Social Media Manager Job Description (2026): Duties, Skills and Salary
A social media manager plans, creates and publishes content across platforms like Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and X, and manages the community that responds to it. The job mixes creative work, writing captions, planning content calendars and sometimes shooting or editing video, with the more analytical side of tracking what performs and adjusting strategy accordingly.
Social media managers work at brands, agencies and individual creators' teams, and the scope ranges from one person handling everything to a specialist on a larger marketing team working with designers and paid media. Platforms and formats change quickly, so staying current matters as much as any single skill.
Social Media Manager job description template
Copy it, replace everything in [brackets] and cut what doesn't apply. Keep the requirements to what the job really needs.
Template · replace the [brackets]
Social Media Manager
[Company] · [City and office days, or remote with the countries or time zones you hire in] · [Full-time]
About [Company]
[Two or three sentences on what your company does, who it serves and why this team matters now.]
About the role
[Company] is hiring a social media manager to grow our presence on [platforms] and build a community around [brand/product]. You'll plan and create content, manage publishing and engagement, and report on what's working.
What you'll do
- Plan and maintain a content calendar across [Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, X].
- Write captions and create or direct visual and video content for each platform.
- Manage day-to-day posting, community replies and direct messages.
- Track engagement, follower growth and other metrics, and report on performance.
- Stay on top of platform trends and adapt content formats accordingly.
- Coordinate with design, product marketing or influencers on campaigns.
- Monitor brand mentions and escalate issues or opportunities appropriately.
- Run or support paid social promotion of top-performing content.
What you'll bring
- [X]+ years managing social media for a brand, agency or creator.
- A portfolio or examples of content you've created and the results it got.
- Strong writing skills adaptable to different platform voices and tones.
- Comfort with native platform analytics and at least one scheduling tool.
- Basic photo or video editing skills for platform-native content.
- Good judgment on brand voice and what's appropriate to post, including in fast-moving situations.
Nice to have
- Experience running paid social campaigns.
- Video editing skills in tools like CapCut, Premiere Pro or Final Cut.
- Experience with influencer or creator partnerships.
- Familiarity with [industry, e.g. consumer goods, B2B SaaS or entertainment].
What we offer
- [Pay range: e.g. $X–$Y base salary, plus bonus or equity if offered]
- [Content and equipment budget, flexible hours, conference attendance]
- [Health cover, retirement or pension plan, paid time off, parental leave]
- [Work authorization: whether you can sponsor a visa or hire through an employer of record]
[Our process: a recruiter call, a review of your portfolio and past results, a short content exercise (plan a week of posts for a sample brief), and a final interview with the marketing team.]
[Your equal opportunity statement, and how candidates can ask for adjustments during the process]
Put the pay range in the ad. Several US states, including California, Colorado, New York and Washington, require it in job postings, and the EU Pay Transparency Directive gives applicants the right to know the starting pay or its range before the interview.
Social Media Manager duties by seniority
What the job usually looks like at each level. Pitch the ad at one level and say which in the title.
Junior
- Drafts captions and schedules posts from an existing content plan.
- Responds to comments and messages under brand guidelines.
- Learns platform analytics and reporting basics.
Mid-level
- Owns the content calendar and voice across platforms.
- Analyzes performance and adjusts strategy without close oversight.
- Runs small campaigns, including with influencers or paid boosts.
Senior
- Sets social strategy across platforms and ties it to broader marketing goals.
- Manages a content team, freelancers or an agency relationship.
- Leads crisis communication and brand voice decisions in sensitive moments.
Social Media Manager career path
- Social Media Coordinator
- Social Media Manager
- Senior Social Media Manager
- Head of Social / Marketing Manager
Social media manager is often a first marketing job, reached from internships, content creation on a personal account, or a coordinator role at an agency or brand. From here, people move into broader content or brand marketing roles, or specialize further into influencer marketing or paid social.
Similar roles
- Content Writer job description
Writes longer-form content rather than running social platforms day to day.
- Digital Marketing Specialist job description
Covers a broader mix of channels, including paid and email, not just social.
- Marketing Coordinator job description
Supports campaigns across channels rather than owning the social presence.
- Copywriter job description
Focuses on writing across formats rather than platform strategy and community management.
Social Media Manager job description FAQ
What does a social media manager do?
Plans and creates content for platforms like Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn, manages publishing and community engagement, tracks performance, and adjusts strategy based on what resonates with the audience.
What skills should a social media manager job description require?
Strong writing adaptable to different platform voices, basic content creation or editing skills, comfort with analytics, and good judgment on brand voice. Paid social experience is a useful extra, better listed as nice-to-have.
Is social media manager an entry-level job?
It can be for brands with a light social presence, especially for candidates with a strong personal portfolio. Larger brands often want a few years of experience. State the expected experience and platform focus clearly.