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The differences between public affairs specialists and marketing communications specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a public affairs specialist, becoming a marketing communications specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a public affairs specialist has an average salary of $66,383, which is higher than the $53,993 average annual salary of a marketing communications specialist.
The top three skills for a public affairs specialist include news stories, veterans and fact sheets. The most important skills for a marketing communications specialist are digital marketing, project management, and graphic design.
| Public Affairs Specialist | Marketing Communications Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $66,383 | $53,993 |
| Hourly rate | $31.91 | $25.96 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 19,889 | 95,444 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 42 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
Psychology research assistants take charge of the operational and administrative tasks like mailing surveys, summarizing results, and managing correspondence. The research assistants identify the areas in need of improvement and score psychological tests. They prepare the interview questions and summarize test results. Their job involves responding to research-related emails and take part in project meetings. Also, they update the content of websites and prepare reports of their progress. The skills they need in carrying out this job include communication, critical thinking, attention to detail, and technical skills.
A marketing communications specialist is an individual who is responsible for creating all the marketing materials that are distributed to customers to increase brand awareness for the company's products or services. To create these materials, marketing communications specialists must collaborate with graphic design teams. They are required to track their marketing performance so that they can identify ways to improve their marketing strategies. Marketing communications specialists must also set up interviews and press conferences as part of their marketing campaign.
Public affairs specialists and marketing communications specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Affairs Specialist | Marketing Communications Specialist | |
| Average salary | $66,383 | $53,993 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $102,000 | Between $36,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Apple | |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between a public affairs specialist and a marketing communications specialist in terms of educational background:
| Public Affairs Specialist | Marketing Communications Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between public affairs specialists' and marketing communications specialists' demographics:
| Public Affairs Specialist | Marketing Communications Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.2% Female, 52.8% | Male, 28.0% Female, 72.0% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 9.6% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 10% |