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The differences between senior public relations managers and public relations 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 public relations manager and a public relations specialist. Additionally, a senior public relations manager has an average salary of $95,756, which is higher than the $48,124 average annual salary of a public relations specialist.
The top three skills for a senior public relations manager include press releases, marketing campaigns and content development. The most important skills for a public relations specialist are press releases, web content, and project management.
| Senior Public Relations Manager | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $95,756 | $48,124 |
| Hourly rate | $46.04 | $23.14 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 30,323 | 29,698 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 84% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A senior public relations manager is responsible for supervising the overall media presence and brand awareness of a company within various communication platforms. Senior public relations managers coordinate with the marketing team to promote the brand image on social platforms and reach the target audience by creating engaging content and digital assets. They also identify brand endorsers, such as models and celebrities, if the budget permits, to grow more customers and meet the public demands. A senior public relations manager monitors the sales performance and transactions within the company and adjusts PR plans as needed.
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.
Senior public relations managers and public relations specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Public Relations Manager | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Average salary | $95,756 | $48,124 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $139,000 | Between $33,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a senior public relations manager and a public relations specialist in terms of educational background:
| Senior Public Relations Manager | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 84% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between senior public relations managers' and public relations specialists' demographics:
| Senior Public Relations Manager | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.0% Female, 58.0% | Male, 30.3% Female, 69.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 5.1% White, 75.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 12% |