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The differences between social media marketers and media specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a social media marketer, becoming a media specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a social media marketer has an average salary of $51,505, which is higher than the $50,832 average annual salary of a media specialist.
The top three skills for a social media marketer include facebook, instagram and social media marketing. The most important skills for a media specialist are digital marketing, video production, and customer service.
| Social Media Marketer | Media Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $51,505 | $50,832 |
| Hourly rate | $24.76 | $24.44 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 52,486 | 39,401 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 37 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A social media marketer utilizes online platforms for marketing campaigns and projects. They typically perform market research and analysis to find opportunities and trends, identify the target audience, develop marketing plans and strategies according to the projects' needs, coordinate with content specialists and graphic designers, create marketing materials, and monitor the progress of all operations. There are also instances where they prepare and present reports to managers. Moreover, as a social media marketer, it is essential to have attention to detail and be proactive at dealing with issues.
Media specialists are individuals who establish and administer content on various social media platforms. The job involves monitoring site metrics, overseeing creative design, and responding to reader comments. Specialists offer advice to administrators and teachers on the use of non-print social media. They work for huge enterprises with multimedia departments, new media departments, and in-house websites. The skills the job requires include trend awareness, social media ads, community management, strong visual aesthetic, and understanding SEO.
Social media marketers and media specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Social Media Marketer | Media Specialist | |
| Average salary | $51,505 | $50,832 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $71,000 | Between $35,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | - | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a social media marketer and a media specialist in terms of educational background:
| Social Media Marketer | Media Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between social media marketers' and media specialists' demographics:
| Social Media Marketer | Media Specialist | |
| Average age | 37 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.6% Female, 56.4% | Male, 52.9% Female, 47.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 10.3% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 12% |