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The differences between public relations interns 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 internship and a public relations specialist. Additionally, a public relations specialist has an average salary of $48,124, which is higher than the $30,868 average annual salary of a public relations internship.
The top three skills for a public relations internship include press releases, facebook and twitter. The most important skills for a public relations specialist are press releases, web content, and project management.
| Public Relations Internship | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $30,868 | $48,124 |
| Hourly rate | $14.84 | $23.14 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 65,163 | 29,698 |
| 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 intern is responsible for assisting the public relations department in creating content to engage customers and prospective clients in availing of the goods and services of the company. Public relations interns participate in meetings to suggest strategies and observe areas of improvement. They also perform administrative duties as needed, post social media updates, review press releases, and research market trends. A public relations intern must be detail-oriented and communicative to assist customers with their concerns and inquiries.
A public relations specialist is an individual who creates and maintains a favorable public image of an organization by crafting media releases and developing social media programs. Public relations specialists must help their clients communicate effectively with the public as well as evaluate the public opinion of their clients through social media. They need to draft their press releases and contact people in the media who might want to broadcast their materials. Public relations specialists are also required to draft speeches and arrange interviews for the top executives of their organization.
Public relations interns and public relations specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Relations Internship | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Average salary | $30,868 | $48,124 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $39,000 | Between $33,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Mayor Ethan Berkowitz | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Finance |
There are a few differences between a public relations internship and a public relations specialist in terms of educational background:
| Public Relations Internship | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 86% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | University of Houston | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between public relations interns' and public relations specialists' demographics:
| Public Relations Internship | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.8% Female, 74.2% | Male, 30.3% Female, 69.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | 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 | 12% | 12% |