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The differences between events assistants and meeting planners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an events assistant and a meeting planner. Additionally, a meeting planner has an average salary of $56,257, which is higher than the $28,633 average annual salary of an events assistant.
The top three skills for an events assistant include customer service, event materials and event planning. The most important skills for a meeting planner are client facing, event planning, and powerpoint.
| Events Assistant | Meeting Planner | |
| Yearly salary | $28,633 | $56,257 |
| Hourly rate | $13.77 | $27.05 |
| Growth rate | 18% | 18% |
| Number of jobs | 5,728 | 17,112 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
A meeting planner makes professional decisions in all areas of meeting preparation and presentation. They plan meetings, establish meeting objectives, schedule meetings, budget expenses, inspect meeting sites, negotiate with suppliers, and create a speaker lineup. They also need to deal with travel arrangements and with technical equipment used in the course of the meeting.
Events assistants and meeting planners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Events Assistant | Meeting Planner | |
| Average salary | $28,633 | $56,257 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $37,000 | Between $40,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cambridge, MA | Newark, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Maine | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Dana-Farber Cancer Institute | AbbVie |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between an events assistant and a meeting planner in terms of educational background:
| Events Assistant | Meeting Planner | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | San Diego State University | San Diego State University |
Here are the differences between events assistants' and meeting planners' demographics:
| Events Assistant | Meeting Planner | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.2% Female, 68.8% | Male, 12.4% Female, 87.6% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 5.9% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |