Rates, 2026
What should a social media manager charge in New York or LA?
About $600 a day for a social media manager who is working and booked in New York or Los Angeles. $450 in the first years, $750 when senior. A content month, delivered runs about $3,250. Also called: community manager.
Other markets: a major city · remote · a smaller market
First years
$450
a day · $55 an hour
Working, booked
$600
a day · $75 an hour
Senior, sought after
$750
a day · $95 an hour
The rate card, working level
- Day rate$600 per day
- Hourlyfor anything that does not fit a day$75 per hour
- A content month, delivered$3,250 per project
- Monthly retainerplanning, posting, replies, the monthly report$3,750 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 New York or Los Angeles: the low end is the first years, the high end is senior. Working and booked sits in the middle.
- One platform only$1,200 to $3,000 per month
- Content calendar only (30 days)$500 to $1,500 per month
- Community management (replies and DMs)$600 to $2,000 per month
- Account audit$400 to $1,200 per audit
- Launch or campaign sprint$1,500 to $5,000 per campaign
How the number is made
Social media managers at this level day at about $600 ($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 $3,000. 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 New York or LA?
- About $600 a day for someone working and booked, $450 in the first years, $750 when senior and sought after. Half days usually run 60% of the day.
- How much is a content month, delivered?
- $3,250 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 $3,750 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.
Pick your level and market, get a card you can send the next client who asks. Then RostrLab quotes, papers, invoices and chases every job with it: free for 14 days, $29 a month, never a cut.
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