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The differences between public affairs officers and public relations 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 relations specialist. Additionally, a public affairs officer has an average salary of $66,001, which is higher than the $48,124 average annual salary of a public relations specialist.
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 specialist are press releases, web content, and project management.
| Public Affairs Officer | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $66,001 | $48,124 |
| Hourly rate | $31.73 | $23.14 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 66,195 | 29,698 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Public affairs officers and public relations specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Affairs Officer | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Average salary | $66,001 | $48,124 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $109,000 | Between $33,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Washington |
| Best paying company | Earthjustice | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Government | Finance |
There are a few differences between a public affairs officer and a public relations specialist in terms of educational background:
| Public Affairs Officer | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between public affairs officers' and public relations specialists' demographics:
| Public Affairs Officer | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.2% Female, 40.8% | Male, 30.3% Female, 69.7% |
| 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, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |