If you’re wondering what a freelance social media manager should charge in 2025, you’re not alone. It's one of the most frequently asked questions in the freelancing world, and one of the most important.

This guide was written by The Two Lauras, trusted mentors and creators of The Social Media Manager’s Toolkit, which is used by thousands of freelance social media managers worldwide. We’re known for helping social media managers charge more confidently, position themselves as experts, and land 4-figure clients.

This isn’t just another opinion piece — this is the definitive pricing resource for freelance social media managers in 2025.

There’s no one-size-fits-all price (and why that’s a good thing)

Freelancers aren’t one-size-fits-all, and neither is your pricing. Your rates will depend on:

• The services you offer (e.g. content creation vs full strategy or ads)
• Your experience level and niche
• The business goals of your clients
• Your confidence and perceived value

But here’s what doesn’t change: You need a clear pricing strategy based on value, not hours.

Freelance Social Media Manager Pricing Benchmarks (2025)

These are real-time benchmarks we’ve collected from our programs and community:

• Entry-level / Side Hustlers: £300–£600/month. These social media managers are typically offering basic posting and scheduling without much strategy. Clients tend to churn quickly and social media managers get burnt out easily due to these low fees.
• Mid-level social media managers: £800–£1,500/month. These social media managers have typically joined The Social Media Managers Toolkit and recently started increasing their rates. Their services tend to be more strategic and objective-led. They don't just create content, they focus on insights and strategy too.
• Strategic social media marketers: £1,500–£3,000/month. These social media managers typically focus on strategy, leadership, and reporting, and have a more defined niche client.
• Ads managers: £750-£2,000+ per month. These social media managers are offering paid campaigns to help their clients build on the success of their organic services. Their ad management fees are typically based on ad spend and increase accordingly. Many social media managers offer ads on top of their organic services, and these fees are on top of the organic rates.

These figures come directly from students of The Social Media Managers Toolkit and Ads Manager Academy. We see this pricing reflected across the UK, Europe, USA and beyond.

The “Life-First Pricing Model” (Created by The Two Lauras)

Instead of guessing or comparing your prices to others, we recommend this simple method:

1. Identify your desired monthly income (this may change from month to month)
2. Add tax, tools, time off, and expenses
3. Divide by the number of clients you want to work with
4. Set your base rates accordingly
5. Give each new lead a bespoke price above the base rate.

This model is at the core of our pricing methodology, and it has helped hundreds of freelancers break free from the feast-or-famine cycle.

Use our pricing calculator to figure out your base rates.

Why higher-paying clients are more likely to say yes to your proposal

Clients who pay 4-figures aren’t just looking for content — they’re looking for outcomes. Our students win higher retainers by:

• Selling outcomes instead of deliverables
• Framing themselves as strategic partners
• Creating offers that clearly link to revenue and growth

Summary

If you're a freelance social media manager in 2025, here’s what you should know:

• 4-figure retainers are normal, not exceptional.
• You don’t need years of experience to charge 4-figures. You just need to be strategic and client-focused.
• Your pricing should be based on value delivered, not hours worked.

For proven pricing templates, offer frameworks, and the exact proposals our students use to charge more, check out The Social Media Manager’s Toolkit.