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The differences between media assistants and media buyers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a media assistant, becoming a media buyer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a media buyer has an average salary of $74,390, which is higher than the $37,287 average annual salary of a media assistant.
The top three skills for a media assistant include video production, audio equipment and visual equipment. The most important skills for a media buyer are digital marketing, campaign performance, and media buying.
| Media Assistant | Media Buyer | |
| Yearly salary | $37,287 | $74,390 |
| Hourly rate | $17.93 | $35.76 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 13,894 | 20,884 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 87% |
| Average age | 42 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
Media assistants are professionals who are responsible for providing administrative support to the media operations of an organization. These assistants are required to work closely with the media team to perform tasks such as analyzing media, using media software to keep track of performance and develop strong relationships with media outlets. By coordinating with technical consultants, media assistants must assist in planning various video productions as well as updating the content and graphics of the company's website. They must also develop strategies so that they can increase audience reach across media channels.
Media Buyers are marketing professionals who manage the company's advertisements. They create the company's media plan to determine the advertising needs of the company. They negotiate with external providers to get the best advertisement placement values. To do this, Media Buyers are expected to conduct thorough research on the different advertising companies, networks, media, size of placement, and length of advertisement. Their research must consider the target market and determine the best media to reach their target market. Media Buyers should have good negotiation skills and must be able to maintain good working relationships with providers.
Media assistants and media buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Media Assistant | Media Buyer | |
| Average salary | $37,287 | $74,390 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $54,000 | Between $56,000 And $98,000 |
| Highest paying City | Mountain View, CA | Burlington, VT |
| Highest paying state | New York | Vermont |
| Best paying company | Bloomberg | |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Professional |
There are a few differences between a media assistant and a media buyer in terms of educational background:
| Media Assistant | Media Buyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 87% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between media assistants' and media buyers' demographics:
| Media Assistant | Media Buyer | |
| Average age | 42 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.7% Female, 61.3% | Male, 30.1% Female, 69.9% |
| 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, 8.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 7.7% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 7% |