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The differences between production specialists and production assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a production specialist has an average salary of $42,090, which is higher than the $33,405 average annual salary of a production assistant.
The top three skills for a production specialist include food handling, customer service and preventative maintenance. The most important skills for a production assistant are video production, teleprompter, and audio board.
| Production Specialist | Production Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $42,090 | $33,405 |
| Hourly rate | $20.24 | $16.06 |
| Growth rate | - | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 76,288 | 51,905 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Production specialists are responsible for planning and managing the production activities of a company based on job orders. They provide support to the operations department and collaborate with supervisors to create production plans and identity workflow requirements. Other responsibilities may include managing existing workflow, organizing job training to the production team, and monitoring and reporting job status to customers. Production specialists are also expected to respond to customer concerns and inquiries, ensure the timely delivery of products, and ensure that products meet quality standards.
Production assistants are employees in show business, working behind the scenes. They work in film, television, or even theatre sets primarily to provide support. They usually work directly under directors or producers. Production assistants are responsible for ensuring that the day will run smoothly, be it for a television or film shoot or a performance at the theatre. They should be familiar with all the scenes, ensure that the cast and crew are ready, and cue them when it is their time to go on. They should also be able to anticipate needs that may arise and should be able to quickly mitigate any challenges. Production assistants should be flexible and have quick decision-making skills.
Production specialists and production assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Specialist | Production Assistant | |
| Average salary | $42,090 | $33,405 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $73,000 | Between $25,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | Bristol, CT |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Apple | National Football League |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a production specialist and a production assistant in terms of educational background:
| Production Specialist | Production Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Business | Communication |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between production specialists' and production assistants' demographics:
| Production Specialist | Production Assistant | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.4% Female, 37.6% | Male, 53.4% Female, 46.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 6.3% White, 58.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 6.5% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |