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The differences between social media specialists 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 social media specialist and a public relations specialist. Additionally, a social media specialist has an average salary of $51,584, which is higher than the $48,124 average annual salary of a public relations 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 relations specialist are press releases, web content, and project management.
| Social Media Specialist | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $51,584 | $48,124 |
| Hourly rate | $24.80 | $23.14 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 47,228 | 29,698 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| 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.
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.
Social media specialists and public relations specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Social Media Specialist | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Average salary | $51,584 | $48,124 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $68,000 | Between $33,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Washington |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Finance |
There are a few differences between a social media specialist and a public relations specialist in terms of educational background:
| Social Media Specialist | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between social media specialists' and public relations specialists' demographics:
| Social Media Specialist | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.6% Female, 61.4% | Male, 30.3% Female, 69.7% |
| 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, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |