Can You Survive On A Social Media Salary?

There is a new trend on Google, and it's the keyword search for the salary of a social media manager. Your parents probably already don't understand your career choice and just want to know that you will be able to afford to eat and to put a roof over your head. You on the otherhand just want to make sure that you can cut the chords and move out of the house and afford that closet sized apartment in the city you've been dreaming of.

Below is a ‘Social Media Manager Jobs Salary Guide’ that has been compiled and published by Onward Search. It lists social media job categories in addition to average salaries across the United States.

In addition to looking at position and location factors, you will also need to factor in whether you will be working for a small business or non-profit organization or whether you are willing to go corporate in order to earn more money. As highlighted by the graph, jobs in the social media scene are few and far, especially well paying ones. As aspiring professionals, it is important to diversify your experiences early on therefore making yourselves more marketable in the industry. Marketability means more money and more money means less phone calls home to mom and dad.

The question remains, can you survive on a social media salary?

Money Management and the PR Intern

While internships offer a great chance to gain experience in the field, working for no pay can really cause your bank account to take a hit. While it is more than possible to work a job while you intern, that can often prove to be difficult and many interns end up using their savings to fund their internship season. Whether you are holding down another job or not, these money management tips will help you and your bank account stay out of the red.

• Create a budget: Figure out how much money you are bringing in, and what money needs to be spent where. Some areas of your budget may include: transportation, bills, food/groceries, and rent.
• Prioritize your spending: Decide what you need to spend money on and what can wait to be bought later. Remember, bills and debts should always be paid first. Hold off on luxury expenses like clothing and electronics if you can.
• Save: The fastest way to run out of money is by spending it all. Make sure you include savings in your budget, so that you never end up completely broke. Remember that a little can go a long way, and that saving something is always better than saving nothing.
• Collaborate with other interns: Most of the interns you work with are probably as strapped for cash as you are. Talk to them, and see if you can all work together and help each other out. Maybe you can all carpool to the office to save money on transportation. Also, older interns may know of resources than can be beneficial to you, such as transportation stipends. 

I hope these tips help you thrive in your internships and finances.