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The differences between community 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 a community relations specialist and a public relations specialist. Additionally, a community relations specialist has an average salary of $49,344, which is higher than the $48,124 average annual salary of a public relations specialist.
The top three skills for a community relations specialist include press releases, event planning and community events. The most important skills for a public relations specialist are press releases, web content, and project management.
| Community Relations Specialist | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $49,344 | $48,124 |
| Hourly rate | $23.72 | $23.14 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 28,509 | 29,698 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A community relations specialist is responsible for handling the organization's community engagements by facilitating fundraising events, volunteering acts, and charity programs and partnerships. Community relations specialists also write content for public and media promotions to promote brand awareness and the company's mission across the community. They should also be updated with the current events and situations to identify events and strategies that will help stabilize the society's condition. Since this type of job requires interacting with community people, a community relations specialist must have excellent communication skills to respond to their inquiries and concerns.
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.
Community relations specialists and public relations specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Community Relations Specialist | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Average salary | $49,344 | $48,124 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $70,000 | Between $33,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Alexandria, VA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Washington |
| Best paying company | City National Bank | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Government | Finance |
There are a few differences between a community relations specialist and a public relations specialist in terms of educational background:
| Community 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 community relations specialists' and public relations specialists' demographics:
| Community Relations Specialist | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.3% Female, 74.7% | Male, 30.3% Female, 69.7% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |