How much does a social media manager cost?
Updated · November 3, 2026
In HeyOrca's survey of more than 100 social media managers, the average rate is $66.96 an hour, and managing three networks with three posts a week on each costs about $2,107 a month. In Europe, published prices for small businesses mostly run from €150 to €1,200 a month. Doing it yourself costs your time, plus nothing or a few euros a month for a scheduling tool.
Social media manager cost at a glance
These are published figures, checked on 3 November 2026, before tax. HeyOrca's survey dates from May 2024 and is in US dollars, so read it as a reference point, not as a quote.
- The monthly figures in HeyOrca's survey are for the same job: LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, three approved posts a week on each, 5 to 10 hours of replying to comments and messages, and a detailed report.
- Experience matters more than the type of provider. Freelancers with less than a year of experience average $49.50 an hour, those with 7 years or more $92.23.
- Ad budgets are extra. What you spend on Meta or LinkedIn ads is paid to the platform, on top of the manager's fee.
| Who does it | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| You | $0 plus your time | Whatever you have time for |
| Freelancer, 1 to 3 years | $1,750 a month on average | 3 networks, 3 posts a week each |
| Freelancer, 7+ years | $2,764.71 a month on average | Same scope |
| Agency, 7+ years | $2,277.78 a month on average | Same scope |
| One-off Instagram project | $1,509.62 on average | Setup, strategy and 10 posts |
| Uisdom Blog + Social (ours) | €49 a month, one network | Blog articles plus posts made from them |
Social media management prices by country
We found no independent 2026 survey for European countries. These are published ranges, mostly from marketplaces and sellers, so treat them as a first orientation and ask for three quotes.
- Per network or per package: some freelancers price each network separately, others sell a package. When you compare quotes, count the networks and the posts, not the total.
- The lowest prices usually cover posting only. In Zaask's table, organic Facebook and Instagram with 3 to 5 posts a week costs €150 to €400, and €250 to €700 once replies to comments and messages are included.
| Country | Published price | Published by |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | €70 an hour on average for Instagram marketing | freelancermap, undated |
| Austria | Agency packages often start at €800 to €1,200 a month | Herold, June 2026 |
| France | €300 to €800 a month for 8 to 12 posts on one network | BusinessOrNot, September 2026 |
| Spain | €300 to €600 a month for a basic freelancer, €1,200 to €3,000 for an agency | Asest, May 2026 |
| Italy | €400 to €800 a month per network | Money.it, updated November 2026 |
| Portugal | About €250 a month on average | Zaask, undated |
What your monthly budget buys in hours and posts
Social media work is mostly paid time, so the clearest way to read a quote is to turn it into hours. This table divides each budget by the HeyOrca hourly averages for freelancers. It is our arithmetic, rounded, and you can repeat it with any rate you are quoted.
The same survey gives a second yardstick. Its $2,107 monthly retainer buys about 39 posts a month (three networks, three a week, about 4.3 weeks) plus the replies and the report: roughly $54 a post, all included. If a quote works out much cheaper per post, ask what is left out.
| Budget | Newer freelancer | Senior freelancer | Room for |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500 | About 10 hours | About 5 hours | One network, posting only |
| $1,000 | About 20 hours | About 11 hours | One or two networks, some replies |
| $2,000 | About 40 hours | About 22 hours | Three networks, replies and a report |
Doing it yourself: what it costs
The tools are cheap or free. The cost is the time to think of what to say, take the photos and write the posts, every week. If you go this way, plan a batch once a week instead of posting when you remember.
- Pick one network, the one your customers already use. One network done every week beats three done now and then.
- Decide what you will post before you open the app. These post ideas for local businesses work for social media too, and the free content calendar gives you a month of topics in a minute.
- Schedule a week at a time. Meta Business Suite lets you create and schedule posts and Stories for your business. Buffer has a free plan for up to 3 networks, with 10 scheduled posts per network at a time, and paid plans from $60 a year per network.
- Keep a page you own. A feed moves on quickly, while a page on your site can keep being found in search. See do you need a website if you have Instagram.
- Check after three months which posts brought messages, calls or bookings, and do more of those.
Freelancer, agency or software?
A freelancer suits a small business that wants one person who knows it, on one or two networks. An agency costs about the same in HeyOrca's survey for the same scope, and makes sense when you also need ads, video or design under one contract. Software that writes posts for you costs least and saves the most time, but it doesn't reply to your customers and it doesn't know what happened in your shop this morning.
Social media is also only one channel. Posts bring attention for a few days, while articles and a well-built site keep working in search. If you are choosing where to spend a small budget, compare this page with what a business blog costs and what SEO costs, and read how to get customers from Google for how search differs from a feed.
What to ask before you sign
A good quote says what you get, not only what you pay. Ask these questions and compare the answers side by side:
- How many networks, and how many posts a week on each?
- Who takes the photos and videos, and are they included in the price?
- Do you reply to comments and messages, and within how long?
- Is the ad budget included or paid separately to the platform?
- Do I keep the accounts, the logins and the content if I leave?
- How long is the contract, and how do I end it?
Frequently asked questions
›How much does a social media manager cost per month?
In HeyOrca's survey, managing three networks with three posts a week on each costs about $2,107 a month on average. Published European prices for small businesses mostly run from €150 to €1,200 a month, depending on the country and the number of networks.
›How much does a social media manager charge per hour?
HeyOrca reports an average of $66.96 an hour, from $49.50 for freelancers with under a year of experience to $92.23 for those with 7 years or more. In Germany, freelancermap shows an average of €70 an hour for Instagram marketing.
›Is $500 a month enough for social media management?
For one network and posting only, it can be. At the HeyOrca freelancer rates it buys about 5 to 10 hours a month, so don't expect replies, reports and three networks as well.
›How much does a social media manager charge per post?
Few price per post. Dividing HeyOrca's average monthly retainer by the posts it includes gives roughly $54 a post, with replies and a report included. Our arithmetic, not a quoted rate.
›Can I manage my business's social media myself?
Yes. Scheduling tools are free or cheap, and one network posted every week is a realistic start. The real cost is your time, so plan a batch once a week.
›Does Uisdom manage social media?
Uisdom writes and publishes articles on your site, and its Blog + Social plans add posts made from those articles: €49 a month for one network, €65 for two, and €10 for each extra network up to five. It doesn't reply to comments or run ads.