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The differences between public affairs assistants and media 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 public affairs assistant and a media specialist. Additionally, a media specialist has an average salary of $50,832, which is higher than the $50,453 average annual salary of a public affairs assistant.
The top three skills for a public affairs assistant include data entry, public affairs and press releases. The most important skills for a media specialist are digital marketing, video production, and customer service.
| Public Affairs Assistant | Media Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $50,453 | $50,832 |
| Hourly rate | $24.26 | $24.44 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 16,955 | 39,401 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Public Affairs Assistants can enjoy a salary of around $44K per year and requires a bachelor's degree in either marketing, journalism, public relations, or communications, as well as work experience in public affairs or related positions. Skill-wise, one must have experience in drafting press release materials, coordinating press meets and other events, applying knowledge of marketing and advertising strategies, and understanding social media to be successful. This position will mandate the provision of public relations departmental support through filing, copying, answering the phone, assembly of press kits, customer surveys, and social media content to customers, and conducting media research.
Media specialists are individuals who establish and administer content on various social media platforms. The job involves monitoring site metrics, overseeing creative design, and responding to reader comments. Specialists offer advice to administrators and teachers on the use of non-print social media. They work for huge enterprises with multimedia departments, new media departments, and in-house websites. The skills the job requires include trend awareness, social media ads, community management, strong visual aesthetic, and understanding SEO.
Public affairs assistants and media specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Affairs Assistant | Media Specialist | |
| Average salary | $50,453 | $50,832 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $91,000 | Between $35,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Hunton & Williams LLP | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a public affairs assistant and a media specialist in terms of educational background:
| Public Affairs Assistant | Media Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between public affairs assistants' and media specialists' demographics:
| Public Affairs Assistant | Media Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.7% Female, 68.3% | Male, 52.9% Female, 47.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |