How much should you charge for social media management? Build the package a client needs, set the rate you want to earn, and get a monthly retainer, a per-post price, and a benchmark check in seconds. Built by Cloud Campaign, the social media platform for agencies.
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Three things drive a social media management price: how much content you create, how much of the client's inbox you own, and how much your time is worth. The calculator turns those into hours, multiplies by the hourly rate you want to earn, adds your tool costs, and rounds to a retainer you can put in a proposal. Turn on paid ads if you manage spend; that fee is billed as a percentage of budget, separate from the organic work.
Most social media management retainers fall into three tiers:
| Tier | Monthly retainer | What's usually in it |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $500–$2,000 | 1–2 platforms, 8–12 posts a month, light engagement, monthly report |
| Growth | $2,000–$5,000 | 2–3 platforms, 15–25 posts, active community management, strategy calls |
| Premium | $5,000–$15,000+ | Daily posting across platforms, original video, full strategy, paid ads, weekly reporting |
Where your package lands depends on the scope, not your experience alone. A two-platform, 20-post package with light engagement at $75/hr comes out at $2,800 a month. Add short-form video and daily community management and the same client is a $6,000+ account.
Per-post pricing works for content-only arrangements where the client handles publishing and replies. Typical ranges:
The calculator's per-post figure shows your effective rate once community management, reporting, and admin are folded in. Quote per post only when those are excluded, or you'll undercharge for the parts of the work no one sees.
Freelance social media managers typically earn $35–$150 an hour. Agencies bill $75–$300. Strategy, paid media, and video command the top of each range; scheduling and caption writing sit at the bottom. Set your rate in the calculator to the number that covers your cost of delivery and leaves a margin, then let the package math do the rest. Most freelancers who feel underpaid aren't charging too little per hour; they're giving away hours they never counted.
Built with the calculator at $75 an hour:
Local business starter. Facebook and Instagram, 12 posts a month, client-supplied photos, no community management, monthly report, one strategy hour. About 12 hours. $950/month.
Growth retainer. Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, 24 posts a month with original graphics, active community management, monthly report, two strategy hours. About 60 hours. $4,600/month.
Full service with ads. Four platforms, 40 posts a month including short-form video, daily community management, weekly reporting, four strategy hours, plus $5,000 a month in ad spend managed at 15%. About 160 hours. $12,900/month.
Reprice at renewal with a scope note: show what the package includes now versus when it started. Most clients accept a 10–20% increase when the added work is visible. Use the rate card from the calculator as the one-page justification.
Or, schedule some time with our team to learn how Cloud Campaign can fit into your digital agency.
For a typical two-platform, 15–20 post package with light engagement, $2,000–$3,500 a month. One platform with client-supplied content can start around $750. Multi-platform, video-heavy, daily-engagement accounts run $5,000 and up. Use the calculator above to price your exact scope.
Small business budgets usually support $750–$2,000 a month. Keep the scope small enough to be profitable at that price: one or two platforms, 8–12 posts, no daily inbox coverage, and a monthly report.
Freelancers typically land $500–$2,500 a month per client. Set an hourly rate between $35 and $150 that reflects your experience, estimate the hours honestly (the calculator counts the admin and reporting time most freelancers forget), and quote the retainer that comes out, not the number you think the client wants to hear.
$25–$75 for caption-only, $75–$150 for an original graphic and caption, $150–$500+ for short-form video. Price content creation on hours per asset: graphics take about an hour each, video two or more. Quote per post only when you are not also managing the inbox or reporting.
Agency retainers usually start at $1,000–$5,000 a month for basic packages and reach $10,000+ for full-service work with strategy, video, and paid media. Agency hourly rates run $75–$300; freelancers $35–$150. Strategy and paid media sit at the top of the range, scheduling and captions at the bottom.
Yes. Management is publishing, engagement, and reporting; marketing adds strategy, paid campaigns, and growth targets, so price it at least one tier higher. Bill paid social as a management fee of 10–20% of monthly ad spend with a $500–$1,000 minimum, separate from the organic retainer.
Caption generators and proposal templates built for agencies.
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