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The differences between social media 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 social media specialist and a public affairs specialist. Additionally, a public affairs specialist has an average salary of $66,383, 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 public affairs specialist are news stories, veterans, and fact sheets.
| Social Media Specialist | Public Affairs Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $51,584 | $66,383 |
| Hourly rate | $24.80 | $31.91 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 47,228 | 19,889 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
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.
Social media specialists and public affairs specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Social Media Specialist | Public Affairs Specialist | |
| Average salary | $51,584 | $66,383 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $68,000 | Between $43,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Virginia |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Government |
There are a few differences between a social media specialist and a public affairs specialist in terms of educational background:
| Social Media Specialist | Public Affairs Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between social media specialists' and public affairs specialists' demographics:
| Social Media Specialist | Public Affairs Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.6% Female, 61.4% | 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% |