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Press secretary vs reporter

The differences between press secretaries and reporters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a press secretary, becoming a reporter takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a press secretary has an average salary of $66,560, which is higher than the $46,667 average annual salary of a reporter.

The top three skills for a press secretary include press releases, press conferences and policy issues. The most important skills for a reporter are news stories, digital marketing, and facebook.

Press secretary vs reporter overview

Press SecretaryReporter
Yearly salary$66,560$46,667
Hourly rate$32.00$22.44
Growth rate8%-10%
Number of jobs18,82711,179
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 85%Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Average age4240
Years of experience42

Press secretary vs reporter salary

Press secretaries and reporters have different pay scales, as shown below.

Press SecretaryReporter
Average salary$66,560$46,667
Salary rangeBetween $45,000 And $96,000Between $29,000 And $73,000
Highest paying City-Washington, DC
Highest paying state-New Jersey
Best paying company-Citi
Best paying industry-Media

Differences between press secretary and reporter education

There are a few differences between a press secretary and a reporter in terms of educational background:

Press SecretaryReporter
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 85%Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Most common majorPolitical ScienceJournalism
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Press secretary vs reporter demographics

Here are the differences between press secretaries' and reporters' demographics:

Press SecretaryReporter
Average age4240
Gender ratioMale, 50.1% Female, 49.9%Male, 44.8% Female, 55.2%
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, 6.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 9.7% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage12%10%

Differences between press secretary and reporter 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

Reporter example responsibilities.

  • Report to managing editor as member of editorial staff, contribute to newspaper editorials.
  • Edit and revise press releases and submissions; proofread large amount of copy.
  • Use social media (i.e Twitter, Facebook) to relay 'trouble-spots' to local drivers.
  • Cover NFL, MLB, NBA, NASCAR and general sports news events for as Dallas-based free-lance reporter.
  • Report and write for metro, arts, lifestyle, real estate, and regional sections of major daily newspaper.
  • Cover local government, environmental issues and write features in addition to photography and pagination for twice-weekly newspaper.
  • Show more

Press secretary vs reporter skills

Common press secretary skills
  • Press Releases, 33%
  • Press Conferences, 10%
  • Policy Issues, 5%
  • Press Events, 3%
  • Strategic Communications, 3%
  • Opinion Pieces, 3%
Common reporter skills
  • News Stories, 12%
  • Digital Marketing, 10%
  • Facebook, 6%
  • Twitter, 6%
  • Photography, 5%
  • Feature Stories, 4%

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