9781422270684

social media, according to Statista.com. This number is projected to increase to 6 billion in 2027. When it comes to earnings, social media and web professionals often receive higher salaries than workers in many other fields. For example, workers in art and design earn a median annual income of $48,220, according to the US Department of Labor (DOL). The median annual wage for computer and information technology professionals is $97,430. These salary figures are higher than the median annual wage ($45,760) in all occupations. The best-known social media influencers can earn hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, and a few make millions of dollars a year. With that said, it’s important to remember that many social media professionals have much lower earnings. You might think that it’s easy to earn big bucks working as an influencer, blogger, or podcaster, but statistics show that most people who work in these fields do not earn a great living. Social media influencers earn an average salary of $41,223, according to ZipRecruiter.com, and the average salary for bloggers is $45,082. The employment outlook for social media and web professionals varies by career. Opportunities in computer and information technology occupations are projected to grow 15 percent from 2021 to 2031, according to the DOL. This is much faster than the average for all occupations. Demand is strong for workers in these professions because there is a need for technology services in almost every industry, and because the internet and other technologies continue to evolve and require skilled programmers, cybersecurity professionals, web developers, and other tech experts to keep them running. Job opportunities in social media should be good during the next decade, although it will be more challenging to land the top jobs because many talented people want to become influencers, bloggers, podcasters, consultants, marketing professionals, and other social media specialists. As of January 2020, 49 percent of

14

Getting Started: Careers in Social Media and the Web