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The differences between public relations managers 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 manager and a public relations consultant. Additionally, a public relations manager has an average salary of $91,426, which is higher than the $50,333 average annual salary of a public relations consultant.
The top three skills for a public relations manager include press releases, web content and pr campaigns. The most important skills for a public relations consultant are press releases, web content, and strategic communications.
| Public Relations Manager | Public Relations Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $91,426 | $50,333 |
| Hourly rate | $43.95 | $24.20 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 35,273 | 27,882 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A public relations manager is responsible for monitoring the public relations department to boost its brand image and attract potential clients through press releases and media coverage. They work closely with the marketing team, developing marketing campaigns and promotional strategies for creating brand awareness. Public relations managers maintain the company's presence on various social media platforms, responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns regarding the company's goods and services. A public relations manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially in identifying business opportunities to increase revenues and profitability.
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 managers and public relations consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Relations Manager | Public Relations Consultant | |
| Average salary | $91,426 | $50,333 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $128,000 | Between $29,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | Las Vegas, NV | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Washington |
| Best paying company | AbbVie | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Media |
There are a few differences between a public relations manager and a public relations consultant in terms of educational background:
| Public Relations Manager | Public Relations Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between public relations managers' and public relations consultants' demographics:
| Public Relations Manager | Public Relations Consultant | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.5% Female, 65.5% | Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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 | 16% | 12% |