Should You Hire an In House Media Buyer or SureSocial?
By Saif Haroon, founder of SureSocial Last updated
Hire an in house media buyer when paid ads are core to the business and you can keep one person fully busy and well managed; choose SureSocial when you want media buying, creative and landing pages from one team for one flat fee from $2,000 a month. Payscale puts the average US media buyer base salary at $60,062 a year, about $5,000 a month before benefits, tools or creative.1
How do the costs compare?
| Option | Cost | What the cost covers |
|---|---|---|
| In house media buyer | $60,062 a year average base salary, about $5,000 a month1 | One person. Benefits, payroll costs, tools and creative are extra |
| Senior in house media buyer | $84,896 a year average base salary, about $7,075 a month2 | One person. Benefits, payroll costs, tools and creative are extra |
| SureSocial ads management | $2,000 a month | Meta and Google ads management with a minimum 3x ROAS |
| SureSocial ads, creative and landing pages | $2,500 a month | Ads management plus static and video creatives and landing pages |
| SureSocial full marketing package | From $3,500 a month | Everything in the $2,500 plan plus tracking and reporting set up and run |
How fast can each one start?
An in house hire starts after recruiting, interviewing, notice periods and onboarding. SureSocial replies to every enquiry within 1 working day, and the process is a free strategy call, a deep audit once you sign, a 90 day plan, then launch.
Who makes the creative?
A media buyer buys media. Most brands still need someone to make new ads every week and build the pages they point to. SureSocial's $2,500 plan includes static and video ad creatives and landing pages, and SureSocial has created 1000+ ads across its clients.
What are the risks of each?
| Risk | In house media buyer | SureSocial |
|---|---|---|
| Holidays, sickness or leaving | The account stops or loses its knowledge | A team keeps the account running |
| Day to day presence | In your office and your meetings | Over Slack and WhatsApp, with replies within 1 working day |
| Focus | Fully yours | Shared with other clients. Only 2 prop firms at a time |
| Cost if results drop | Salary stays the same | Fee stays the same, with a minimum 3x ROAS agreed before launch |
| Ownership of ad accounts | Should be yours | Yours. SureSocial works in accounts in your name |
When is an in house media buyer the better choice?
When ads are central to the business, spend is high and steady enough to keep one person fully busy, and you have someone who can manage and judge their work. If you also want them in the room every day, in house is the right call.
Who is this for, and who is it not for?
- Brands and prop firms that need buying, creative and landing pages working together without hiring a team.
- Businesses that want a flat fee they know before launch.
- Businesses that want one full time person in the office every day.
- Anyone looking for SEO, email marketing or UGC.
What else do people ask?
Is an agency cheaper than an in house media buyer?
On base salary alone, an average US media buyer costs about $5,000 a month and a senior buyer about $7,075, according to Payscale. SureSocial costs $2,000, $2,500 or from $3,500 a month.
Can we use SureSocial and an in house person together?
Yes. A common setup is an in house owner who sets goals and approves spend, with SureSocial doing the buying, creative and landing pages.
Who owns the ad accounts?
You do, in either case. SureSocial works in ad accounts held in your company's name.
What does SureSocial not do?
SureSocial does not offer SEO, email marketing or UGC.
How do we work with SureSocial day to day?
Over Slack and WhatsApp. Every enquiry gets a reply within 1 working day.
What happens if results drop?
Every plan has a minimum 3x ROAS agreed before launch. Miss it, and your money walks out the door with you.
What should you read next?
Where these numbers come from
Every outside figure on this page links to its public source. SureSocial figures are our own.
- Media Buyer salary in the United States · Payscale, updated 14 July 2026, 143 salary profiles
- Senior Media Buyer salary in the United States · Payscale, updated 14 May 2026, 59 salary profiles