Social Media · Agency side · Updated September 2026
Social Media Manager salary
in the UK.
Based on Stonor Search's salary data and supplementary market research, Social Media Managers in the UK typically earn between £25,000 and £85,000 depending on level: around £25,000+ at entry level / assistant level, rising to £85,000+ at director level. London roles sit higher, at £25,000 to £85,000, roughly 19% above the UK average in our data. Pay varies with seniority, location, agency size and client mix, and the real scope of the role.
Also covers: Social Executive, Head of Social, Community Manager, Social Media Executive, Social Manager, Social Account Director, Content Creator, Influencer Manager, Agency Director (Social), Paid Social Manager.
UK average
Good confidence£50,000
Typical salary (band midpoint)
- Salary range
- £25,000 – £85,000
- London
- £25,000 – £85,000
- Levels covered
- Entry level / Assistant to Director
- Last updated
- September 2026
Social Media Manager salary by seniority and location
Annual base salary, GBP. "Typical" is the midpoint of the published band. London and UK-average bands are published separately.
| Level | UK average range | UK typical | London range | London typical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry level / AssistantEntry-level Social / Entry-level Social Media Manager | £25,000+ | £25,000 | £25,000 – £40,000 | £32,500 |
| Junior / ExecutiveSocial Executive | £30,000 – £35,000 | £32,500 | — | — |
| Manager / MidweightSocial Manager / Social Media Manager | £35,000 – £50,000 | £42,500 | £40,000 – £65,000 | £52,500 |
| Head of / Associate DirectorAccount Director / Head of Social / Senior / Lead Social Media Manager | £50,000 – £80,000 | £65,000 | £50,000 – £85,000 | £67,500 |
| DirectorAgency Director (Social) | £85,000+ | £85,000 | — | — |
Published as approximately £25,000.
Published as £85,000+ with no upper bound.
London entry-level Social Media Manager band from supplementary market research (Sep 2026).
London mid-level Social Media Manager band from supplementary market research (Sep 2026).
London senior / lead Social Media Manager band from supplementary market research (Sep 2026). Upper end £85,000+ is possible at larger agencies or with paid-social specialism.
What does a Social Media Manager earn by location?
- London
- £25,000 – £85,000
- UK average
- £25,000 – £85,000
Other regions use the UK average band: South East, South West, Midlands, North West, North East & Yorkshire, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Remote (UK).
In Stonor's data, London Social Media Managers earn around 19% more than the UK average at the same level. Regional searches outside London fall back to the UK figure and say so.
Market context
Salaries and responsibilities are far less uniform than in PR or traditional marketing and vary wildly agency to agency depending on scope (organic vs paid vs both). Generalists are ten a penny — companies want specialists now.
Source: Stonor Search Marketing Salary Benchmark 2025
About this data
- Sources
- Stonor Search Marketing Salary Benchmark 2025; Supplementary London agency salary research (Sep 2026)
- Sector coverage
- Agency side
- Benchmark period
- 2025
- Includes
- Base salary only. No bonus, commission or equity.
- Confidence
- Good confidence. A Stonor band for this role, but we've widened the location, blended close titles or dropped the sector filter.
What affects a Social Media Manager's salary?
Seniority
The biggest lever. In Stonor's data a entry level / assistant Social Media Manager sits around £25,000, while director level is around £85,000 or more. Titles inflate faster than pay, so check the scope, team size and budget behind the title before assuming the top band applies.
Location
London pays about 19% more than the UK average for Social Media Managers in Stonor's data. Hybrid roles based outside London are increasingly benchmarked against the national band rather than the London one, and candidates know it.
Agency size and client mix
Agency bands vary with the size of the agency and the sectors it serves. Niche B2B work (tech, healthcare, financial services) tends to pay above consumer lifestyle and entertainment for the same title, according to Stonor's 2025 marketing report.
Skills that push pay higher
Comfortable across organic and paid social. TikTok and short-form video expertise. On-camera creation, filming, editing and copy in one person. (Source: Stonor Search Marketing Salary Benchmark 2025.)
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