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The differences between communications consultants and public relations consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a communications consultant and a public relations consultant. Additionally, a communications consultant has an average salary of $91,455, which is higher than the $50,333 average annual salary of a public relations consultant.
The top three skills for a communications consultant include powerpoint, web content and project management. The most important skills for a public relations consultant are press releases, web content, and strategic communications.
| Communications Consultant | Public Relations Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $91,455 | $50,333 |
| Hourly rate | $43.97 | $24.20 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 29,942 | 27,882 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Communications consultants are responsible for preparing media releases, whether through print, video, or email. They perform varied tasks that may include working on complete projects such as media analysis and branding, creating strategies to reinforced communication among clients and employees, and providing guidance and recommendations to a company's public relations team. Communications consultants may also conduct training on best practices for other employees. Some employers prefer someone with a bachelor's degree in communications, public relations or journalism, previous work experience in a related field, and excellent written and verbal communication skills.
A public relations consultant represents an organization and is the company's way to communicate to the public their plans, decisions, and motivations. They both advertise and show the company's personality and create familiarity and trust. The public relations consultant's role is to create all the PR materials needed to accomplish these goals. It means writing press releases, online content, speeches, and also working with the marketing and advertising team to create copy that will evoke the interest of the public. The ultimate goal is to gain customers and thus increase sales.
Communications consultants and public relations consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Communications Consultant | Public Relations Consultant | |
| Average salary | $91,455 | $50,333 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $130,000 | Between $29,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Washington |
| Best paying company | Dell | AbbVie |
| Best paying industry | Utilities | Media |
There are a few differences between a communications consultant and a public relations consultant in terms of educational background:
| Communications Consultant | Public Relations Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between communications consultants' and public relations consultants' demographics:
| Communications Consultant | Public Relations Consultant | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.5% Female, 56.5% | Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 5.4% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |