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The differences between strategic communications consultants and public relations consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a strategic communications consultant and a public relations consultant. Additionally, a strategic communications consultant has an average salary of $79,405, which is higher than the $50,333 average annual salary of a public relations consultant.
The top three skills for a strategic communications consultant include press releases, web content and linkedin. The most important skills for a public relations consultant are press releases, web content, and strategic communications.
| Strategic Communications Consultant | Public Relations Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $79,405 | $50,333 |
| Hourly rate | $38.18 | $24.20 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 29,342 | 27,882 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A strategic communications consultant is involved in the preparation of media releases for a company. This professional often works as a freelancer and is often hired by a media consulting company or by industries such as finance and technology. The core skills that a strategic communications consultant should possess to accomplish his/her or her job responsibilities include strong interpersonal, organizational, and problem-solving skills. The job's education requirements include a bachelor's or master's degree in business, marketing, communication, or a related field.
A public relations consultant represents an organization and is the company's way to communicate to the public their plans, decisions, and motivations. They both advertise and show the company's personality and create familiarity and trust. The public relations consultant's role is to create all the PR materials needed to accomplish these goals. It means writing press releases, online content, speeches, and also working with the marketing and advertising team to create copy that will evoke the interest of the public. The ultimate goal is to gain customers and thus increase sales.
Strategic communications consultants and public relations consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Strategic Communications Consultant | Public Relations Consultant | |
| Average salary | $79,405 | $50,333 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $128,000 | Between $29,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | AbbVie |
| Best paying industry | - | Media |
There are a few differences between a strategic communications consultant and a public relations consultant in terms of educational background:
| Strategic Communications Consultant | Public Relations Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between strategic communications consultants' and public relations consultants' demographics:
| Strategic Communications Consultant | Public Relations Consultant | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.3% Female, 63.7% | Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |