing longer editorial pieces, with a short course in editing. | +$25,000 | 52% | short course |
| Media Buyer A social media manager brings campaign planning and audience targeting to paid media buying with little extra training. | +$500 | 64% | minimal |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as a social media manager?
The typical social media manager is 32 years old; 68% are women, 72% work full-time, and full-timers average 38 hours a week.
- 32
- Median age
- 68%
- Female share
- 72%
- Full-time
- −2h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being a social media manager?
The job runs to the rhythm of the platforms: a calendar planned weeks ahead, then days shaped by what the audience does with it. The pressure comes from how visible the numbers are and the expectation of a fast reply, including in the evening or on a weekend when a post takes off or a complaint lands. It suits someone who likes both making things and watching closely what happens to them, and who stays level when a post falls flat or a comment thread turns.
What people like
- You see the result the same day. A post goes up in the morning and by the afternoon you know whether the idea worked, which is a faster feedback loop than most marketing roles offer.
- The work touches everything the brand does. A product launch, a customer complaint and a seasonal campaign all pass through your channels, so you learn how the whole business operates.
- The tools are cheap to learn. Most of the software is free or low cost, so you can practise on a real account and build a portfolio without a large budget behind you.
- The audience talks back. Replying to comments and messages is part of the job, and a good exchange with a customer or a community is often the most satisfying part of the week.
What people find hard
- The feed never really stops. Posts, comments and messages arrive outside business hours, and someone has to check them, so evenings and weekends are rarely fully clear.
- Everything you do is measured. Reach, engagement and follower counts are visible to your manager and often to the wider team, and a quiet month is hard to talk around.
- Platform rules change without notice. Formats, reach and features shift regularly, so a method that worked last year can stop working, and keeping up is part of the job rather than an extra.
- Everyone has an opinion on the brand. Managers, sales and senior leaders all have views on what should be posted, and you spend time negotiating rather than just making the content.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ social media managers?
Advertising, PR and Marketing Services employs the largest share of social media managers, followed by Retail Trade.
Top employing industries
- 1Advertising, PR and Marketing Services
- 2Retail Trade
- 3Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
- 4Information Media and Telecommunications
- 5Hospitality and Tourism
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Bachelor degree | 38% | |
|---|---|---|
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 24% | |
| Certificate III/IV | 20% | |
| Postgraduate | 10% | |
| Other | 8% |
Will AI replace social media managers?
AI reaches a moderate share of this job. Scheduling tools and platform features already draft captions, suggest posting times, auto-caption video and summarise engagement data, which takes hours out of production and reporting. What they do not do is decide what a brand should say, judge whether a reply will land well, or shoot something people want to watch, and those parts still carry the role.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Community management and repliesAnswering a complaint, spotting a pile-on early or knowing when to hand a message to customer service depends on reading the room, which is the part of the week least touched by automation.30%low
- Writing captions and scheduling postsTools in Meta Business Suite, Hootsuite and Later can draft caption variants and pick posting times, but someone still approves the tone and checks any claim before it goes live.25%high
- Filming and editing short videoEditing apps now cut clips to a beat and add captions automatically, but the idea, the shoot and the person on camera are still human work.25%moderate
- Reporting on reach and engagementAI summaries turn a month of analytics into a few bullet points in seconds; working out why a format worked and what to change next month is still the manager's job.20%high
Common questions about becoming a social media manager
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do social media managers earn?
Social media managers earn a median of $64,500 per year before tax. Pay depends heavily on whether you are in-house or at an agency, how senior the role is, and whether you manage paid budget or a team.
How do you become a social media manager?
Most people get in through a marketing or communications qualification plus a portfolio of real accounts they have run. Starting in a marketing assistant, coordinator or content creator role is the usual way to learn the tools and reporting before taking on a brand's channels yourself.
Are social media managers in demand?
Social media managers are currently not in shortage, and employment is projected to grow 8.2% over the decade to 2035 over the decade to 2035. Openings cluster in advertising and marketing agencies, retail, hospitality and professional services, so searching those industries covers most of the market.
Will AI replace social media managers?
Not entirely, but it already does part of the work. Tools built into Meta Business Suite, scheduling platforms and Canva can draft captions, suggest post times, auto-caption video and summarise performance, which speeds up production and reporting; deciding what the brand should say, handling a hostile comment thread and filming something worth watching still need a person.
What can social media managers move into?
Paid media buying is a close step, since campaign planning and audience targeting carry across with little retraining. Writing longer editorial content is another common move, and some people broaden into SEO or general digital marketing by adding technical skills. Freelancing or starting your own social media consultancy is a well-worn path too, often where earnings grow, because you set your own rates and client list.
Do social media managers work outside normal hours?
Often yes, at least some of the time. Scheduled posts can be set in advance, but live comments, a launch day or a breaking issue usually mean checking the accounts in the evening or on a weekend.
Related roles
- Media Buyer
- Content Writer
- SEO Specialist
- Digital Marketing Specialist
- Marketing Manager
- Marketing Assistant
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