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The differences between public relations consultants and communications 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 consultant and a communications specialist. Additionally, a communications specialist has an average salary of $51,023, which is higher than the $50,333 average annual salary of a public relations consultant.
The top three skills for a public relations consultant include press releases, web content and strategic communications. The most important skills for a communications specialist are customer service, powerpoint, and patients.
| Public Relations Consultant | Communications Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $50,333 | $51,023 |
| Hourly rate | $24.20 | $24.53 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 27,882 | 42,819 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A communications specialist takes charge of addressing the public by coming up with various strategic campaigns, newsletters, public correspondence, press releases, and advertisements. Their primary role focuses on promoting, shaping, and enhancing a brand's image through public relations. Furthermore, a communications specialist is responsible for handling any complaints or issues, devising and conducting damage control to resolve bad publicity should there be any. It is also essential for a communications specialist to adhere to the company's policies and regulations at all times.
Public relations consultants and communications specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Relations Consultant | Communications Specialist | |
| Average salary | $50,333 | $51,023 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $85,000 | Between $36,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | AbbVie | |
| Best paying industry | Media | Technology |
There are a few differences between a public relations consultant and a communications specialist in terms of educational background:
| Public Relations Consultant | Communications Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between public relations consultants' and communications specialists' demographics:
| Public Relations Consultant | Communications Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7% | Male, 42.9% Female, 57.1% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 5.3% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |