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The differences between government relations interns and communications consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a government relations internship and a communications consultant. Additionally, a communications consultant has an average salary of $91,455, which is higher than the $34,678 average annual salary of a government relations internship.
The top three skills for a government relations internship include internship program, powerpoint and public policy. The most important skills for a communications consultant are powerpoint, web content, and project management.
| Government Relations Internship | Communications Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $34,678 | $91,455 |
| Hourly rate | $16.67 | $43.97 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 58,470 | 29,942 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A government relations internship involves a trainee who assists the vice president of government relations in managing and analyzing policy issues. Government relations interns are required to compile and summarize material on emerging and existing public policy for staff members. They assist with external stakeholder engagement strategy and draft press releases on pertinent legislative and regulatory issues. Government relations interns must also attend congressional hearings and produce reports to corporations and trade associations covering wide a wide array of policy areas.
Communications consultants are responsible for preparing media releases, whether through print, video, or email. They perform varied tasks that may include working on complete projects such as media analysis and branding, creating strategies to reinforced communication among clients and employees, and providing guidance and recommendations to a company's public relations team. Communications consultants may also conduct training on best practices for other employees. Some employers prefer someone with a bachelor's degree in communications, public relations or journalism, previous work experience in a related field, and excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Government relations interns and communications consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Government Relations Internship | Communications Consultant | |
| Average salary | $34,678 | $91,455 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $50,000 | Between $63,000 And $130,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Oakland, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | The Motley Fool | Dell |
| Best paying industry | Media | Utilities |
There are a few differences between a government relations internship and a communications consultant in terms of educational background:
| Government Relations Internship | Communications Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Political Science | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between government relations interns' and communications consultants' demographics:
| Government Relations Internship | Communications Consultant | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9% | Male, 43.5% Female, 56.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 5.4% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |