Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between corporate event planners and special events coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a corporate event planner and a special events coordinator. Additionally, a corporate event planner has an average salary of $53,681, which is higher than the $40,063 average annual salary of a special events coordinator.
The top three skills for a corporate event planner include corporate events, event logistics and audio visual. The most important skills for a special events coordinator are customer service, event planning, and press releases.
| Corporate Event Planner | Special Events Coordinator | |
| Yearly salary | $53,681 | $40,063 |
| Hourly rate | $25.81 | $19.26 |
| Growth rate | 18% | 18% |
| Number of jobs | 29,341 | 34,538 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A corporate event planner is responsible for organizing business events such as seminars, conferences, award ceremonies, meetings, or product launches. They oversee procedures from planning to execution to ensure that everything runs efficiently and meets the clients' needs. They must coordinate with clients to identify event requirements and budgets, secure venues and equipment, book caterers, reserve supplies, delegate responsibilities among staff, and monitor all operations. An event planner must promptly and efficiently recognize issues and solve them to ensure optimal services.
A special events coordinator is in charge of organizing and devising plans for an event, even monitoring all progress to ensure everything is running smoothly. They are typically responsible for consulting with clients and understanding the event's purpose, offering a selection of venues and caterers, providing cost estimates, and booking various services such as speakers, equipment, location, photographers, videographers, and other essential factors. Moreover, a special events coordinator manages all processes involved in setting up and down an event, all while maintaining client satisfaction.
Corporate event planners and special events coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Corporate Event Planner | Special Events Coordinator | |
| Average salary | $53,681 | $40,063 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $78,000 | Between $26,000 And $60,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | - | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | - | Smithsonian Institution |
| Best paying industry | - | Education |
There are a few differences between a corporate event planner and a special events coordinator in terms of educational background:
| Corporate Event Planner | Special Events Coordinator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | San Diego State University | San Diego State University |
Here are the differences between corporate event planners' and special events coordinators' demographics:
| Corporate Event Planner | Special Events Coordinator | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.6% Female, 86.4% | Male, 26.4% Female, 73.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 5.8% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 5.9% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |