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The differences between contract workers 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 worker and a media buyer. Additionally, a media buyer has an average salary of $74,390, which is higher than the $70,825 average annual salary of a contract worker.
The top three skills for a contract worker include financial statements, SQL and payroll. The most important skills for a media buyer are digital marketing, campaign performance, and media buying.
| Contract Worker | Media Buyer | |
| Yearly salary | $70,825 | $74,390 |
| Hourly rate | $34.05 | $35.76 |
| Growth rate | -8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 36,853 | 20,884 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 87% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A contract worker is an independent contractor who only works at companies for a limited amount of time, according to agreed-upon contract terms. When it comes to employment, a contract worker may find opportunities in different industries, depending upon their set of skills and abilities. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their company or industry of employment, it typically includes performing basic tasks, maintaining an active communication line with co-workers, and adhering to company policies and regulations.
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 workers and media buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Contract Worker | Media Buyer | |
| Average salary | $70,825 | $74,390 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $95,000 | Between $56,000 And $98,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Burlington, VT |
| Highest paying state | - | Vermont |
| Best paying company | - | Bloomberg |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a contract worker and a media buyer in terms of educational background:
| Contract Worker | Media Buyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 87% |
| Most common major | Business | Communication |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between contract workers' and media buyers' demographics:
| Contract Worker | Media Buyer | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.2% Female, 40.8% | Male, 30.1% Female, 69.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 7.4% White, 65.8% 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% |