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Press secretary vs public information officer

The differences between press secretaries and public information officers 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 public information officer. Additionally, a press secretary has an average salary of $66,560, which is higher than the $56,725 average annual salary of a public information officer.

The top three skills for a press secretary include press releases, press conferences and policy issues. The most important skills for a public information officer are press releases, web content, and community outreach.

Press secretary vs public information officer overview

Press SecretaryPublic Information Officer
Yearly salary$66,560$56,725
Hourly rate$32.00$27.27
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs18,827129,237
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 85%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age4242
Years of experience44

Press secretary vs public information officer salary

Press secretaries and public information officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Press SecretaryPublic Information Officer
Average salary$66,560$56,725
Salary rangeBetween $45,000 And $96,000Between $38,000 And $83,000
Highest paying City-Fairfield, CA
Highest paying state-Delaware
Best paying company-City of Fairfield
Best paying industry-Professional

Differences between press secretary and public information officer education

There are a few differences between a press secretary and a public information officer in terms of educational background:

Press SecretaryPublic Information Officer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 85%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common majorPolitical ScienceCommunication
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyNorthwestern University

Press secretary vs public information officer demographics

Here are the differences between press secretaries' and public information officers' demographics:

Press SecretaryPublic Information Officer
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 50.1% Female, 49.9%Male, 43.7% Female, 56.3%
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, 5.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 5.1% White, 75.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage12%16%

Differences between press secretary and public information officer 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

Public information officer example responsibilities.

  • Manage agency's social media pages (Facebook/Twitter).
  • Manage multiple websites and associate SEO; direct all brand photography to publicize and promote the resort.
  • Serve as college spokesperson managing crisis communications.
  • Lead implementation of a robust membership database to support organization strategy and decision making.
  • Interview featured alumni, manage copywriting staff and editorial calendar, and coordinate photography.
  • Create and maintain the college's blackboard intranet site.
  • Show more

Press secretary vs public information officer skills

Common press secretary skills
  • Press Releases, 33%
  • Press Conferences, 10%
  • Policy Issues, 5%
  • Press Events, 3%
  • Strategic Communications, 3%
  • Opinion Pieces, 3%
Common public information officer skills
  • Press Releases, 16%
  • Web Content, 10%
  • Community Outreach, 5%
  • Press Conferences, 4%
  • Graphic Design, 4%
  • Emergency Operations, 4%

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