Data · October 2026
What social media costs a service business (2026).
Five ways to get your posts made, compared with published wage and price data. Every number links to its source and date.
Side by side
Five options, one table
Monthly costs from published sources. Bracketed numbers link to the sources list below.
What social media costs · October 2026
| Option | Monthly cost | What the published data says | What you get, and what you still do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner time Doing it yourself | Your hours × your hourly valueExample: 17.3 hours a month at $52.30 an hour is about $907 [4] | The 2025 median pay for top executives, the BLS group that includes general and operations managers, was $52.30 an hour [4]. Use your own billable rate if it is higher. | You film, edit, write and post every piece yourself. Work out your own hours. |
| Freelance marketplace data A freelancer | $400 to $2,000 a monthor $14 to $35 an hour | Median hourly rates of $14 to $35 for social media managers, and a sample small-business rate of $400 to $2,000 a month for managing 2 channels [5]. A services marketplace puts the average at $400 to $650 a month [6]. | Depends on the brief: how many channels, whether they film or you send the photos, and how many posts. |
| Agency pricing research An agency | About $5,107 a month on averageUS agencies: $100 to $149 an hour | The average monthly cost of social media marketing projects is $5,107, US agencies average $100 to $149 an hour, and most projects reviewed cost less than $10,000 [7]. | Strategy, content and reporting from a team. Any ad spend is a separate budget. |
| BLS wages, May 2025 An in-house hire | About $6,229 a month in wages$74,750 a year ÷ 12, before benefits and payroll taxes | Public relations specialists, the closest occupation we found in the BLS handbook, earn a median $74,750 a year ($35.94 an hour) [1]. Graphic designers: $62,960 [2]. Marketing managers: $166,790 [3]. | A person on your team, plus the hiring, managing and equipment that come with an employee. |
| NanoFlow pricing, October 2026 A done-for-you service like NanoFlow | $497, $997 or $1,997 a monthSocial Starter, Social Growth, Socials + Front Office | Social Starter: 8 reels and 8 carousels a month on Instagram and Facebook. Social Growth: 15 reels and 15 carousels on all seven platforms, posts from new 5-star reviews, a monthly report and check-in, and your own presenter. Socials + Front Office adds the AI Office Manager [8]. | Posts made from your jobs, photos and reviews and posted to Instagram and Facebook, or to Instagram, Facebook, Threads, X, Bluesky, YouTube and TikTok on Social Growth and up. You approve each one from your phone. See the plans. |
US dollars. Ranges are published figures, not quotes. The owner-time example uses the calculator's starting inputs: 4 posts a week, 45 minutes to make each one and 5 minutes to post it on each of 3 platforms.
Your time is a real cost
An hour spent editing a reel is an hour off the tools. The time calculator turns your posting routine into hours and dollars a month.
Compare what is included
Count the posts, the platforms and who makes the photos and video. A low monthly price can cover two channels and scheduling only.
How we built this
Method
We fetched every source on October 11, 2026 and quoted each figure word for word in our notes. Where a site blocks automated visits, we read the most recent public archive copy and give its date.
- In-house wages are US Bureau of Labor Statistics medians from May 2025, from the Occupational Outlook Handbook. A monthly figure is the annual median divided by 12, wages only.
- Freelancer and agency figures are the published ranges and averages from a large freelance marketplace, a services marketplace and an agency pricing research page, as they publish them.
- Owner time is your hours multiplied by your hourly value. The example uses the BLS median pay for top executives; your own billable rate may be higher.
- NanoFlow prices are our own, as of October 2026, in US dollars.
These are national figures. Prices in your town, and what each option includes, will vary. We will update this page when the sources update.
Sources
Where every number comes from
Each source with its date and the figure we used.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook: Public Relations SpecialistsUsed here: Median pay $74,750 a year, $35.94 an hour. BLS says these specialists develop social media programs and are usually in charge of monitoring and responding to social media questions.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook: Graphic DesignersUsed here: Median pay $62,960 a year, $30.27 an hour.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook: Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing ManagersUsed here: Median annual wage for marketing managers $166,790.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook: Top ExecutivesUsed here: Median pay for top executives, the group that includes general and operations managers: $52.30 an hour.
- Upwork: How Much Does a Social Media Manager Cost?Used here: Median hourly rates of $14 to $35 (USD). Sample small-business monthly rate for account management on 2 channels by intermediate, US-based specialists: $400 to $2,000.
- Bark: Social Media Marketing ExpertsUsed here: Average cost of social media marketing services: $400 to $650 a month.
- Clutch: Social Media Marketing Pricing GuideUsed here: Average monthly cost of social media marketing projects: $5,107. US agencies average $100 to $149 an hour. Most projects reviewed cost less than $10,000.
- NanoFlow: NanoFlow pricingUsed here: Social Starter $497, Social Growth $997, Socials + Front Office $1,997 a month.
Questions
Questions about social media costs
How much does a social media freelancer cost?
As of October 2026, freelance marketplace data shows median hourly rates of $14 to $35 for social media managers, and a sample small-business rate of $400 to $2,000 a month for managing two channels. A services marketplace puts the average at $400 to $650 a month. Sources and dates are listed on this page.
How much does a social media agency cost?
Agency pricing research updated July 27, 2026 puts the average monthly cost of social media marketing projects at $5,107, with US agencies averaging $100 to $149 an hour.
What does an in-house social media hire cost?
We used the closest occupation we found in the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook: public relations specialists, who BLS says develop social media programs. Their median pay was $74,750 a year, or $35.94 an hour, in May 2025. That is wages only, before benefits and payroll taxes.
What does it cost to do your own social media?
Your hours a month times what an hour of your time is worth. As an example, the 2025 BLS median pay for top executives is $52.30 an hour, so 17.3 hours a month costs about $907. The free time calculator works out your own number.
How much does NanoFlow cost?
As of October 2026, Social Starter is $497 a month, Social Growth is $997 a month and Socials + Front Office is $1,997 a month, in US dollars, month to month. Social Starter posts to Instagram and Facebook; the other two post to Instagram, Facebook, Threads, X, Bluesky, YouTube and TikTok. You approve every post.
Why are the ranges so wide?
Each option covers a different amount of work. A freelance quote might cover scheduling posts on two channels, an agency fee can include strategy and reporting, and a hire is a full-time salary. Compare what is included, not only the price.
Also in NanoFlow
Keep exploring
Time calculator
Work out the hours and the owner time your own posting takes each month.
Social content
Reels and carousels from your jobs, posted to up to seven platforms after you approve them.
Pricing
Social Starter $497, Social Growth $997, Socials + Front Office $1,997 a month.
Resources
Every NanoFlow page, industry page and answer in one place.
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Every plan posts to Instagram and Facebook. Social Growth and up add Threads, X, Bluesky, YouTube and TikTok.