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The differences between public relations account executives and media 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 relations account executive and a media relations specialist. Additionally, a public relations account executive has an average salary of $53,485, which is higher than the $50,856 average annual salary of a media relations specialist.
The top three skills for a public relations account executive include press releases, digital marketing and fact sheets. The most important skills for a media relations specialist are patients, compassion, and press releases.
| Public Relations Account Executive | Media Relations Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $53,485 | $50,856 |
| Hourly rate | $25.71 | $24.45 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 121,389 | 44,665 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 86% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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 media relations specialist's role is to help a company maintain good public relations through various forms of media, ensuring to convey their brand's purpose and message. Their responsibilities typically revolve around developing strategies and opportunities, producing newsletters and press releases, remaining updated with the latest trends, and even managing the company's social media platforms. A media relations specialist may also delegate tasks to writers and graphic designers, arrange schedules, and ensure that all goals are met within the expected deadline and budget.
Public relations account executives and media relations specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Relations Account Executive | Media Relations Specialist | |
| Average salary | $53,485 | $50,856 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $79,000 | Between $36,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | McLean, VA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Washington |
| Best paying company | Edelman Financial Engines | Edelman Financial Engines |
| Best paying industry | Media | Finance |
There are a few differences between a public relations account executive and a media relations specialist in terms of educational background:
| Public Relations Account Executive | Media Relations Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 86% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Communication | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between public relations account executives' and media relations specialists' demographics:
| Public Relations Account Executive | Media Relations Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7% | Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4% |
| 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, 10.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |