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The differences between public relations account executives and public relations consultants 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 relations consultant. Additionally, a public relations account executive has an average salary of $53,485, which is higher than the $50,333 average annual salary of a public relations consultant.
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 relations consultant are press releases, web content, and strategic communications.
| Public Relations Account Executive | Public Relations Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $53,485 | $50,333 |
| Hourly rate | $25.71 | $24.20 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 121,389 | 27,882 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 86% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| 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 public relations consultant represents an organization and is the company's way to communicate to the public their plans, decisions, and motivations. They both advertise and show the company's personality and create familiarity and trust. The public relations consultant's role is to create all the PR materials needed to accomplish these goals. It means writing press releases, online content, speeches, and also working with the marketing and advertising team to create copy that will evoke the interest of the public. The ultimate goal is to gain customers and thus increase sales.
Public relations account executives and public relations consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Relations Account Executive | Public Relations Consultant | |
| Average salary | $53,485 | $50,333 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $79,000 | Between $29,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | McLean, VA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Washington |
| Best paying company | Edelman Financial Engines | AbbVie |
| Best paying industry | Media | Media |
There are a few differences between a public relations account executive and a public relations consultant in terms of educational background:
| Public Relations Account Executive | Public Relations Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 86% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between public relations account executives' and public relations consultants' demographics:
| Public Relations Account Executive | Public Relations Consultant | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7% | Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7% |
| 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% |