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The differences between government relations interns and media relations specialists 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 media relations specialist. Additionally, a media relations specialist has an average salary of $50,856, 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 media relations specialist are patients, compassion, and press releases.
| Government Relations Internship | Media Relations Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $34,678 | $50,856 |
| Hourly rate | $16.67 | $24.45 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 58,470 | 44,665 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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.
A media relations specialist's role is to help a company maintain good public relations through various forms of media, ensuring to convey their brand's purpose and message. Their responsibilities typically revolve around developing strategies and opportunities, producing newsletters and press releases, remaining updated with the latest trends, and even managing the company's social media platforms. A media relations specialist may also delegate tasks to writers and graphic designers, arrange schedules, and ensure that all goals are met within the expected deadline and budget.
Government relations interns and media relations specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Government Relations Internship | Media Relations Specialist | |
| Average salary | $34,678 | $50,856 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $50,000 | Between $36,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | The Motley Fool | Edelman Financial Engines |
| Best paying industry | Media | Finance |
There are a few differences between a government relations internship and a media relations specialist in terms of educational background:
| Government Relations Internship | Media Relations Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Political Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between government relations interns' and media relations specialists' demographics:
| Government Relations Internship | Media Relations Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9% | Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4% |
| 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, 10.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |