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Community relations assistant vs public affairs specialist

The differences between community relations assistants and public affairs specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a community relations assistant and a public affairs specialist. Additionally, a public affairs specialist has an average salary of $66,383, which is higher than the $36,453 average annual salary of a community relations assistant.

The top three skills for a community relations assistant include community outreach, press releases and community relations programs. The most important skills for a public affairs specialist are news stories, veterans, and fact sheets.

Community relations assistant vs public affairs specialist overview

Community Relations AssistantPublic Affairs Specialist
Yearly salary$36,453$66,383
Hourly rate$17.53$31.91
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs27,96119,889
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 75%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age4242
Years of experience44

What does a community relations assistant do?

Community Relations Assistants are involved in outreach programs and in promoting the business or organization. These assistants establish and distribute promotional materials for customers. They support public relations departments through copying, answering phone calls, and filing. Their duties include ensuring the effectiveness of outreach missions. Among the skills and knowledge needed for this job include community relations programs, special events, and press releases.

What does a public affairs specialist do?

Psychology research assistants take charge of the operational and administrative tasks like mailing surveys, summarizing results, and managing correspondence. The research assistants identify the areas in need of improvement and score psychological tests. They prepare the interview questions and summarize test results. Their job involves responding to research-related emails and take part in project meetings. Also, they update the content of websites and prepare reports of their progress. The skills they need in carrying out this job include communication, critical thinking, attention to detail, and technical skills.

Community relations assistant vs public affairs specialist salary

Community relations assistants and public affairs specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Community Relations AssistantPublic Affairs Specialist
Average salary$36,453$66,383
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $53,000Between $43,000 And $102,000
Highest paying City-Washington, DC
Highest paying state-Virginia
Best paying company-Google
Best paying industry-Government

Differences between community relations assistant and public affairs specialist education

There are a few differences between a community relations assistant and a public affairs specialist in terms of educational background:

Community Relations AssistantPublic Affairs Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 75%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common majorBusinessCommunication
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University

Community relations assistant vs public affairs specialist demographics

Here are the differences between community relations assistants' and public affairs specialists' demographics:

Community Relations AssistantPublic Affairs Specialist
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 28.0% Female, 72.0%Male, 47.2% Female, 52.8%
Race ratioBlack 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, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage12%12%

Differences between community relations assistant and public affairs specialist duties and responsibilities

Community relations assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage all copywriting elements for live broadcasts and promotional commercials.
  • Schedule and coordinate meetings in-house and off site; prepare PowerPoint presentations.
  • Maintain the website (RedDot), online calendar and Facebook event calendar.
  • Develop and ensure all necessary documentation are charted to meet Medicare criteria for DME approval.
  • Leverage entrepreneurial orientation and expertise in government transactions to acquire excellent relationships outside of FEMA.

Public affairs specialist example responsibilities.

  • Manage agency media engagements, including tracking queries on SharePoint.
  • Respond to media queries, write news releases and manage media engagements while acting as spokesperson for several multifacete organizations.
  • Improve moral for thousands of soldiers, family members, and veterans.
  • Create a command Youtube page; shoot, edit and place innovative videos share nationally.
  • Develop a SharePoint website allowing USDA employees to retrieve templates and to submit communications requests i.e.
  • Update the IACH Facebook page on a daily basis with news, events, pictures and videos.
  • Show more

Community relations assistant vs public affairs specialist skills

Common community relations assistant skills
  • Community Outreach, 16%
  • Press Releases, 12%
  • Community Relations Programs, 11%
  • Event Planning, 8%
  • Community Relations Events, 7%
  • Promotional Materials, 4%
Common public affairs specialist skills
  • News Stories, 7%
  • Veterans, 7%
  • Fact Sheets, 6%
  • Press Releases, 6%
  • Conduct Interviews, 5%
  • News Articles, 5%

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