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The differences between internal communications specialists and social media 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 social media specialist. Additionally, an internal communications specialist has an average salary of $61,999, which is higher than the $51,584 average annual salary of a social media specialist.
The top three skills for an internal communications specialist include employee engagement, powerpoint and HR. The most important skills for a social media specialist are social media marketing, instagram, and digital marketing.
| Internal Communications Specialist | Social Media Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $61,999 | $51,584 |
| Hourly rate | $29.81 | $24.80 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 27,601 | 47,228 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| 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 social media specialist is an individual who is responsible for creating and administering content on all social media platforms to build an audience and ensure customer engagement. By using platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, social media specialists must create content that resonates with the interests of the intended audience. They are required to understand social media metrics so that they can use the information to ensure success in their social media strategy. Social media specialists must also work with industry professionals and influencers via social media to create a strong network.
Internal communications specialists and social media specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Internal Communications Specialist | Social Media Specialist | |
| Average salary | $61,999 | $51,584 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $92,000 | Between $38,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Parsons | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Professional |
There are a few differences between an internal communications specialist and a social media specialist in terms of educational background:
| Internal Communications Specialist | Social Media Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between internal communications specialists' and social media specialists' demographics:
| Internal Communications Specialist | Social Media Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.5% Female, 63.5% | Male, 38.6% Female, 61.4% |
| 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, 10.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 5.3% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |