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The differences between associate relations specialists and public relations specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an associate relations specialist and a public relations specialist. Additionally, an associate relations specialist has an average salary of $52,142, which is higher than the $48,124 average annual salary of a public relations specialist.
The top three skills for an associate relations specialist include customer service, CRM and human resources. The most important skills for a public relations specialist are press releases, web content, and project management.
| Associate Relations Specialist | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $52,142 | $48,124 |
| Hourly rate | $25.07 | $23.14 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 37,753 | 29,698 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An associate relations specialist is responsible for assisting human resources operations in assisting with employees' needs, resolving their concerns, and improving labor relations within the workplace. Associate relations specialists also help in the recruitment process, developing handbooks and company manuals, processing onboarding operations, and evaluating incident reports of policy violations. They facilitate employee training and programs to maximize efficiency and productivity in operations, as well as disseminating information and announcements from the management across the organization.
A public relations specialist is an individual who creates and maintains a favorable public image of an organization by crafting media releases and developing social media programs. Public relations specialists must help their clients communicate effectively with the public as well as evaluate the public opinion of their clients through social media. They need to draft their press releases and contact people in the media who might want to broadcast their materials. Public relations specialists are also required to draft speeches and arrange interviews for the top executives of their organization.
Associate relations specialists and public relations specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Associate Relations Specialist | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Average salary | $52,142 | $48,124 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $71,000 | Between $33,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Shoreline, WA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Regeneron | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Finance |
There are a few differences between an associate relations specialist and a public relations specialist in terms of educational background:
| Associate Relations Specialist | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Business | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between associate relations specialists' and public relations specialists' demographics:
| Associate Relations Specialist | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.9% Female, 68.1% | Male, 30.3% Female, 69.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |