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The differences between contract administrator/contract specialists and media buyers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a contract administrator/contract specialist and a media buyer. Additionally, a media buyer has an average salary of $74,390, which is higher than the $53,425 average annual salary of a contract administrator/contract specialist.
The top three skills for a contract administrator/contract specialist include contract management, purchase orders and contract terms. The most important skills for a media buyer are digital marketing, campaign performance, and media buying.
| Contract Administrator/Contract Specialist | Media Buyer | |
| Yearly salary | $53,425 | $74,390 |
| Hourly rate | $25.69 | $35.76 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 61,764 | 20,884 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 87% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A Contract Administrator and Contract Specialist reviews all contracts of the company. They are responsible for reviewing every contract if it is for the company's benefit and if there are hidden risks. This person also helps draft future contracts and inspects new contracts during deals and negotiations. Contract Specialists update existing contracts, propose amendments if necessary, and advise the company on contracts that have risks that may affect the activities of the company.
Media Buyers are marketing professionals who manage the company's advertisements. They create the company's media plan to determine the advertising needs of the company. They negotiate with external providers to get the best advertisement placement values. To do this, Media Buyers are expected to conduct thorough research on the different advertising companies, networks, media, size of placement, and length of advertisement. Their research must consider the target market and determine the best media to reach their target market. Media Buyers should have good negotiation skills and must be able to maintain good working relationships with providers.
Contract administrator/contract specialists and media buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Contract Administrator/Contract Specialist | Media Buyer | |
| Average salary | $53,425 | $74,390 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $79,000 | Between $56,000 And $98,000 |
| Highest paying City | Annapolis, MD | Burlington, VT |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | Vermont |
| Best paying company | Jacobs Engineering Group | Bloomberg |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between a contract administrator/contract specialist and a media buyer in terms of educational background:
| Contract Administrator/Contract Specialist | Media Buyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 87% |
| Most common major | Business | Communication |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between contract administrator/contract specialists' and media buyers' demographics:
| Contract Administrator/Contract Specialist | Media Buyer | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.0% Female, 70.0% | Male, 30.1% Female, 69.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 7.6% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 7.7% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |