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Publicity writer vs social media specialist

The differences between publicity writers 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 publicity writer and a social media specialist. Additionally, a publicity writer has an average salary of $55,347, which is higher than the $51,584 average annual salary of a social media specialist.

The top three skills for a publicity writer include press releases, proofreading and web content. The most important skills for a social media specialist are social media marketing, instagram, and digital marketing.

Publicity writer vs social media specialist overview

Publicity WriterSocial Media Specialist
Yearly salary$55,347$51,584
Hourly rate$26.61$24.80
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs10,42247,228
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 83%Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Average age4242
Years of experience44

Publicity writer vs social media specialist salary

Publicity writers and social media specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Publicity WriterSocial Media Specialist
Average salary$55,347$51,584
Salary rangeBetween $40,000 And $75,000Between $38,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City-Washington, DC
Highest paying state-Hawaii
Best paying company-McKinsey & Company Inc
Best paying industry-Professional

Differences between publicity writer and social media specialist education

There are a few differences between a publicity writer and a social media specialist in terms of educational background:

Publicity WriterSocial Media Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 83%Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Most common majorEnglishCommunication
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyNorthwestern University

Publicity writer vs social media specialist demographics

Here are the differences between publicity writers' and social media specialists' demographics:

Publicity WriterSocial Media Specialist
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 39.3% Female, 60.7%Male, 38.6% Female, 61.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.9% 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 Percentage12%12%

Differences between publicity writer and social media specialist duties and responsibilities

Publicity writer example responsibilities.

  • Manage projects diligently under aggressive deadlines while maintaining editorial integrity and ensuring stories have entertainment and/or educational value.
  • Interview new and renewal Medicaid and food stamp applicants and process information to approve eligibility and level of assistance.
  • Coordinate efforts between web developers, SharePoint site administrators and product support representatives to build and support an active online community.

Social media specialist example responsibilities.

  • Develop and manage blogger outreach program and KPIs.
  • Assist in managing the social network pages (Facebook/Twitter) as well as editing the site.
  • Create, curate, and manage all publish content (images, video and written).
  • Develop and help manage online links and search engine optimization (SEO) efforts to drive traffic to sites
  • Manage social media properties (Facebook, YouTube), including daily monitoring, posting, and content development.
  • Manage $15- $75K monthly PPC budget for 90 interactive agencies, totaling $24M annual ad spend.
  • Show more

Publicity writer vs social media specialist skills

Common publicity writer skills
  • Press Releases, 28%
  • Proofreading, 24%
  • Web Content, 12%
  • Feature Stories, 7%
  • Public Affairs, 6%
  • Copywriting, 5%
Common social media specialist skills
  • Social Media Marketing, 8%
  • Instagram, 8%
  • Digital Marketing, 7%
  • Facebook, 7%
  • Twitter, 6%
  • Social Media Management, 5%

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