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The differences between public relations specialists 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 specialist and a public relations consultant. Additionally, a public relations consultant has an average salary of $50,333, 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 public relations consultant are press releases, web content, and strategic communications.
| Public Relations Specialist | Public Relations Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $48,124 | $50,333 |
| Hourly rate | $23.14 | $24.20 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 29,698 | 27,882 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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 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 specialists and public relations consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Relations Specialist | Public Relations Consultant | |
| Average salary | $48,124 | $50,333 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $68,000 | Between $29,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | AbbVie |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Media |
There are a few differences between a public relations specialist and a public relations consultant in terms of educational background:
| Public Relations Specialist | Public Relations Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between public relations specialists' and public relations consultants' demographics:
| Public Relations Specialist | Public Relations Consultant | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.3% Female, 69.7% | Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7% |
| 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, 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 | 12% | 12% |