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Public affairs officer vs public relations assistant

The differences between public affairs officers and public relations 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 officer and a public relations assistant. Additionally, a public affairs officer has an average salary of $66,001, which is higher than the $46,197 average annual salary of a public relations assistant.

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 relations assistant are press releases, facebook, and twitter.

Public affairs officer vs public relations assistant overview

Public Affairs OfficerPublic Relations Assistant
Yearly salary$66,001$46,197
Hourly rate$31.73$22.21
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs66,19526,021
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Average age4242
Years of experience44

Public affairs officer vs public relations assistant salary

Public affairs officers and public relations assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Public Affairs OfficerPublic Relations Assistant
Average salary$66,001$46,197
Salary rangeBetween $39,000 And $109,000Between $34,000 And $61,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCSeattle, WA
Highest paying stateNew YorkWashington
Best paying companyEarthjusticeCalifornia Institute of Technology
Best paying industryGovernmentFinance

Differences between public affairs officer and public relations assistant education

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

Public Affairs OfficerPublic Relations Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Most common majorCommunicationCommunication
Most common collegeStanford UniversityNorthwestern University

Public affairs officer vs public relations assistant demographics

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

Public Affairs OfficerPublic Relations Assistant
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 59.2% Female, 40.8%Male, 24.5% Female, 75.5%
Race ratioBlack 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, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage12%12%

Differences between public affairs officer and public relations assistant duties and responsibilities

Public affairs officer example responsibilities.

  • Manage social-networking updates for Facebook and command website.
  • Respond to media queries, write news releases and manage media engagements while acting as spokesperson for several multifacete organizations.
  • Use writing/graphic skills to create PowerPoint presentations for boating safety classes and training seminars.
  • Collaborate with marketing department to generate publicity through social media including Facebook to promote brand awareness.
  • Coordinate media interviews, prepare congressional and senior level briefings using PowerPoint, PageMaker, and PhotoShop.
  • Respond to media queries, write news releases and manage media engagements while acting as spokesperson for several multifacete organizations.
  • Show more

Public relations assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage all copywriting elements for live broadcasts and promotional commercials.
  • Research & propose introducing Google+ & LinkedIn to social media efforts to increase brand awareness & SEO.
  • Photograph the store's merchandise, upload creative Instagram posts to increase consumer engagement and promote the store.
  • Develop key PowerPoint presentation for commencement base on content provide by management.
  • Create and administer Facebook and website content, including marketing of school programs/events.
  • Produce PowerPoint presentations, article reprints and edit broadcast media placements as needed.
  • Show more

Public affairs officer vs public relations assistant skills

Common public affairs officer skills
  • Press Releases, 14%
  • Public Affairs Guidance, 12%
  • Crisis Communications, 5%
  • Strategic Communications, 4%
  • Community Relations Programs, 4%
  • Press Conferences, 4%
Common public relations assistant skills
  • Press Releases, 30%
  • Facebook, 7%
  • Twitter, 6%
  • Press Conferences, 5%
  • Event Planning, 4%
  • Instagram, 4%

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