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The differences between digital content specialists and social media specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a digital content specialist, becoming a social media specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a digital content specialist has an average salary of $54,127, which is higher than the $51,584 average annual salary of a social media specialist.
The top three skills for a digital content specialist include digital content, digital marketing and content strategy. The most important skills for a social media specialist are social media marketing, instagram, and digital marketing.
| Digital Content Specialist | Social Media Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $54,127 | $51,584 |
| Hourly rate | $26.02 | $24.80 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 45,100 | 47,228 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 37 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
Digital content specialists are employees who work on the writings and posts that an official company page publishes digitally. This content may be posted on the company website or social media pages. Digital content specialists should be able to write, edit, and proofread posts before publishing them. They should also be familiar with the company's branding so that the contents they publish are consistent with the branding and overall image of the company. They carefully curate posts to ensure that every content they have is in line with the company image. Digital content specialists should be familiar with the current trends in the digital landscape and should also be technologically-savvy.
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 content specialists and social media specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Digital Content Specialist | Social Media Specialist | |
| Average salary | $54,127 | $51,584 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $74,000 | Between $38,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | National Railroad Passenger Corporation | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Professional |
There are a few differences between a digital content specialist and a social media specialist in terms of educational background:
| Digital Content Specialist | Social Media Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between digital content specialists' and social media specialists' demographics:
| Digital Content Specialist | Social Media Specialist | |
| Average age | 37 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.4% Female, 52.6% | Male, 38.6% Female, 61.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 9.7% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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 | 10% | 12% |