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The differences between media specialists and social media strategists 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 specialist, becoming a social media strategist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a social media strategist has an average salary of $62,339, 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 social media strategist are instagram, digital marketing, and twitter.
| Media Specialist | Social Media Strategist | |
| Yearly salary | $50,832 | $62,339 |
| Hourly rate | $24.44 | $29.97 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 39,401 | 43,791 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
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 social media strategist is primarily in charge of handling a company or an individual's social media platforms, aiming for brand awareness and good public relations through positive online engagement. Their responsibilities revolve around developing and implementing social media strategies and campaigns for marketing, coordinating with content creators and writers, identifying new online marketing opportunities, keeping abreast of the latest trends, and ensuring that all content materials are relevant to the company. Furthermore, as a social media strategist, it is essential to be prepared for any issues by devising damage control plans.
Media specialists and social media strategists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Media Specialist | Social Media Strategist | |
| Average salary | $50,832 | $62,339 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $73,000 | Between $41,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Utah |
| Best paying company | BP America Inc | |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a media specialist and a social media strategist in terms of educational background:
| Media Specialist | Social Media Strategist | |
| 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 social media strategists' demographics:
| Media Specialist | Social Media Strategist | |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.9% Female, 47.1% | Male, 39.1% Female, 60.9% |
| 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 11% |