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The differences between public affairs specialists and 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 specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a public affairs specialist has an average salary of $66,383, which is higher than the $58,013 average annual salary of a specialist.
The top three skills for a public affairs specialist include news stories, veterans and fact sheets. The most important skills for a specialist are patients, customer service, and work ethic.
| Public Affairs Specialist | Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $66,383 | $58,013 |
| Hourly rate | $31.91 | $27.89 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 19,889 | 358,433 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
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.
Specialists are employees who are responsible for specific tasks or activities in the department they are assigned to. The actions or tasks they work on are related to their educational background or work experiences. They are usually highly skilled in specializations related to the work they are assigned to. Specialists are also highly trained on the competencies that are required of their specialty. As such, they are focused on the skills and competencies that are needed to enhance their experience in their specific field further.
Public affairs specialists and specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Affairs Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average salary | $66,383 | $58,013 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $102,000 | Between $32,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | |
| Best paying industry | Government | - |
There are a few differences between a public affairs specialist and a specialist in terms of educational background:
| Public Affairs Specialist | Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Communication | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between public affairs specialists' and specialists' demographics:
| Public Affairs Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.2% Female, 52.8% | Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5% |
| 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, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 11% |