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The differences between publication specialists and social media 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 publication specialist and a social media specialist. Additionally, a publication specialist has an average salary of $55,554, which is higher than the $51,584 average annual salary of a social media specialist.
The top three skills for a publication specialist include technical publications, powerpoint and technical manuals. The most important skills for a social media specialist are social media marketing, instagram, and digital marketing.
| Publication Specialist | Social Media Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $55,554 | $51,584 |
| Hourly rate | $26.71 | $24.80 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 27,008 | 47,228 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A publication specialist is responsible for assisting in publishing operations and supervising distribution processes accordingly. Publication specialists inspect the quality of materials before printing, such as verifying information, proofreading contents, and ensuring that the style meets the standard requirements and business guidelines. They may also handle the company's social media presence to attract the audience by posting publication updates and engaging captions. A publication specialist must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in handling press releases, media communications, and writing sales reports.
A social media specialist is an individual who is responsible for creating and administering content on all social media platforms to build an audience and ensure customer engagement. By using platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, social media specialists must create content that resonates with the interests of the intended audience. They are required to understand social media metrics so that they can use the information to ensure success in their social media strategy. Social media specialists must also work with industry professionals and influencers via social media to create a strong network.
Publication specialists and social media specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Publication Specialist | Social Media Specialist | |
| Average salary | $55,554 | $51,584 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $84,000 | Between $38,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Meta | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a publication specialist and a social media specialist in terms of educational background:
| Publication Specialist | Social Media Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between publication specialists' and social media specialists' demographics:
| Publication Specialist | Social Media Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.6% Female, 64.4% | Male, 38.6% Female, 61.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.1% 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% |