Rates, 2026
What should a social media manager charge in a major city?
About $500 a day for a social media manager who is working and booked in a major city like Chicago, Atlanta, Miami or Austin. $400 in the first years, $625 when senior. A content month, delivered runs about $2,775. Also called: community manager.
Other markets: New York or LA · remote · a smaller market
First years
$400
a day · $50 an hour
Working, booked
$500
a day · $65 an hour
Senior, sought after
$625
a day · $80 an hour
The rate card, working level
- Day rate$500 per day
- Hourlyfor anything that does not fit a day$65 per hour
- A content month, delivered$2,775 per project
- Monthly retainerplanning, posting, replies, the monthly report$3,200 per month
Sold a monthly retainer, a project fee, by the hour. The month is the unit; one-off work is priced as a project.
What to charge for each thing
Ranges for a major city like Chicago, Atlanta, Miami or Austin: the low end is the first years, the high end is senior. Working and booked sits in the middle.
- One platform only$1,025 to $2,550 per month
- Content calendar only (30 days)$425 to $1,275 per month
- Community management (replies and DMs)$500 to $1,700 per month
- Account audit$350 to $1,025 per audit
- Launch or campaign sprint$1,275 to $4,250 per campaign
How the number is made
Social media managers at this level in this market day at about $500 ($400 to $800 in New York and LA). Put in the year you actually want on the perfect price page and the number moves with it.
A content month, delivered runs $1,500 to $5,000 and takes about 40 hours of your time; at your hourly that is $2,600. The number is the higher of the two, because the client is buying the outcome, not the hours.
A retainer is the month, not the hours: planning, posting, replies, the monthly report. It is priced about 20% under the same work bought one at a time, in exchange for the certainty; three months minimum, or it is not a retainer.
Questions
- What is a fair day rate for a social media manager in a major city like Chicago, Atlanta, Miami or Austin?
- About $500 a day for someone working and booked, $400 in the first years, $625 when senior and sought after. Half days usually run 60% of the day.
- How much is a content month, delivered?
- $2,775 at a working level in this market. The client is buying the outcome, so the price is the higher of what the market pays for it and what your hours in it are worth.
- What does a monthly retainer look like for a social media manager?
- Around $3,200 a month: planning, posting, replies, the monthly report. About 20% under the same work bought one piece at a time, in exchange for certainty; three months minimum.
- Are these rates a rule?
- No. They are US 2026 ranges for the role, placed by level and moved for the market. What a client actually paid you beats all of it. The tool has a box for that, and it wins.
Your number, in five seconds.
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