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The differences between senior communications specialists and public affairs 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 senior communications specialist and a public affairs specialist. Additionally, a senior communications specialist has an average salary of $78,948, which is higher than the $66,383 average annual salary of a public affairs specialist.
The top three skills for a senior communications specialist include project management, powerpoint and strategic communications. The most important skills for a public affairs specialist are news stories, veterans, and fact sheets.
| Senior Communications Specialist | Public Affairs Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $78,948 | $66,383 |
| Hourly rate | $37.96 | $31.91 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 18,973 | 19,889 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A senior communications specialist is primarily in charge of developing communication strategies in the company. Their responsibilities revolve around ensuring the smooth flow of internal and external communications, coordinating various departments, managing campaigns and event schedules, devising social media strategies, and supervising media relations. A senior communications specialist must also address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly. Furthermore, as a senior specialist, it is essential to lead and assist the junior specialists, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Psychology research assistants take charge of the operational and administrative tasks like mailing surveys, summarizing results, and managing correspondence. The research assistants identify the areas in need of improvement and score psychological tests. They prepare the interview questions and summarize test results. Their job involves responding to research-related emails and take part in project meetings. Also, they update the content of websites and prepare reports of their progress. The skills they need in carrying out this job include communication, critical thinking, attention to detail, and technical skills.
Senior communications specialists and public affairs specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Communications Specialist | Public Affairs Specialist | |
| Average salary | $78,948 | $66,383 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $111,000 | Between $43,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Virginia |
| Best paying company | Analysis Group | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between a senior communications specialist and a public affairs specialist in terms of educational background:
| Senior Communications Specialist | Public Affairs Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between senior communications specialists' and public affairs specialists' demographics:
| Senior Communications Specialist | Public Affairs Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.7% Female, 64.3% | Male, 47.2% Female, 52.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |