Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between public relations account executives and public affairs 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 public affairs specialist. Additionally, a public affairs specialist has an average salary of $66,383, 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 public affairs specialist are news stories, veterans, and fact sheets.
| Public Relations Account Executive | Public Affairs Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $53,485 | $66,383 |
| Hourly rate | $25.71 | $31.91 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 121,389 | 19,889 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 86% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| 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.
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.
Public relations account executives and public affairs specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Relations Account Executive | Public Affairs Specialist | |
| Average salary | $53,485 | $66,383 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $79,000 | Between $43,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | McLean, VA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Virginia |
| Best paying company | Edelman Financial Engines | |
| Best paying industry | Media | Government |
There are a few differences between a public relations account executive and a public affairs specialist in terms of educational background:
| Public Relations Account Executive | Public Affairs Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 86% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between public relations account executives' and public affairs specialists' demographics:
| Public Relations Account Executive | Public Affairs Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7% | Male, 47.2% Female, 52.8% |
| 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, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |