Reference standard · Version 1.0
A five-stage reference framework for social media roles in the UK: scope of ownership, skills expected at each stage, indicative job titles and salary bands. Written for use in job specifications, pay reviews, levelling exercises and career conversations.
Salary bands are indicative gross annual figures for UK-based, full-time roles, compiled from aggregated job listings, SocialDay community survey responses and editorial review. London and specialist in-house roles commonly sit above the stated range; part-time, agency-junior and non-UK roles commonly sit below it. Stages describe scope of responsibility, not tenure: people move between stages at different speeds, and some senior individual contributors hold Stage 4 scope without direct reports.
This page is the citable, versioned form of the framework. The interactive version of the same data is at the Career Ladder tool, and the self-assessment is at Find your career level.
| Stage | Level | Typical titles | Indicative UK salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | Getting into Social | Social Media Assistant, Content Assistant, Marketing Intern | £18,000 – £25,000 |
| Stage 2 | Running Channels | Social Media Executive, Social Media Coordinator, Junior SM Manager | £25,000 – £35,000 |
| Stage 3 | Owning Strategy | Social Media Manager, Social & Community Manager, Paid Social Specialist | £35,000 – £50,000 |
| Stage 4 | Leading the Function | Senior Social Media Manager, Social Media Lead, Head of Social | £50,000 – £75,000 |
| Stage 5 | Beyond 'Social' | Director / VP Social, Director / VP Marketing, Independent Strategist | £75,000 – £120,000 |
Stage 1
Assistant · Intern · Junior
Indicative UK salary: £18,000 – £25,000 gross per year
Stage 2
Exec · Coordinator
Indicative UK salary: £25,000 – £35,000 gross per year
Stage 3
Manager · Specialist
Indicative UK salary: £35,000 – £50,000 gross per year
Stage 4
Senior · Head of Social
Indicative UK salary: £50,000 – £75,000 gross per year
Stage 5
Director · VP · Consultant
Indicative UK salary: £75,000 – £120,000 gross per year
The standard is free to reference in job specifications, salary reviews and internal levelling documents with attribution. Suggested citation:
SocialDay (2026). The SocialDay Social Media Career Standard, version 1.0. https://socialday.live/career-ladder/standard
Corrections and data submissions: info@socialday.co.uk. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.
