Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between internal communications specialists 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 an internal communications specialist and a media relations specialist. Additionally, an internal communications specialist has an average salary of $61,999, which is higher than the $50,856 average annual salary of a media relations specialist.
The top three skills for an internal communications specialist include employee engagement, powerpoint and HR. The most important skills for a media relations specialist are patients, compassion, and press releases.
| Internal Communications Specialist | Media Relations Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $61,999 | $50,856 |
| Hourly rate | $29.81 | $24.45 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 27,601 | 44,665 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An internal communications specialist's role is to devise strategies in maintaining a clear and active line of communication and engagement within a workplace. They must manage the flow of communications across different departments, all while prioritizing timeliness and accuracy. Additionally, they must participate in writing and editing communication materials, reports, correspondence, memos, and more. There are also instances when they have to produce presentations, disseminate information, and utilize various mediums such as photos and videos. Furthermore, as an internal communications specialist, it is essential to develop action plans while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
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.
Internal communications specialists and media relations specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Internal Communications Specialist | Media Relations Specialist | |
| Average salary | $61,999 | $50,856 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $92,000 | Between $36,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Parsons | Edelman Financial Engines |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between an internal communications specialist and a media relations specialist in terms of educational background:
| Internal Communications Specialist | Media Relations Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Communication | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between internal communications specialists' and media relations specialists' demographics:
| Internal Communications Specialist | Media Relations Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.5% Female, 63.5% | 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% |