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The differences between social media specialists and content specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a social media specialist, becoming a content specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a content specialist has an average salary of $66,018, which is higher than the $51,584 average annual salary of a social media specialist.
The top three skills for a social media specialist include social media marketing, instagram and digital marketing. The most important skills for a content specialist are customer service, digital marketing, and wordpress.
| Social Media Specialist | Content Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $51,584 | $66,018 |
| Hourly rate | $24.80 | $31.74 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 47,228 | 40,346 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 42 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
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.
A content specialist's role is to create strategies in developing captivating and engaging content to boost brand awareness and interest in a company. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting research and analysis of marketing conditions to identify new opportunities, keeping abreast of the latest trends, producing presentations and progress reports, and creating content through various mediums such as social media and print materials. Furthermore, it is essential to coordinate with managers and other content creators, all while adhering to the company's policies and standards.
Social media specialists and content specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Social Media Specialist | Content Specialist | |
| Average salary | $51,584 | $66,018 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $68,000 | Between $52,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a social media specialist and a content specialist in terms of educational background:
| Social Media Specialist | Content Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between social media specialists' and content specialists' demographics:
| Social Media Specialist | Content Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.6% Female, 61.4% | Male, 43.0% Female, 57.0% |
| 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, 5.2% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 11.0% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 10% |