Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between public affairs officers and public affairs 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 officer and a public affairs specialist. Additionally, a public affairs specialist has an average salary of $66,383, which is higher than the $66,001 average annual salary of a public affairs officer.
The top three skills for a public affairs officer include press releases, public affairs guidance and crisis communications. The most important skills for a public affairs specialist are news stories, veterans, and fact sheets.
| Public Affairs Officer | Public Affairs Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $66,001 | $66,383 |
| Hourly rate | $31.73 | $31.91 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 66,195 | 19,889 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Public affairs officers and public affairs specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Affairs Officer | Public Affairs Specialist | |
| Average salary | $66,001 | $66,383 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $109,000 | Between $43,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | Virginia |
| Best paying company | Earthjustice | |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a public affairs officer and a public affairs specialist in terms of educational background:
| Public Affairs Officer | Public Affairs Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between public affairs officers' and public affairs specialists' demographics:
| Public Affairs Officer | Public Affairs Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.2% Female, 40.8% | Male, 47.2% Female, 52.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 5.3% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |