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Social Media Manager salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a social media manager is $64,500 per annum, before tax, up $13,600 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- 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.
The median salary rose by $13,600 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than social media manager
The largest typical pay rise is $74,700 a year, moving into Marketing Manager.
- Marketing Manager+$74,700/yr
- SEO Specialist+$37,300/yr
- Digital Marketing Specialist+$37,300/yr
How to negotiate a higher social media manager salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time social media manager salary is $64,500; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Marketing analytics and Content creation and writing tend to command a premium over general social media manager experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Marketing Manager pays a typical $74,700 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Social Media Manager salary questions
How much do social media managers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a social media manager is $64,500 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is social media manager pay rising or falling?
The median social media manager salary is up $13,600 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than social media manager?
Marketing Manager pays a typical $74,700 a year more and draws on similar skills to social media manager.
Related salaries
- Media Buyer salary
- Content Writer salary
- SEO Specialist salary
- Digital Marketing Specialist salary
- Marketing Manager salary
- Marketing Assistant salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.