Special events planner vs event manager

The differences between special events planners and event managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a special events planner and an event manager. Additionally, an event manager has an average salary of $51,117, which is higher than the $50,325 average annual salary of a special events planner.

The top three skills for a special events planner include national security, event planning and event coordination. The most important skills for an event manager are customer service, event logistics, and event planning.

Special events planner vs event manager overview

	Special Events Planner	Event Manager
Yearly salary	$50,325	$51,117
Hourly rate	$24.19	$24.58
Growth rate	18%	18%
Number of jobs	28,688	8,230
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	2	2

Special events planner vs event manager salary

Special events planners and event managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Special Events Planner	Event Manager
Average salary	$50,325	$51,117
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $84,000	Between $33,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	VMware
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between special events planner and event manager education

There are a few differences between a special events planner and an event manager in terms of educational background:

	Special Events Planner	Event Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	San Diego State University	San Diego State University

Special events planner vs event manager demographics

Here are the differences between special events planners' and event managers' demographics:

	Special Events Planner	Event Manager
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 23.6% Female, 76.4%	Male, 36.2% Female, 63.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 6.0% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between special events planner and event manager duties and responsibilities

Special events planner example responsibilities.

Select and manage live entertainment for VIP parties, special events and weekend entertainment.
Maintain business website and manage Facebook account.
Create and present PowerPoint presentations at trades shows and workshops.
Orchestrate seamless industry VIP and charity events worldwide involving up to 800 guests and budgets of up to $12K.
Develop agenda and itinerary, organize and procure all speaker biographies and materials and logistics for successful program execution.
Assist in the development of sponsorship opportunities, themes, and giveaways.

Event manager example responsibilities.

Manage FOH staff during the lunch rush - correctly handle any customer complaints or issues.
Manage successful closing of NYC block to control traffic flow and allow celebrity red carpet entrances.
Coordinate and manage maintenance, bartending, catering, schedules, calendars, and supervise staff.
Create BEO's and lead weekly team meetings for support team laying out the direction and objective of upcoming events.
Manage delivery schedules, outside vendor orders, and budget requirements for the sales, operations, and culinary staff.
Manage all logistics and communications from beginning to end with clients, including sending invitations, monitoring RSVP, and hosting.

Special events planner vs event manager skills

Common special events planner skills

National Security, 21%
Event Planning, 7%
Event Coordination, 7%
Event Management, 6%
Event Logistics, 5%
Event Budgets, 4%

Common event manager skills

Customer Service, 15%
Event Logistics, 10%
Event Planning, 9%
Audio Visual, 6%
Onsite, 5%
PowerPoint, 4%