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The differences between media 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 a media specialist and a media relations specialist. Additionally, a media relations specialist has an average salary of $50,856, which is higher than the $50,832 average annual salary of a media specialist.
The top three skills for a media specialist include digital marketing, video production and customer service. The most important skills for a media relations specialist are patients, compassion, and press releases.
| Media Specialist | Media Relations Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $50,832 | $50,856 |
| Hourly rate | $24.44 | $24.45 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 39,401 | 44,665 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Media specialists are individuals who establish and administer content on various social media platforms. The job involves monitoring site metrics, overseeing creative design, and responding to reader comments. Specialists offer advice to administrators and teachers on the use of non-print social media. They work for huge enterprises with multimedia departments, new media departments, and in-house websites. The skills the job requires include trend awareness, social media ads, community management, strong visual aesthetic, and understanding SEO.
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.
Media specialists and media relations specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Media Specialist | Media Relations Specialist | |
| Average salary | $50,832 | $50,856 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $73,000 | Between $36,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | BP America Inc | Edelman Financial Engines |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Finance |
There are a few differences between a media specialist and a media relations specialist in terms of educational background:
| Media Specialist | Media Relations Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Communication | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between media specialists' and media relations specialists' demographics:
| Media Specialist | Media Relations Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.9% Female, 47.1% | Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.5% 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% |