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The differences between digital media planners and marketing communications specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a digital media planner, becoming a marketing communications specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a digital media planner has an average salary of $55,361, which is higher than the $53,993 average annual salary of a marketing communications specialist.
The top three skills for a digital media planner include powerpoint, media planning and campaign performance. The most important skills for a marketing communications specialist are digital marketing, project management, and graphic design.
| Digital Media Planner | Marketing Communications Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $55,361 | $53,993 |
| Hourly rate | $26.62 | $25.96 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 39,005 | 95,444 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 89% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 42 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A digital media planner helps clients planning to build an internet presence through online marketing. Crafting a successful digital media advertising campaign is not a simple task, and it requires a lot of data gathering and analysis. It is the digital media planner's job to ensure the client's business gets the most out of the internet by creating a workable plan to take advantage of the internet. A digital media planner's tasks are to monitor campaign performance, gather data from previous campaigns, and develop new strategies and plans for the company to follow.
A marketing communications specialist is an individual who is responsible for creating all the marketing materials that are distributed to customers to increase brand awareness for the company's products or services. To create these materials, marketing communications specialists must collaborate with graphic design teams. They are required to track their marketing performance so that they can identify ways to improve their marketing strategies. Marketing communications specialists must also set up interviews and press conferences as part of their marketing campaign.
Digital media planners and marketing communications specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Digital Media Planner | Marketing Communications Specialist | |
| Average salary | $55,361 | $53,993 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $64,000 | Between $36,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Mama's Fish House | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a digital media planner and a marketing communications specialist in terms of educational background:
| Digital Media Planner | Marketing Communications Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 89% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Marketing | Communication |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between digital media planners' and marketing communications specialists' demographics:
| Digital Media Planner | Marketing Communications Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.1% Female, 61.9% | Male, 28.0% Female, 72.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 5.4% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 9.6% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 10% |