Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between communications coordinators and marketing communications specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a communications coordinator, becoming a marketing communications specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a marketing communications specialist has an average salary of $53,993, which is higher than the $47,075 average annual salary of a communications coordinator.
The top three skills for a communications coordinator include customer service, web content and event planning. The most important skills for a marketing communications specialist are digital marketing, project management, and graphic design.
| Communications Coordinator | Marketing Communications Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $47,075 | $53,993 |
| Hourly rate | $22.63 | $25.96 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 39,790 | 95,444 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 42 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A communications coordinator is responsible for overseeing the communications department's operations, developing the brand image, and monitoring press releases, company articles, and other related marketing materials for business promotion and visibility. Communications coordinators actively interact with existing and potential clients, negotiate contracts, and build profitable partnerships. They also develop strategic procedures for creating the business' online presence, organizing promotional events, and media conferences. A communications coordinator must have excellent communication and organization skills to maintain a good reputation and customer satisfaction.
A marketing communications specialist is an individual who is responsible for creating all the marketing materials that are distributed to customers to increase brand awareness for the company's products or services. To create these materials, marketing communications specialists must collaborate with graphic design teams. They are required to track their marketing performance so that they can identify ways to improve their marketing strategies. Marketing communications specialists must also set up interviews and press conferences as part of their marketing campaign.
Communications coordinators and marketing communications specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Communications Coordinator | Marketing Communications Specialist | |
| Average salary | $47,075 | $53,993 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $63,000 | Between $36,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between a communications coordinator and a marketing communications specialist in terms of educational background:
| Communications Coordinator | Marketing Communications Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between communications coordinators' and marketing communications specialists' demographics:
| Communications Coordinator | Marketing Communications Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.4% Female, 70.6% | Male, 28.0% Female, 72.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 9.6% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 10% |