Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between community relations representatives and communications 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 community relations representative and a communications consultant. Additionally, a communications consultant has an average salary of $91,455, which is higher than the $42,421 average annual salary of a community relations representative.
The top three skills for a community relations representative include community relations, patients and community organizations. The most important skills for a communications consultant are powerpoint, web content, and project management.
| Community Relations Representative | Communications Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $42,421 | $91,455 |
| Hourly rate | $20.39 | $43.97 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 24,898 | 29,942 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Community Relations Representatives are ambassadors for an organization. Their purpose is to spread awareness of an organization's vision throughout community groups. Their work scope includes nurturing relationships with stakeholders for fundraising efforts, organizing community outreach programs, and coordinating for volunteers. Other duties include hosting activities, delivering speeches driving fundraising initiatives, and attending meetings. This job requires good interpersonal skills to negotiate across a broad demographic. They must have good analytical skills, such as using cost-benefit analysis in budgeting for a program. They also manage the company image and mission through social media management.
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.
Community relations representatives and communications consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Community Relations Representative | Communications Consultant | |
| Average salary | $42,421 | $91,455 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $58,000 | Between $63,000 And $130,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Oakland, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | - | Dell |
| Best paying industry | - | Utilities |
There are a few differences between a community relations representative and a communications consultant in terms of educational background:
| Community Relations Representative | Communications Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Business | Communication |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between community relations representatives' and communications consultants' demographics:
| Community Relations Representative | Communications Consultant | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.1% Female, 73.9% | Male, 43.5% Female, 56.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |