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The differences between public relations specialists and marketing communications specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a public relations specialist, becoming a marketing communications specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a marketing communications specialist has an average salary of $53,993, which is higher than the $48,124 average annual salary of a public relations specialist.
The top three skills for a public relations specialist include press releases, web content and project management. The most important skills for a marketing communications specialist are digital marketing, project management, and graphic design.
| Public Relations Specialist | Marketing Communications Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $48,124 | $53,993 |
| Hourly rate | $23.14 | $25.96 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 29,698 | 95,444 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 42 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
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.
A marketing communications specialist is an individual who is responsible for creating all the marketing materials that are distributed to customers to increase brand awareness for the company's products or services. To create these materials, marketing communications specialists must collaborate with graphic design teams. They are required to track their marketing performance so that they can identify ways to improve their marketing strategies. Marketing communications specialists must also set up interviews and press conferences as part of their marketing campaign.
Public relations specialists and marketing communications specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Relations Specialist | Marketing Communications Specialist | |
| Average salary | $48,124 | $53,993 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $68,000 | Between $36,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a public relations specialist and a marketing communications specialist in terms of educational background:
| Public Relations Specialist | Marketing Communications Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between public relations specialists' and marketing communications specialists' demographics:
| Public Relations Specialist | Marketing Communications Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.3% Female, 69.7% | Male, 28.0% Female, 72.0% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 9.6% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 10% |