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The differences between digital communication specialists and social media 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 digital communication specialist and a social media specialist. Additionally, a digital communication specialist has an average salary of $59,208, which is higher than the $51,584 average annual salary of a social media specialist.
The top three skills for a digital communication specialist include digital communications, digital marketing and wordpress. The most important skills for a social media specialist are social media marketing, instagram, and digital marketing.
| Digital Communication Specialist | Social Media Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $59,208 | $51,584 |
| Hourly rate | $28.47 | $24.80 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 29,197 | 47,228 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A digital communication specialist is responsible for managing and analyzing the effectiveness of media campaigns and digital presence. Digital communication specialists create engaging content to publish on various media outlets that would highlight the company's services and other requirements. They may also connect with the existing and potential customers by responding to their inquiries and requests and acknowledging their concerns. A digital communication specialist must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially in utilizing software tools and programs to design attractive content that would engage the target audience.
A social media specialist is an individual who is responsible for creating and administering content on all social media platforms to build an audience and ensure customer engagement. By using platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, social media specialists must create content that resonates with the interests of the intended audience. They are required to understand social media metrics so that they can use the information to ensure success in their social media strategy. Social media specialists must also work with industry professionals and influencers via social media to create a strong network.
Digital communication specialists and social media specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Digital Communication Specialist | Social Media Specialist | |
| Average salary | $59,208 | $51,584 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $77,000 | Between $38,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Trenton, NJ | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Professional |
There are a few differences between a digital communication specialist and a social media specialist in terms of educational background:
| Digital Communication Specialist | Social Media Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between digital communication specialists' and social media specialists' demographics:
| Digital Communication Specialist | Social Media Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.1% Female, 51.9% | Male, 38.6% Female, 61.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 5.4% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 5.3% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |