Public relations counselor vs public relations specialist

The differences between public relations counselors and public 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 counselor and a public relations specialist. Additionally, a public relations counselor has an average salary of $60,665, which is higher than the $48,124 average annual salary of a public relations specialist.

The top three skills for a public relations counselor include criminal justice, legal issues and communications counsel. The most important skills for a public relations specialist are press releases, web content, and project management.

Public relations counselor vs public relations specialist overview

	Public Relations Counselor	Public Relations Specialist
Yearly salary	$60,665	$48,124
Hourly rate	$29.17	$23.14
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	44,706	29,698
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

Public relations counselor vs public relations specialist salary

Public relations counselors and public relations specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Public Relations Counselor	Public Relations Specialist
Average salary	$60,665	$48,124
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $95,000	Between $33,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Meta
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between public relations counselor and public relations specialist education

There are a few differences between a public relations counselor and a public relations specialist in terms of educational background:

	Public Relations Counselor	Public Relations Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Most common major	Law	Communication
Most common college	Stanford University	Northwestern University

Public relations counselor vs public relations specialist demographics

Here are the differences between public relations counselors' and public relations specialists' demographics:

	Public Relations Counselor	Public Relations Specialist
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 40.5% Female, 59.5%	Male, 30.3% Female, 69.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	16%	12%

Differences between public relations counselor and public relations specialist duties and responsibilities

Public relations counselor example responsibilities.

Manage print production, advertising and partnerships, and copywriting for monthly concert programs.
Manage public affairs and media efforts including writing and placing op-eds and mobilizing editorial campaigns.
Provide litigation support, media training and media relations for attorneys and their clients both before and after lawsuits are filed.
Develop cutting-edge research and in-depth understanding of mass tort litigation involving the pharmaceutical industry.
Spearhead and develop a new monthly e-newsletter for students resulting in increase student ticket sales and participation on student Facebook page.
Retrieve certified documents and other evidence on behalf of CPCS attorneys.

Public relations specialist example responsibilities.

Plan and manage social media efforts which generate> 22k incremental Instagram followers in four months.
Manage public affairs and media efforts including writing and placing op-eds and mobilizing editorial campaigns.
Maintain strong working relationships across all departments to manage successful on-site opportunities, content and multimedia asset development and spokesperson requests.
Prepare or edit organizational publications for internal and external audiences, including Facebook, media and local newspapers.
Launch Instagram account for Chevy Motorsports fans.
Promote company through personal blog, twitter and reddit pages.

Public relations counselor vs public relations specialist skills

Common public relations counselor skills

Criminal Justice, 10%
Legal Issues, 8%
Communications Counsel, 8%
Legal Research, 7%
Litigation, 7%
Motion Hearings, 7%

Common public relations specialist skills

Press Releases, 18%
Web Content, 6%
Project Management, 5%
Facebook, 4%
Story Development, 4%
Marketing Campaigns, 4%

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Public Relations Counselor
Public Relations Counselor vs Public Relations Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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