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Public affairs assistant vs publicity assistant

The differences between public affairs assistants and publicity assistants 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 publicity assistant. Additionally, a public affairs assistant has an average salary of $50,453, which is higher than the $39,387 average annual salary of a publicity assistant.

The top three skills for a public affairs assistant include data entry, public affairs and press releases. The most important skills for a publicity assistant are press releases, provide technical assistance, and technical assistance.

Public affairs assistant vs publicity assistant overview

Public Affairs AssistantPublicity Assistant
Yearly salary$50,453$39,387
Hourly rate$24.26$18.94
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs16,9558,193
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 75%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age4242
Years of experience44

What does a public affairs assistant do?

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.

What does a publicity assistant do?

A publicity assistant aids and offers support to the publicity team at a public relations (PR) firm or related firms. Your duties may vary but typically include researching relevant trends and data for PR campaigns, assisting in the creation and selection of marketing materials, and developing and maintaining good client relationships. As a publicity assistant, you are responsible for promoting the organization and maintaining the public appearance, and managing and overseeing social media accounts. You are also responsible for maintaining accurate records of correspondence.

Public affairs assistant vs publicity assistant salary

Public affairs assistants and publicity assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Public Affairs AssistantPublicity Assistant
Average salary$50,453$39,387
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $91,000Between $27,000 And $56,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCOlympia, WA
Highest paying stateWashingtonWashington
Best paying companyHunton & Williams LLPApple
Best paying industry-Government

Differences between public affairs assistant and publicity assistant education

There are a few differences between a public affairs assistant and a publicity assistant in terms of educational background:

Public Affairs AssistantPublicity Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 75%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common majorCommunicationBusiness
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Public affairs assistant vs publicity assistant demographics

Here are the differences between public affairs assistants' and publicity assistants' demographics:

Public Affairs AssistantPublicity Assistant
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 31.7% Female, 68.3%Male, 33.7% Female, 66.3%
Race ratioBlack 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, 12.1% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage12%12%

Differences between public affairs assistant and publicity assistant duties and responsibilities

Public affairs assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage alumni database, and communication with other departments and alumni.
  • Work on the park's social media platforms including Facebook.
  • Provide copywriting ideas for ads, as well as, edit all agency-written communications.
  • Assist in the development, creation, and maintenance of the U.S. Embassy's website, Facebook and YouTube pages.
  • Develop, and maintain @ america intranet SharePoint website.
  • Establish a development account to support multicultural scholarship opportunities for students.
  • Show more

Publicity assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage publicity and advertisement for club and alumni events through social media
  • Garner extensive national media attention for non-fiction and commercial fiction authors.
  • Provide copywriting, proofreading and editing for marketing communications and sales collateral.
  • Used Instagram to showcase activities and involvement.
  • Work with military liaisons and DoD partners.
  • Provide on call mobile notary services for various clients.
  • Show more

Public affairs assistant vs publicity assistant skills

Common public affairs assistant skills
  • Data Entry, 14%
  • Public Affairs, 14%
  • Press Releases, 12%
  • Event Planning, 5%
  • FDA, 4%
  • Administrative Tasks, 3%
Common publicity assistant skills
  • Press Releases, 10%
  • Provide Technical Assistance, 9%
  • Technical Assistance, 8%
  • Worksheets, 7%
  • PowerPoint, 7%
  • FEMA, 5%

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