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Press secretary vs media relations specialist

The differences between press secretaries 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 press secretary and a media relations specialist. Additionally, a press secretary has an average salary of $66,560, which is higher than the $50,856 average annual salary of a media relations specialist.

The top three skills for a press secretary include press releases, press conferences and policy issues. The most important skills for a media relations specialist are patients, compassion, and press releases.

Press secretary vs media relations specialist overview

Press SecretaryMedia Relations Specialist
Yearly salary$66,560$50,856
Hourly rate$32.00$24.45
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs18,82744,665
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 85%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age4242
Years of experience44

Press secretary vs media relations specialist salary

Press secretaries and media relations specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Press SecretaryMedia Relations Specialist
Average salary$66,560$50,856
Salary rangeBetween $45,000 And $96,000Between $36,000 And $69,000
Highest paying City-Washington, DC
Highest paying state-Washington
Best paying company-Edelman Financial Engines
Best paying industry-Finance

Differences between press secretary and media relations specialist education

There are a few differences between a press secretary and a media relations specialist in terms of educational background:

Press SecretaryMedia Relations Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 85%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common majorPolitical ScienceBusiness
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyStanford University

Press secretary vs media relations specialist demographics

Here are the differences between press secretaries' and media relations specialists' demographics:

Press SecretaryMedia Relations Specialist
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 50.1% Female, 49.9%Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.6% 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 Percentage12%12%

Differences between press secretary and media relations specialist duties and responsibilities

Press secretary example responsibilities.

  • Plan and manage social media efforts which generate> 22k incremental Instagram followers in four months.
  • Serve as a spokesperson on business and economic development matters.
  • Facilitate the placement of articles, columns, and editorials in support of key issues.
  • Serve as primary agency spokesperson conducting on-camera and radio interviews.
  • Foster an energetic public discussion through Facebook and videos, exciting visual displays, carefully target humor and thought-provoking questions.
  • Brief senior cabinet officers daily on local news and editorial coverage.
  • Show more

Media relations specialist example responsibilities.

  • Lead the charge in creating an athletic department Instagram account that has increase Belmont s social media reach and exposure.
  • Develop and manage proprietary PPC support material.
  • Develop and launch Einstein's Facebook strategy and presence.
  • Serve as liaison for regulatory and contract communications with CMS.
  • Create social media campaigns and awareness with Facebook, Google ads.
  • Proofread and edit corrections of grammatical errors for senior staff members.
  • Show more

Press secretary vs media relations specialist skills

Common press secretary skills
  • Press Releases, 33%
  • Press Conferences, 10%
  • Policy Issues, 5%
  • Press Events, 3%
  • Strategic Communications, 3%
  • Opinion Pieces, 3%
Common media relations specialist skills
  • Patients, 29%
  • Compassion, 10%
  • Press Releases, 8%
  • PowerPoint, 5%
  • Data Entry, 4%
  • Phone Calls, 3%

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