How Much Does a Social Media Marketing Director Make? (2025)
With the U.S. BLS reporting an 8% change in social media marketing directors' projected employment for the years of 2023 to 2023, the job is seeing positive growth overall. Salary.com's Real-Time Job Posting Salary Data Report also reports more job postings for the job title as well, which directly corresponds with the government's data.
Salary.com has also reported that the average Social Media Marketing Director salary is $112,740 per year in the United States as of August 7, 2025. Read this salary guide to get a more comprehensive overview of Social Media Marketing Directors, job descriptions, FAQs, and job expectations.
What does a Social Media Marketing Director Do?
A social media marketing director is mainly responsible for leading a company's or a client's social media pages and overseeing the content that they will post on their pages, as well as devising a strategy that ensures social media success. Social media marketing directors are also responsible for tracking their social media campaigns' success.
Per Salary.com's data, a candidate needs to have a bachelor's degree in communications, but candidates with a master's or doctorate degree in communications are also welcome to apply for the role.
What is a Social Media Marketing Director's Salary Overview?
The average salary for social media marketing directors in the United States in 2025 is $112,740 per year or $54 per hour, as of August 7, 2025.
Based on Salary.com salary data, the average salary for a social media marketing director is between $89,547 to $134,882 per year, with most Social Media Marketing Director salaries averaging from $100,600 and $124,330. The Social Media Marketing Director's salary per month is $9,395.
The salary for a Social Media Marketing Director is an average of $54 per hour, with an hourly Social Media Marketing Director salary ranging from $43 to $65. The average weekly Social Media Marketing Director salary is $2,168, with weekly pay ranging from $1,722 to $2,594.
2025 Social Media Marketing Director Average Salary: $112,740 per year ($54 per hour)
Meanwhile, the median Social Media Marketing Director salary is $150,501 per year, including salary and bonuses, and varies depending on the percentile.
| Percentile | Salary + Bonus |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | $95,880 |
| 25th Percentile | $111,640 |
| 50th Percentile | $128,950 |
| 75th Percentile | $147,290 |
| 90th Percentile | $163,988 |
On the other hand, the overall Social Media Marketing Director salary in the US is $128,950, according to Salary.com report. The total compensation package includes benefits like healthcare ($8,352), time off ($15,871), and Social Security ($9,865), which make up 19.1% of the total compensation.
| Core Compensation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Median | % of Total | |
| Base Salary | $112,740 | 63.30% |
| Bonus | $16,210 | 9.10% |
| Value of Benefits | ||
| Median | % of Total | |
| Social Security | $9,865 | 5.50% |
| 401K/403B | $5,416 | 3.00% |
| Disability | $2,579 | 1.40% |
| Healthcare | $8,352 | 4.70% |
| Pension | $6,963 | 3.90% |
| Time Off | $15,871 | 8.90% |
What Can Affect a Social Media Marketing Director's Salary?
Various factors such as experience level, geographic location, education, and skills can significantly influence the salary of a Social Media Marketing Director. Below is a breakdown of key salary components:
By Experience Level
Salary.com data shows that an entry-level Social Media Marketing Director salary -- or those who have just joined their organization within the year -- is $148,380. Those with more than 8 years of experience are considered experts, and the salary of a Social Media Marketing Director at that level is $152,640.
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level Social Media Marketing Director | $108,210 |
| Intermediate Level Social Media Marketing Director | $108,754 |
| Senior Level Social Media Marketing Director | $110,022 |
| Specialist Level Social Media Marketing Director | $111,472 |
| Expert Level Social Media Marketing Director | $113,951 |
By Geographic Location
Salary for Social Media Marketing Directors in the United States vary by geographic location due to key factors like cost of living, the local economy, and industry presence.
Among the hot cities in the United States, San Francisco, California is among the highest paying cities, with average salary for social media marketing directors being $140,800, while Dallas, TX, and Miami, FL, reflect lower average salary for social media marketing directors at $111,330 and $108,320 respectively.
| City | 25th Percentile | 50th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, California | $125,640 | $140,800 | $155,270 |
| Washington, District of Columbia | $111,380 | $124,830 | $137,650 |
| Miami, Florida | $96,660 | $108,320 | $119,450 |
| Chicago, Illinois | $103,960 | $116,510 | $128,480 |
| Boston, Massachusetts | $112,200 | $125,740 | $138,660 |
| New York, New York | $116,580 | $130,660 | $144,080 |
| Dallas, Texas | $99,340 | $111,330 | $122,770 |
By Skills
Since being a social media marketing director requires having a bachelor's degree, most start at a similar level. However, The Real-Time Job Posting Salary Data Report has suggested that having data privacy and digital marketing strategy skills can boost the salary of a social media marketing director by 7.92% and 7.87%, respectively.
| Skill | Demand | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Data Privacy | 10.50% | 7.92% |
| Digital Marketing Strategy | 10.20% | 7.87% |
| Content Marketing | 10.50% | 7.85% |
| Digital Design | 10.50% | 7.74% |
| Content Strategy | 10.50% | 7.54% |
| Digital Advertising | 10.50% | 7.46% |
By Education
Since an individual is required to have a communications degree, the vast majority of social media marketing directors have a bachelor's degree. However, master's and doctoral degree holders are also present within the workforce.
| Degree Level | % of Users with this Level of Education |
|---|---|
| Bachelors | 75.7% |
| Masters | 13.5% |
| Doctorate | 2.7% |
How to Become a Social Media Marketing Director
To become a fully-fledged social media marketing director, consider following these steps:
- Acquire a communications degree or similar: Acquiring a communications degree is a good place to start if an individual wants to be a social media marketing director. However, several degrees like multimedia arts or advertising can also be considered for the role.
- Gain relevant experience: Gaining the needed experience through on-the-job training and internships can help aspiring social media marketing directors gain the experience needed to do their role effectively and efficiently.
- Create a strong portfolio: Having a strong portfolio of your past works can also help social media managers elevate into the social media marketing director role. This can include successful campaigns, mood boards, and everything that has to do with social media campaigns.
What are the FAQs about Social Media Marketing Directors?
Here are some of the common questions about a social media marketing director's salary:
How much does a Social Media Marketing Director earn on average?
Last updated on August 7, 2025, Salary.com reports that the salary for a social media marketing director is $112,740 per year, or $54 per hour. This means that an average social media manager earns $9,395 monthly. The highest salary for a Social Media Marketing Director is $113,951 for an expert level Social Media Marketing Director.
Do social media marketing directors work from home?
It depends on the employment type and the position. For the most part though, yes -- social media marketing directors do work from the comfort of their own homes. This is because for the most part, a social media marketing director's job main responsibilities can be done from the comfort of their own homes and are not required to work in the field, as long as they have a stable internet connection and remain professional.
What does a Social Media Marketing Director do?
A social media marketing director is mainly responsible for several important roles regarding their company's social media pages. Their main responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Creating content for their social media pages
- Consider several factors, like future-proofing their content to ensure that it remains relevant
- Oversee that completing of content on-time
- Create opportunities for the company to increase their numbers and go viral on social media, driving business further
- Find new trends and reasons for their target audience to click on their page.
- Create engaging content and call-to-action that allows for better understanding of their product and/or services and allow them to focus on their business.
- Find other related niches and social media opportunities and trends and create content surrounding it.
