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The differences between media planners and marketing communications specialists 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 planner, becoming a marketing communications specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a media planner has an average salary of $58,044, which is higher than the $53,993 average annual salary of a marketing communications specialist.
The top three skills for a media planner include media planning, powerpoint and campaign performance. The most important skills for a marketing communications specialist are digital marketing, project management, and graphic design.
| Media Planner | Marketing Communications Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $58,044 | $53,993 |
| Hourly rate | $27.91 | $25.96 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 24,126 | 95,444 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 89% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 42 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A media planner is responsible for managing market campaigns and promotions for clients' advertising needs through various social media platforms and other mediums of communications. Media planners handle the brand's media presence, strategizing its maximum appeal to the target audience. They coordinate closely with the clients for the progress updates, as well as informing them of any adjustments, especially on meeting the public's interests and concerns. A media planner develops innovative techniques, analyzes market data, and manage campaign results, ensuring to meet the clients' objectives and goals.
A marketing communications specialist is an individual who is responsible for creating all the marketing materials that are distributed to customers to increase brand awareness for the company's products or services. To create these materials, marketing communications specialists must collaborate with graphic design teams. They are required to track their marketing performance so that they can identify ways to improve their marketing strategies. Marketing communications specialists must also set up interviews and press conferences as part of their marketing campaign.
Media planners and marketing communications specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Media Planner | Marketing Communications Specialist | |
| Average salary | $58,044 | $53,993 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $69,000 | Between $36,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Delaware |
| Best paying company | RPA | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a media planner and a marketing communications specialist in terms of educational background:
| Media Planner | Marketing Communications Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 89% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between media planners' and marketing communications specialists' demographics:
| Media Planner | Marketing Communications Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.2% Female, 60.8% | Male, 28.0% Female, 72.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 5.4% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 9.6% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 10% |