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The differences between public relations account executives and client partners 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 relations account executive, becoming a client partner takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a client partner has an average salary of $136,496, which is higher than the $53,485 average annual salary of a public relations account executive.
The top three skills for a public relations account executive include press releases, digital marketing and fact sheets. The most important skills for a client partner are portfolio, cloud, and CRM.
| Public Relations Account Executive | Client Partner | |
| Yearly salary | $53,485 | $136,496 |
| Hourly rate | $25.71 | $65.62 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 121,389 | 89,838 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 86% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 42 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 8 |
A Public Relations Account Associate is responsible for managing the brand's media relations and strategizing promotional campaigns for client accounts. They coordinate with the clients for their specifications and requirements, including their budget limitations, target audience, and timetables. They also work closely with the sales team to identify the sales performance and adjust project management plans as needed. A Public Relations Account Associate handles brand communication to various media platforms and ensure that the methods lead to client success and satisfaction.
A client partner specializes in assisting and building positive relationships with customers, ensuring satisfaction that will translate to sales. They are primarily responsible for reaching out to customers through calls and correspondence, arranging appointments and meetings, discussing the extent of opportunities with customers, resolving issues and concerns, and reporting progress to managers and supervisors. Moreover, a client partner may create specific programs and payment plans for clients, provide consultations, negotiate contracts, and assess risks, all while adhering to the policies and standards of the company.
Public relations account executives and client partners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Relations Account Executive | Client Partner | |
| Average salary | $53,485 | $136,496 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $79,000 | Between $87,000 And $212,000 |
| Highest paying City | McLean, VA | Harrisburg, PA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Pennsylvania |
| Best paying company | Edelman Financial Engines | Dechert |
| Best paying industry | Media | Professional |
There are a few differences between a public relations account executive and a client partner in terms of educational background:
| Public Relations Account Executive | Client Partner | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 86% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Communication | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between public relations account executives' and client partners' demographics:
| Public Relations Account Executive | Client Partner | |
| Average age | 42 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7% | Male, 69.0% Female, 31.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 5.3% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 7% |