We see advancements in the digital world almost on the daily, and those new developments also apply to what positions in social media marketing look like.
Whether you’re a marketing professional struggling to decipher the weird lingo on job descriptions, or you’re an employer wondering how to phrase a job listing to find the right candidates, we’re breaking down social media job descriptions that are most common this year.
Because these jobs are always changing and evolving, often depending on the company as well, it’s important to note that some businesses might combine or have a less common interpretation of one or more of these roles. However, this guide provides a baseline of what to expect.
Executive Level Social Media Job Descriptions:
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
At the top of the social media and marketing totem pole is the Chief Marketing Officer.
The description of this social media job is long and winding because as a member of the C-Suite, an individual in this position has a lot of responsibility!
The CMO covers all marketing for the business, so social media is simply one part of the puzzle. In this position, the CMO will check in with the Digital Marketing Director to stay up-to-date on the department and relay any upcoming company initiatives or campaigns that the social media team needs to plan for.
They’ll also coordinate the entire marketing strategy and delegate projects between the various related departments under their division. Managing the marketing budget, negotiating deals with outside entities, and managing relations with other C-Suite members are other major aspects of this job.
National Average Salary: Between $144,000 – $189,000
Digital Marketing Director or Manager
The Digital Marketing Director (or Manager) works closely with the Chief Marketing Officer. They will report to the CMO weekly on the goings-on of the digital marketing sector of the company and bring any issues to their attention.
In this social media job, strategy is key. They will work with their respective managers of departments to ensure each sub-area is working in a unified fashion to achieve the company’s goals.
They will also meet with the Directors of other departments, such as Public Relations, Advertising, or standard Marketing if applicable, to align strategies and accomplish any requests made by the CMO.
National Average Salary: Between $98,000 – $145,000
Organic Social Media Job Descriptions:
Social Media Manager
The social media manager is the head of the social media department. They work directly under the Digital Marketing Director/Manager and above the social media coordinator and community manager.
The day-to-day outlook for this social media job description often revolves around long-term strategy and project management. The social media manager will oversee and approve the social media content calendar and all related projects.
They will also outline the goals for future campaigns and work with the Paid Social Media Manager to ensure the brand’s overall goals are being met. Data and analytics monitoring and reporting is also a major aspect of this role.
National Average Salary: Between $52,000 to $70,000
Social Media Coordinator
The social media coordinator works directly under the social media manager and assists on all social media related projects.
One of the primary tasks is the creation, management, and scheduling of the social media calendar and related social media tools. The coordinator will also partner with the graphic designer, copywriter, and video team to communicate social media needs and manage timelines to ensure content is scheduled and released accordingly.
If there isn’t a designated content creation team for the social media department, the social media coordinator may also work with the social media manager to create the visuals and copy for social media.
National Average Salary: Between $44,000 – $56,000
Community Manager
While many of a social media community manager’s tasks may cross over or coordinate with the social media coordinator or social media manager, the primary focus for this role is on engagement.
A community manager will moderate the conversations on social media platforms. Some of the responsibilities of this social media job description include: responding to comments, engaging followers in on-brand conversations, reputation management, and building relationships with influencers.
The community managers should have an in-depth knowledge of the brand’s target audiences, especially when it comes to their opinions, wants, and needs from the company’s social media channels.
National Average Salary: Between $45,000 – $60,000
Paid Social Media Job Descriptions:
Paid Social Media Manager
This social media job is the counterpart to the Social Media Manager. In some situations, particularly within smaller business’, these two manager roles are combined or there is a general Paid Media position that covers paid ads outside of social media as well.
The specifics of the Paid Social Media Manager position revolve around researching, establishing, and monitoring opportunities for paid ads. Typically this covers primarily Facebook and Instagram but can branch out to other platforms, or Google ads as well.
This social media job is highly analytics-based and must be efficient with reporting to allow time to adjust campaigns as needed.
National Average Salary: Between $51,000 – $65,000
Paid Social Media Coordinator
The Paid Social Media Coordinator assists the Manager with daily tasks such as managing the calendar, visuals, and timelines for ads and checking in with associated team members in Organic Social and Graphic Design to achieve Paid Social goals.
If there isn’t a designated content creation team for the social media department, the paid social media coordinator may also work with the paid social media manager to create the visuals and copy for social media ads.
National Average Salary: Between $44,000 – $56,000
Content-Based Social Media Job Descriptions:
Content Manager
This social media job description entails all things content! This position may exist only within the social media department, or for the brand as a whole, covering content for the website, speeches, videos, and other media.
The Content Manager will work alongside the Organic and Paid Social Media Managers when developing strategies, and under the Marketing Director for department goals. This social media position will create concepts for content on all social media channels, the company blog, other website content, and more.
They’ll coordinate projects with the copywriter, graphic designer, and video producer and ensure timelines are adhered to. The Content Manager will also be responsible for the overarching content strategy, and the re-purposing of existing content.
National Average Salary: Between $60,000 – $72,000
Graphic Designer
The graphic designer supports the social media team through the creation of graphics, banners, and ads to feature on a brand’s social media account.
Some businesses will have a designated graphic designer for the social media department, while others work social media projects into the graphic design team’s general workflow.
The graphic designer will partner with the Social Media Manager or Paid Social Media Manager to establish the goals and design elements desired and then coordinate project details with the respective coordinator as well as the copywriter for maximum effects.
National Average Salary: Between $48,000 – $55,000
Copywriter
This social media job is crucial to the success of social media marketing. Like the graphic designer, the copywriter is a member of the content team who may be assigned exclusively to social media, or adds social media to their general list of tasks.
The copywriter brings life to the captions, ads, contests, stories, and more for a company’s social media. Once they meet with a Social Media Manager for a briefing on a project, their tasks involve keyword research, competitor research, writing, editing, and working with the graphic designer or video content creator to ensure a cohesive package.
National Average Salary: Between $59,000 – $68,000
Video Content Creator
While not the most common, some social media departments have an in-house video content creator.
This social media job description is relatively straightforward: the video content creator will consult with the respective managers to establish which campaigns would benefit from video content, then prepare, shoot, and edit accordingly.
The video content creator can also work on longer-form video content for the company that can then be repurposed for social media usage.
National Average Salary: Between $58,000 – $72,000
All salary data pulled from GlassDoor.
