Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between public relations 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 and a communications specialist. Additionally, a communications specialist has an average salary of $51,023, which is higher than the $48,383 average annual salary of a public relations.
The top three skills for a public relations include press releases, web content and facebook. The most important skills for a communications specialist are customer service, powerpoint, and patients.
| Public Relations | Communications Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $48,383 | $51,023 |
| Hourly rate | $23.26 | $24.53 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 22,721 | 42,819 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Public relations is a strategic way of developing and maintaining a client's or company's public image through media coverage, appearances, and press releases by designing and developing events to raise funds or to spread awareness to the public regarding products, brands, or individuals. It involves research and evaluation of programs including financial, marketing, employee, or government relations using topics of public interest and news items. Due to our present technological innovations, public relations now use webinars, blogs, and downloadable resources under one convenient website.
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 and communications specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Relations | Communications Specialist | |
| Average salary | $48,383 | $51,023 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $72,000 | Between $36,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, VA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Edelman Financial Engines | |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a public relations and a communications specialist in terms of educational background:
| Public Relations | Communications Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between public relations' and communications specialists' demographics:
| Public Relations | Communications Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.1% Female, 63.9% | Male, 42.9% Female, 57.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 5.3% White, 67.0% 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% |