Advertising salary guide—inside the hottest social media jobs at agencies and brands

This is a recurring series of stories that examines the hottest ad industry jobs and what they’re paying. Read other stories in this series here. TikTok virality and the rise of new platforms have made social media roles in demand, especially as marketers continue to seek ways to better reach younger audiences. Despite the tough economy, agencies and brands continue to hire for roles that help them strategize, plan and execute on social media. Also read: 5 new TikTok trends that brands can follow Also: What Gen Z marketers want from their employers Ad Age searched ad agency and marketing listings in October for social media-focused jobs in New York across various sites including LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, Indeed and others. Highlighted below are some of the more senior and interesting roles shops and brands are looking to fill in this area, along with sometimes very broad salary ranges they posted. Note that these listings may have been filled or adjusted since they were posted. Ad Age Salary Guide The hottest ad industry jobs and what they’re paying Read more here What are social media jobs? Social media marketing professionals use platforms such as TikTok, Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, Snap and X (formerly known as Twitter) to promote their company’s brand and sell products and services. Social media marketers ensure there is consistency in the content the brand is putting out on various platforms. They also are sometimes responsible for creating the content and managing social media campaigns. Within a social media job at an agency, you could be responsible for creating, editing and posting content on behalf of brand clients or handling the buying and planning for paid social campaigns. You could also get a job overseeing the creative strategy for the ad agency’s own brand. Follow us on social media X Bluesky Instagram LinkedIn YouTube Why are social media marketing jobs in demand? Social marketing roles have become increasingly important as marketers look to connect with Gen Z. TikTok, in particular, has become a must for some marketers to build brand awareness and connect with these hard-to-reach young consumers. Watch: Gen Z roundtable on the future of work Although there is an overall “lull” in hiring across the ad industry, “social media jobs continue to be in demand at agencies and I’m also seeing more and more within marketing departments trying to augment their agency’s work,” said Tony Stanol, president of talent firm Global Recruiters of Sarasota. Various brands and agencies have listings for social media manager roles; someone who takes the lead in developing the social media marketing strategies for the internal brand or agency teams. Many are also looking for content creators to shoot, edit and sometimes star in videos across social. Social roles are also becoming more important within performance marketing. Advertisers are looking to these platforms to drive website traffic and, as social commerce tools evolve and improve, drive sales directly within apps. “Search and social are integral parts of the performance marketing world, which is de rigueur right now,” Stanol said. Also read: The top 5 brand TikToks to know about now What skills are required for social roles? Stanol said the best social media marketers will be a “jack of all trades” in terms of being fluent in understanding the different social media platforms, “in such things as their algorithms and best practices,” as well as content creation and analytics. Here are a few areas agencies and brands are looking for talent to be adept in for the open social media jobs: How much do these jobs pay? Many of the salaries for these positions reflect the demand—several of which are in the six-figure range, according to job openings tracked by Ad Age. Stanol said social media jobs are typically comparable to other agency or marketing departments. “For instance, the base salary for a director can start in the low-to-mid [hundred-thousands] depending on geography with New York, Chicago and San Francisco skewing towards the higher end,” he said. Typically jobs in general in New York pay about 25% higher than in other areas of the country such as the Midwest, Sasha Martens, president of industry headhunting firm Sasha the Mensch, has said. Much depends on the specific role and the company, but here’s a glimpse, thanks to a law in New York that went into effect Nov. 1, 2022, requiring companies to include good faith pay ranges for all job listings. Job title: Social media specialist, Omnicom Health Group Salary range: $75,000 - $100,000 Omnicom Health Group is hiring for a social media specialist to provide support across all aspects of social media use and research, the job post reads. The person “will assist the team with social listening, audience insights research, content planning and platform use, influencer identification, validation and profiling, outreach and activation, as well as executing paid social media campaigns.” The social media specialist will have to pull data from multiple sources that will inform communications strategies, per the listing. Skills required include: The candidate needs a Bachelor’s or equivalent degree; “excellent understanding of digital, PR and social marketing;” two to three years of experience also working in pharmaceutical or health care marketing; and “experience using and running social platforms and communicating best practices.” See the job post here. Job title: Senior associate, social, Omnicom Media Group Salary range: $40,000 - $65,000 Omnicom Media Group is looking for a senior associate of social to help develop, implement and maintain social campaigns. The person “will be involved with the development of strategies, planning and execution of social marketing campaigns in addition to continued intensive data pulls and analysis.” The role partners with the media, creative and marketing science teams, per the job listing. Skills required include: At least one year of experience in paid social media at an agency or within a brand marketing team; “confidence in analyzing and acting on marketing data;” an entrepreneurial mindset; and “polished presentation, communication and listening skills.” See the job post here. Job title: Senior social strategist, TBWA\Chiat\Day Salary range: $75,000 - $110,000 Omnicom Group agency TBWA\Chiat\Day is looking for a senior social strategist to maintain client relationships and develop social work in partnership with the business, creative and production teams. The job “requires someone who can go back and forth from the content big picture to the content details multiple times a day” and understand “the importance of ecosystems, storytelling and how strong content has the power to position brands in the minds of consumers,” per the job listing. Skills required included: Someone who “who lives and breathes social media and loves all aspects of the content planning and ideation process;” at least five years of experience in a relevant social media role; and a background in social content strategy and organic, paid and earned media. See the job post here. Job title: Assistant planner, social media, Crossmedia Salary range: $43,000 - $48,000 Media shop Crossmedia is hiring an assistant planner of social media to help plan, execute, optimize and report social media campaigns on behalf of clients. The person will manage campaigns daily across platforms including Pinterest, Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, X, LinkedIn, TikTok and Snapchat. The person will also “strategize social media tactics, technology and make budget recommendations,” per the job post. Skills required include: Goal-oriented; “methodical, detail-oriented and thrive when presented new challenges to work through;” enjoy and understand working with data; and while there is no experience required in the ad space, the candidate must have “a strong interest in the advertising, media planning/buying industry and paid media.” See the job post here. Job title: Planner, social media, Horizon Media Salary range: $58,000 - $70,000 Horizon Media is also searching for a planner of social media who will manage the assistant planner. Responsibilities break down as such: campaign management and execution (25% of the job), reporting performance (25% of the job), social media planning (20% of the job), relationship development with clients (15% of the job), and learning and development (15% of the job). This person will “support in developing proposals for paid social media campaigns across active client roster” and “traffic plan assets such as creative and required tracking tags,” among various other duties, per the job post. Skills required include: Many of the skills are in line with what is required for the assistant planner. The candidate will need to be “results and solutions-oriented; consistently motivated, proactive, and resourceful;” take “pride in ownership of work and demonstrates accountability;” and support and advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion. See the job post here. Job title: Social media manager, PXP Salary range: $51,000 - $75,000 Publicis Groupe is looking for a social media manager to work within its PXP cross-agency division that spans creative shops including Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett and Publicis. The hybrid role “combines strategy, client collaboration, trend-watching, community engagement and partnering closely with a content creator counterpart to develop/execute fit-for-platform content that’s experimental, relevant and informed,” the job listing reads. Skills required include: One to three years of experience (internships count) and a love of social media content and conversation. “You live in your social feeds, get excited about cultural conversations, are always looking for amazing content opportunities and know what it takes to make a brand standout.” They are also looking for someone with an interest in learning about multicultural communities, and, for some reason, “must love dogs. You read that properly! This person must love dogs, be interested in learning more about them and their owners and not mind being around them for some content creation!” See the job post here. Job title: creative director, social, PXP Salary range: $121,000 - $204,500 Publicis Groupe’s PXP division is also hiring a creative director to lead its social media content and campaign efforts. On behalf of clients, “you will be responsible for overseeing the creation and execution of captivating social media content and campaigns that resonate with the target audience, drive growth and elevate the brand,” per the job post. This person will direct the creative for all social media content including graphics, videos and copy. Skills required include: Experience as a creative director or in a similar creative leadership role with a focus on social media (the amount of years of experience was not listed); a strong portfolio of creative work and strategy; “excellent verbal and written communication skills”; and “knowledge of how to develop brand content through multi-channel marketing.” See the job post here. Job title: Art director, social, PXP Salary range: $64,500 - $101,500 PXP is looking for an art director to create “a mix of social content, editorial content and/or traditional campaigns. You bring big ideas that can work across all mediums and are excited to be heavily involved at every stage of the process from concept to creation,” per the job post. This person will at times work across various departments when needed in an effort to “blur the lines of media, strategy, creative and production.” The right candidate should be interested in hobbies such as building a following on TikTok or photography. Skills required include: Two to five years of experience at an ad agency or in a content creation role; “strategic marketing thinking and independent work ethic;” and “the ability to handle and prioritize multiple projects and to adjust to inevitable changes in timelines, deadlines and project goals.” See the job post here. Job title: Global paid social lead, Publicis Media Salary range: $167,000 - $299,500 Publicis Media is in search of a global paid social lead who will head up its social media practice by driving initiatives “including solutions, commercials, product, talent, operational excellence, community and thought leadership.” This executive will work with regional social leads to develop social media solutions and a cross-channel strategy. “By truly understanding the industry landscape and developments, and our evolving client needs, you will define leading innovative social solutions enabled by technology and enriched by talent to help our clients and our business grow,” the listing read. Skills required include: At least 10 years of experience in social media, “with a deep understanding of the various technology platforms and the evolving social landscape, and a proven ability to identify and leverage Social opportunities to maximize revenue and performance”; previous leadership experience; and a background of working in a global capacity, “with an understanding of cultural nuances and market-specific challenges.” See the job post here. Job title: Senior associate, paid social, Publicis Health Media Salary range: $58,500 - $88,000 Health care buying and planning agency Publicis Health Media is looking for a paid social senior associate to “have a deep understanding of client goals, monitor campaign quality and consistently and proactively evaluate new opportunities to maximize performance,” per the listing. The person should have a “deep understanding” of the various platforms including TikTok, X, Snap, LinkedIn, Meta, Pinterest and Reddit. Skills required include: a Bachelor’s degree; three years of biddable social media campaign management experience; the “ability to multi-task, manage one’s time, and demonstrate personal organization and ability to meet deadlines”; and “health care industry knowledge a plus.” See the job post here. Job title: Media planner/analyst, social media, Razorfish Salary range: $58,500 - $92,000 Publicis Groupe’s Razorfish is looking for a senior social media analyst and planner to lead successful client-paid social campaigns. This person will provide “thoughtful leadership on campaign strategies and optimization, building strong relationships and establishing clear lines of communication with clients, partners and internal staff members,” per the job post. The social media analyst and planner will come up with solutions to meet and exceed client objectives. Skills required include: At least two years of paid social media experience; a background in planning and buying across Meta, Snapchat, TikTok, X, Reddit, Pinterest and LinkedIn; experience in a client-facing role; and “experience using paid media to complement earned media campaigns and meet business objectives.” See the job post here. Job title: Associate director, paid social, Starcom Salary range: $91,000 - $144,000 Publicis media agency Starcom is looking for an associate director of paid social to drive clients’ strategy across platforms including Facebook and X. The person is “highly motivated, technically savvy, detail oriented and strives to lead the day to day management of the paid social end of the Precision Group for a dedicated client,” per the listing. The associate director will “develop action plans for achieving and measuring social media success, including setting key metrics, measurement and optimization strategies.” Skills required include: A Bachelor’s degree or higher in marketing, advertising, business or equivalent; at least five years of experience in digital media and marketing; and at least three years of experience “working with Facebook and Twitter ads platforms with hands-on experience managing and optimizing buys through API and/or self-serve tools.” See the job post here. Job title: Director, social strategy, VMLY&R Salary range: $75,000 - $180,000 WPP’s VMLY&R (which is merging with Wunderman Thompson to create VML) is searching for a director of social strategy to lead the creation of social strategies, playbooks, activations and campaign ideas. This person will “direct and synthesize research, social listening and other data to guide a brand's strategic decisions” as well as “partner with creative, strategy, data and media teams to define and achieve a brand's social marketing goals,” per the listing. Skills required include: Six to 10 years of experience “in a digital marketing environment, agency and/or client experience;” demonstrated success with client relationships and team management; and an “advanced understanding of social platforms, audiences and behaviors, and the ability to develop a clear point-of-view based on that knowledge.” See the job post here. Also read: Reactions to the VML merger Job title: Paid social media supervisor, VMLY&R Commerce Salary range: $60,000 - $140,000 VMLY&R’s commerce practice is looking for a social media supervisor to oversee “paid social media activations across Meta, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, influencer work, etc.” This person “will help create strategy, build, launch, optimize and report on paid social media campaigns for a variety of different clients,” per the listing. The social media supervisor will also be responsible for coming up with ways to improve campaign performance for clients. Skills required include: “Expertise in planning, building & running paid social campaigns across a multitude of platforms;” the ability to use “excel for data management and/or budgeting;” experience working with platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok; and “strong client-facing presentation skills.” See the job post here. Job title: Content creator, Wunderman Thompson Salary range: $45,000 - $90,000 WPP’s Wunderman Thompson (part of the VML merger) is looking for a content creator to help concept, create and star in content across social platforms. The person will work with a range of static imagery and video “and turn them into content assets built for specific platforms and audiences,” per the listing. The content creator “will work closely with the wider strategy, account, and creative teams to ensure we are delivering best-in-class social media content, helping to create campaigns that standout for our client.” Skills required include: Experience creating social content and someone who “thinks digital before all other channels;” someone who can shoot, edit, produce and star in videos; “knowledge of standard industry software, photoshop, premier, sound editing tools and social platforms”; and at least two years of experience in advertising creating video for social. See the job post here. Job title: Head of social media and content, Grey New York Salary range: $100,000 - $230,000 WPP’s Grey New York is looking for a head of social media and content, someone who will be paid a six-figure salary to oversee the “development, implementation and management of all social + connected platform branding strategies and initiatives” for clients, per the listing. The executive will create and produce “dynamic and visually stunning social media content, including copy, graphics and video” as well as “stay ahead of the curve with social media trends, emerging platforms, and algorithm changes to ensure maximum reach and impact.” Skills required include: At least 10 years of experience in social media and content creation; “a strong portfolio of work that showcases your creative flair and innovative approach”; a background in team management; and a “deep knowledge of social media platforms and their best practices, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube.” See the job post here. Job title: Content creator, Grey New York Salary range: $45,000 - $90,000 Grey is also looking for a content creator to concept, write, shoot and edit various types of social content for clients. The “role will involve understanding social media trends and incorporating them into your content to drive user engagement, promote the brand's message and achieve the overall marketing goals,” per the listing. The person will collaborate with other content creators, creative leads and the director of social media and connections “to develop content strategies, craft impactful messages and optimize content for various social media channels.” Skills required include: One to three years experience in content editing, social media marketing or another related field; “excellent writing, photo, graphic, video and editing skills”; efficiency in software programs such as Premiere Pro, After Effects or similar; and a “strong understanding of social media platforms, their features and limitations, and ability to optimize copy for different platforms.” See the job post here. Job title: Associate director, social, Ogilvy Salary range: $75,000 - $180,000 WPP’s Ogilvy is looking for an associate director of social strategy to “oversee the health of a business (social strategy, client relationships, team morale and profitability),” per the listing. This person will be the “confident source of direction and a thought leader for both mindsets and craft among your client partners, strategy peers and the broader team to transform social experiences” as well as “prove the power of social-first work and thinking.” Skills required include: The ability to lead a client business “in totality with the capacity to manage more than one account;” a “strong understanding of the social offering as a whole and ability to present team capabilities;” and “fluent in technicalities of social creative and distribution, works to develop sophisticated brand, campaign and opportunistic strategies.” See the job post here. Job title: Associate director, paid social, Kinesso Salary range: $120,000 - $130,000 IPG Mediabrands’ Kinesso is looking for an associate director of paid social to recommend “targeted, innovative media vehicles consistent with client’s strategies and objectives,” come up with best practices across social media for clients and be the “resource for managers, senior specialists, specialists and associates for advice and counsel as well as career development, training and motivating the team,” per the listing. Skills required include: “substantial experience in account management, planning, and/or performance media experience”; “very strong experience in developing robust, creative and innovative paid social/native advertising/content marketing programs” that exceed $1 million in billings annually; and a “strong understanding of cross channel planning, demonstrating strong coordination of digital and offline media efforts.” See the job post here. Job title: Manager, social, Dentsu Media Salary range: $80,000 - $83,000 Dentsu Media is searching for a manager of social to plan, review and optimize all social media campaigns. The role includes reporting performance and communicating results with clients. The person will “develop relationships with key paid social partners to nurture performance growth,” the listing read. The manager will also “create and execute media plans that surpass client goals.” Skills required include: Two to three years of experience in social media for business-to-business clients; an “understanding of the basics of performance marketing;” a background in using various social media platforms; and “comfort interpreting large quantities of data.” See the job post here. Job title: Senior paid social media manager, Dentsu Salary range: $68,000 - $110,000 Dentsu is looking for a senior manager to plan and activate paid social campaigns across various channels. The person will be in a leadership role, overseeing a team of junior colleagues. It is also a client-facing role. The person will manage “daily paid social operations” and serve “as the primary point of contact for team escalation and participating in daily client communication,” the listing read. Skills required include: At least four years of experience in paid social media; a background in the management or mentorship of junior employees; a “knowledge of other paid channels such as paid search, SEO, display,” as well as “experience in B2B paid social, preferably app install experience, lead generation experience.” See the job post here. Job title: Social editor and channel manager Salary range: $85,000 - $105,000 Steve Stout’s music distributor UnitedMasters, the sibling of his ad agency Translation, is looking for a social editor and channel manager to create and source, edit, repurpose and publish content for social media. The person will be “instrumental in executing engaging social media strategies,” according to the listing, and “drive higher levels of audience engagement and foster a vibrant and active online community by creating captivating content for social media platforms that resonates authentically with our target audiences.” Skills required include: Someone who is “social media obsessed”; knows “how to make impactful micro-content for specific audiences and platforms;” can edit photos and videos “to meet a specific brand aesthetic;” and a proficiency in “social media management tools (e.g., Hootsuite, Sprout Social) and analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Facebook Insights).” See the job post here. Job title: Social media community associate, J.Crew Salary range: $64,000 - $77,000 J.Crew is looking for a social media community associate to apply the retailer’s “brand voice” across all social media platforms, with a specific focus on TikTok. Duties include creating content for J.Crew’s TikTok channel, including shooting and editing video, helping plan for monthly TikTok shoots and owning the day-to-day community management and interactions across all social channels, according to the job post. Skills required include: the ability to edit video content for TikTok; knowledge of all the platforms including TikTok, Meta’s Facebook and Instagram and X, and how to engage across them; knowledge on “on social listening”; and “Loves social media!” See the job post here. Job title: Manager, paid social and display digital marketing, Tapestry Salary range: $95,000 - $110,000 The parent of luxury brands Coach, Kate Spade New York and Stuart Weitzman is looking for a manager of paid social and display digital marketing, who will be responsible for managing digital advertising initiatives on paid social and display channels. The person will work across brands. The job entails developing digital marketing programs, media planning and testing roadmaps. This person will “develop the strategy for marketing programs on paid social networks with a focus on driving positive, incremental return on ad spend and new customer acquisition,” per the job post. Skills required include: At least four years experience working in digital marketing and specifically managing digital campaigns to acquire and engage users; at least two years working in paid social activation, focused in conversion; and a “proven track record of developing and implementing rigorous test and control programs.” See the job post here. Job title: Social media manager and content creator, Farhi Media Salary range: $65,000 - $75,000 Creative agency Farhi Media is looking to fill the position of social media manager and content creator; someone who will lead teams in developing and deploying marketing strategies across social media. Other responsibilities include: “Design social media graphic based on provided images and text; execute social media posting on various channels; run account engagements and account growth strategy,” per the job post. Skills required include: A minimum of three years’ experience in social media management; a “proficiency in copywriting/analytics to lead teams and build calendars”; an education in media, communications, business or writing; and efficient in photo editing with editing tools such as Photoshop or Canva. See the job post here. Job title: Social media assistant, Vibe Marketing Salary range: $72,350 Vibe Marketing is looking for a social media assistant to be knowledgeable on all social platforms and deploy those skills when briefed, “and efficiently resolve and report findings and recommendations to colleagues, collaborators and clients.” The person must be a persuasive writer and flexible across clients and industries, the marketing firm said. “You must enjoy the art of problem-solving by rigorously seeking out solutions, and settling on the most appropriate for the problem, not necessarily the easiest,” the job post reads. Skills required include: Vibe Marketing is looking for someone with “a positive ‘can-do’ attitude to the work and wider company responsibilities; determination to see all tasks through to the end; an eye for detail and ability to stay calm under pressure,” among other skills, per the listing. No specific educational background is listed. See the job post here. Job title: Social marketing specialist, ESPN Salary range: $69,501 - $77,700 ESPN is looking for a social marketing specialist to create content for a variety of social platforms including TikTok, X and Meta’s Instagram and Facebook. This person will have to forge partnerships with social media influencers to expand the ESPN audience, analyze paid social performance and have a “deep understanding of all social platforms,” per the job post. Skills required include: A minimum of two years of experience in social media, social marketing or closely related field; at least one year of experience of using video editing software such as Final Cut or Premier and photo editing software including Photoshop or InDesign. The person must also have at least one year of experience in influencer marketing or partnering with influencers, athletes or artists. See the job post here. Job title: Senior manager, paid social, Vimeo Salary range: $110,700 - $169,500 Vimeo is searching for a “motivated, detailed oriented, action-focused” senior manager of paid social. This person will create the global paid social strategy for the video platform, as well as develop brand awareness campaigns “through to performance campaigns driving bookings and pipeline.” The senior manager will “manage a full-funnel paid social campaign structure, testing, optimization, and strategy in alignment with company and campaign goals,” per the job post. Skills required include: The candidate must have “strong Facebook Ads Manager proficiency, paid ads on LinkedIn;” experience running ads on platforms such as Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok and Reddit “is a plus”; as well as “exceptional analytical skills including the ability to analyze data and develop data-based recommendations, including Tableau, Excel & Google Analytics fluency.” See the job post here. Job title: Associate, organic social and content, HelloFresh Salary range: $62,000 - $77,500 Meal-kit company HelloFresh is looking for an associate of organic social and content to manage the “day-to-day responsibilities of owned organic social media channels to ensure brand consistency and increase brand engagement.” The person will work within the brand marketing team to drive brand awareness, affinity, reputation and retention, per the listing. The associate will also shoot and edit videos for TikTok and Meta’s Reels. Skills required include: Being up to date on the latest social trends; data-driven; “your writing and presentation skills are on point and you’re comfortable interfacing with senior leadership;” and you have at least two years of experience in organic social, preferably at a direct-to-consumer brand. See the job post here.

Advertising salary guide—inside the hottest social media jobs at agencies and brands

Featured Stories