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The differences between meetings & events managers and meeting planners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a meetings & events manager and a meeting planner. Additionally, a meeting planner has an average salary of $56,257, which is higher than the $46,029 average annual salary of a meetings & events manager.
The top three skills for a meetings & events manager include event management, event planning and site inspections. The most important skills for a meeting planner are client facing, event planning, and powerpoint.
| Meetings & Events Manager | Meeting Planner | |
| Yearly salary | $46,029 | $56,257 |
| Hourly rate | $22.13 | $27.05 |
| Growth rate | 18% | 18% |
| Number of jobs | 4,660 | 17,112 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Meeting and Events Managers are responsible for overseeing virtual or live events and meetings for a company or private individuals. Their duties include implementing event strategies, assist in event venue research, create vendor networks, and conduct contract negotiations for event support services. They are also involved in handling pre-event activities, facilitating post-event reviews, monitoring event budgets, preparing management reports, setting project milestones, and tracking event team performance. Meetings and events managers also work closely with clients to identify individual needs and assist in staff development programs.
A meeting planner makes professional decisions in all areas of meeting preparation and presentation. They plan meetings, establish meeting objectives, schedule meetings, budget expenses, inspect meeting sites, negotiate with suppliers, and create a speaker lineup. They also need to deal with travel arrangements and with technical equipment used in the course of the meeting.
Meetings & events managers and meeting planners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Meetings & Events Manager | Meeting Planner | |
| Average salary | $46,029 | $56,257 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $62,000 | Between $40,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | Half Moon Bay, CA | Newark, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | AstraZeneca | AbbVie |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a meetings & events manager and a meeting planner in terms of educational background:
| Meetings & Events Manager | Meeting Planner | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | San Diego State University | San Diego State University |
Here are the differences between meetings & events managers' and meeting planners' demographics:
| Meetings & Events Manager | Meeting Planner | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 14.6% Female, 85.4% | Male, 12.4% Female, 87.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 6.1% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 5.9% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |