Event planner vs events assistant

The differences between event planners and events assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an event planner and an events assistant. Additionally, an event planner has an average salary of $51,542, which is higher than the $28,633 average annual salary of an events assistant.

The top three skills for an event planner include customer service, vendor contracts and plan events. The most important skills for an events assistant are customer service, event materials, and event planning.

Event planner vs events assistant overview

	Event Planner	Events Assistant
Yearly salary	$51,542	$28,633
Hourly rate	$24.78	$13.77
Growth rate	18%	18%
Number of jobs	19,793	5,728
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	2	2

What does an event planner do?

An event planner is responsible for organizing events, following the clients' needs, instructions, and budget goals. Event planners must be highly communicative to coordinate and negotiate contracts with suppliers, third-party vendors, and venue rentals. They finalize the guest list, catering services, and assist with marketing materials to promote the event. An event planner should also have a broad knowledge of the current market industry trends, which plays a vital role in planning and organizing future event opportunities.

What does an events assistant do?

An events assistant is responsible for coordinating an event based on a client's guidelines under the supervision of a head event planner. Events assistants manage event logistics, including negotiating with suppliers and third-party vendors and events place rental. They also ensure that the plans stay within the budget goals, minimizing costs but not compromising the quality of the materials. An events assistant usually updates the client on behalf of the event planner, especially on the updates and adjustments as needed. To be an events assistant requires excellent communication and organizational skills.

Event planner vs events assistant salary

Event planners and events assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Event Planner	Events Assistant
Average salary	$51,542	$28,633
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $74,000	Between $21,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	Stamford, CT	Cambridge, MA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Maine
Best paying company	Intelliswift	Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Best paying industry	Technology	Non Profits

Differences between event planner and events assistant education

There are a few differences between an event planner and an events assistant in terms of educational background:

	Event Planner	Events Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	San Diego State University	San Diego State University

Event planner vs events assistant demographics

Here are the differences between event planners' and events assistants' demographics:

	Event Planner	Events Assistant
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 22.4% Female, 77.6%	Male, 31.2% Female, 68.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 5.9% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 5.9% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between event planner and events assistant duties and responsibilities

Event planner example responsibilities.

Manage client RFP s, develop detailed proposals & client pitches.
Produce, implement, and manage sales lead forms and online surveys to determine overall ROI.
Manage VIP & bottle service, sell tickets, hire promoters, promotional models, disc jockeys & staff for venues.
Manage and ship all marketing and advertising kits and giveaways for career fairs, on-campus presentations, final rounds and orientations.
Coordinate and host successful client seminars, creating invitations and promotional materials, booking venues, and selecting guest speakers.
Coordinate travel arrangements, including booking airfare, hotel and transportation.

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Events assistant example responsibilities.

Manage a pop-up shop, recruiting volunteers via Facebook, training them, and creating a volunteer calendar to manage hours.
Lead and manage the Instagram and twitter social media sites, also host numerous interviews with stars and celebrities.
Promote conversation and interaction among SUU alumni on Facebook by consistently writing posts and generating update photos and content.
Design business cards, social tickets, delegate passes and certificates using Photoshop and InDesign.
Publish stories on the college's website and post snippets on the college's Facebook page.
Compile speaker content and create presentation slides through Microsoft PowerPoint.

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Event planner vs events assistant skills

Common event planner skills

Customer Service, 15%
Vendor Contracts, 12%
Plan Events, 8%
Event Management, 6%
PowerPoint, 5%
Event Logistics, 3%

Common events assistant skills

Customer Service, 27%
Event Materials, 7%
Event Planning, 6%
Event Locations, 6%
Event Management, 4%
Event Support, 3%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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