Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between public affairs assistants and public relations 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 public relations. Additionally, a public affairs assistant has an average salary of $50,453, which is higher than the $48,383 average annual salary of a public relations.
The top three skills for a public affairs assistant include data entry, public affairs and press releases. The most important skills for a public relations are press releases, web content, and facebook.
| Public Affairs Assistant | Public Relations | |
| Yearly salary | $50,453 | $48,383 |
| Hourly rate | $24.26 | $23.26 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 16,955 | 22,721 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| 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.
Public relations is a strategic way of developing and maintaining a client's or company's public image through media coverage, appearances, and press releases by designing and developing events to raise funds or to spread awareness to the public regarding products, brands, or individuals. It involves research and evaluation of programs including financial, marketing, employee, or government relations using topics of public interest and news items. Due to our present technological innovations, public relations now use webinars, blogs, and downloadable resources under one convenient website.
Public affairs assistants and public relations have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Affairs Assistant | Public Relations | |
| Average salary | $50,453 | $48,383 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $91,000 | Between $32,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Richmond, VA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Virginia |
| Best paying company | Hunton & Williams LLP | Edelman Financial Engines |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a public affairs assistant and a public relations in terms of educational background:
| Public Affairs Assistant | Public Relations | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between public affairs assistants' and public relations' demographics:
| Public Affairs Assistant | Public Relations | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.7% Female, 68.3% | Male, 36.1% Female, 63.9% |
| 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, 10.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 5.3% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |