Fancy yourself an Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok addict? Thanks to the rising world of social media, you can now turn your mastery of these platforms into an actual career path – with plenty of high-paying positions, to boot.
From video editing and graphic design to senior-level social media management, there’s never been a better time to turn your Instagram obsession into a job.
Below, we break down the current trends in Australia’s social media field, and the top-paying job roles you could start pursuing today.
Is social media marketing a good career?
According to
recent findings by Statista, an approximate 82.7% of the Australian population are active social media users as of February 2022 – a great leap from just 58% in 2015. This shows the growing prevalence of social media in today’s landscape, making it an ideal tool for reaching and connecting with new audiences.
As such, social media marketing has become an increasingly in-demand,
lucrative career path. According to Payscale, these skills can earn one average base salary of
$60K AUD per year, with the potential to earn as high as
$105K AUD as one’s experience grows.
Top-paying social media jobs
Social media manager
Social media managers are in charge of overseeing the social media activity and online profiles of a company. They help monitor, execute, and measure the performance of one’s social media presence; helping craft new content, promotional material, and marketing strategies across multiple platforms.
These professionals may collaborate with online influencers, product managers, or the business owners themselves to help devise effective social media marketing campaigns. Some may work within their marketing department, in an agency, or on a freelance basis.
According to SEEK, social media managers can expect a job growth of 11.4% in the next five years, with an average salary of $80K AUD.
Content strategist
Content strategists are focused on developing effective, engaging online content for a business’ target audience. These could include regular Instagram posts, tweets, YouTube videos, or blog articles on the company’s website.
Those in this role thus work with creative professionals, such as graphic designers and copywriters, to deliver the content necessary for social media. With changing audience interests and trends online, content strategists must constantly brainstorm new creative ways of engaging with users.
According to Payscale, the average content strategist in Australia earns about $68K AUD per year, with the potential to earn as high as $135K AUD as experience grows.
Community manager
Community managers help represent the company, managing the communications between the business and its customers. They help respond to customer inquiries; monitor, track, and report on any feedback received; and help build positive relationships with returning customers, journalists, or other industry professionals.
Those this role may also lend a hand in crafting engaging content for social media or managing any existing campaigns.
According to Payscale, the average community manager in Australia earns about $55K AUD per year, with the potential to earn as high as $80K AUD as one’s experience grows.
Video editor
As their name suggests, video editors for social media help edit the graphics, sound, and visual effects that go into a brand’s audio-visual content online. Aside from crafting engaging, high-quality videos, they also ensure all content is consistently made in their brand’s unique voice and style.
Additionally, they may help to optimise their videos for search through the right metadata and description keywords.
Examples of video content these professionals may create for social media include YouTube videos, Instagram reels, and TikToks.
The average video editor earns around $70K AUD per year in Australia, with the highest-earners receiving over $113K AUD annually (
based on Talent.com statistics).
Graphic designer
Graphic designers help craft attractive visual content for one’s social media platforms. These could include Instagram posts, YouTube thumbnails, image previews for links on Facebook, or even memes.
Their aim is to successfully grab user attention through engaging or novel graphic material, and allows companies to effectively establish their brand image, personality, and culture.
Those in this role must have a keen eye for aesthetics and familiarity with popular design software such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
According to Talent.com, the average graphic designer in Australia earns about $82K AUD, with the potential to earn as high as $107K AUD as one’s experience grows.
Marketing consultant
Lastly, with enough knowledge and experience, you may also be well-suited for a role in marketing consultancy. Using their in-depth expertise, these professionals help businesses in their marketing campaigns; providing them with detailed information on current trends, practices, and customer demands and recommending the right investments as necessary. They may also help business owners track their sales and marketing campaign performance over time.
Marketing consultants may work independently or within a marketing firm.
According to Talent.com, the average marketing consultant earns about $95K AUD in Australia, with the potential to earn as high as $136K AUD as their skills and experience grow.
How do I get a job in social media?
To successfully land a career in social media, it’s critical to
know your platforms. A thorough knowledge of commonly-used sites – including Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter – is imperative to leveraging these platforms for business growth.
Establishing your own social media presence is also highly recommended. Not only would this be a good way to explore new social media tools and platforms, it could also serve as proof of your social media skills and experience.
Finally, you may additionally wish to consider
further training in the social media field. Plenty of online courses,
such as those offered by Upskilled, can equip you with the specific, in-demand skills needed for career opportunities in the industry. Some of these courses may even result in nationally-recognised qualifications, helping you and your
social media CV stand out among potential employers.
Where can I find social media jobs?
- Online job boards. One of the easiest ways to hunt down social media job opportunities is to explore popular job boards such as SEEK or Indeed. These sites are constantly updated with new job ads daily – from internships in social media to full-time management positions.
- Referrals or opportunities in your current company. If you’re currently employed and looking to pursue a more social media-based role, take a look at what your current organisation may have to offer. There may just be positions available for a new graphic designer or content strategist that you can ease into or apply for.
- Social media itself. Job opportunities can often be found on social media platforms themselves – whether it’s a company reaching out through a direct message on Instagram or a small business advertising new social media positions through LinkedIn. Take advantage of your social media knowledge by leveraging its tools in the job-hunting process – your new role may just be a tweet or LinkedIn connection away.
Seeking out a career in social media? Upskilled offers a wide variety of online courses to help you get started in this growing industry – from short courses in the essentials to a full-blown diploma program in social media marketing. Best of all, through their digital delivery, you can study at a time, place, and pace that suits you best.
Upskill for Australia’s digital future today, and enquire with us on a course.