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The differences between media specialists and public 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 public relations specialist. Additionally, a media specialist has an average salary of $50,832, which is higher than the $48,124 average annual salary of a public relations specialist.
The top three skills for a media specialist include digital marketing, video production and customer service. The most important skills for a public relations specialist are press releases, web content, and project management.
| Media Specialist | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $50,832 | $48,124 |
| Hourly rate | $24.44 | $23.14 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 39,401 | 29,698 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| 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 public relations specialist is an individual who creates and maintains a favorable public image of an organization by crafting media releases and developing social media programs. Public relations specialists must help their clients communicate effectively with the public as well as evaluate the public opinion of their clients through social media. They need to draft their press releases and contact people in the media who might want to broadcast their materials. Public relations specialists are also required to draft speeches and arrange interviews for the top executives of their organization.
Media specialists and public relations specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Media Specialist | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Average salary | $50,832 | $48,124 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $73,000 | Between $33,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | BP America Inc | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Finance |
There are a few differences between a media specialist and a public relations specialist in terms of educational background:
| Media Specialist | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between media specialists' and public relations specialists' demographics:
| Media Specialist | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.9% Female, 47.1% | Male, 30.3% Female, 69.7% |
| 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, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |