Campaign director vs director of special events

The differences between campaign directors and directors of special events can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a campaign director and a director of special events. Additionally, a campaign director has an average salary of $96,589, which is higher than the $63,671 average annual salary of a director of special events.

The top three skills for a campaign director include digital marketing, strategic plan and event planning. The most important skills for a director of special events are event planning, alumni, and event management.

Campaign director vs director of special events overview

	Campaign Director	Director Of Special Events
Yearly salary	$96,589	$63,671
Hourly rate	$46.44	$30.61
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	20,208	23,252
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

What does a campaign director do?

A campaign director spearheads and oversees campaign operations, from planning to completion. Although their duties vary upon their company or industry of employment, they are usually in charge of streamlining campaign roadmaps, setting goals and timelines, establishing budgets and guidelines, and implementing programs and projects to raise brand awareness and public interest. They also coordinate managers and delegate tasks among teams, monitoring their progress regularly. Moreover, a campaign director is also responsible for liaising with internal and external parties, building positive relationships with potential partners and sponsors.

What does a director of special events do?

A director of special events spearheads and oversees the planning and execution of various events, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently. They typically set goals and guidelines, manage schedules and timelines, outline plans and strategies, coordinate managers and different departments, and liaise with vendors and suppliers, building positive business relationships in the process. Moreover, as a director, it is essential to lead and encourage staff to reach goals while implementing and promoting the company's policies and regulations, including its vision and mission.

Campaign director vs director of special events salary

Campaign directors and directors of special events have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Campaign Director	Director Of Special Events
Average salary	$96,589	$63,671
Salary range	Between $62,000 And $148,000	Between $35,000 And $113,000
Highest paying City	New Haven, CT	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	California
Best paying company	Dermalogica	NRDC
Best paying industry	Media	Professional

Differences between campaign director and director of special events education

There are a few differences between a campaign director and a director of special events in terms of educational background:

	Campaign Director	Director Of Special Events
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Most common major	Political Science	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Campaign director vs director of special events demographics

Here are the differences between campaign directors' and directors of special events' demographics:

	Campaign Director	Director Of Special Events
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 53.1% Female, 46.9%	Male, 25.1% Female, 74.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 5.2% White, 74.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 5.1% White, 75.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between campaign director and director of special events duties and responsibilities

Campaign director example responsibilities.

Promote and manage the scholarship program for psychology department students.
Maintain website and Facebook page.
Resolve financial issues relate to charitable contributions, provide program budgets, process payroll, and oversight management of operating accounts.
Develop messaging for local and statewide campaigns including direct mail, websites, and Facebook pages.
Monitor and measure success and effectiveness of training and development initiatives via eLearning platform.

Director of special events example responsibilities.

Manage the communications/special events budget to ensure ROI in accordance with the communication plan.
Restructure the budget plan for the department, achieving significant cost reductions while increasing ROI.
Organize, execute and manage all VIP hospitality and auxiliary celebrity events.
Manage all aspects of these events and act as onsite manager to ensure meeting are delivered effectively and professionally.
Develop a BEO form to promote effective communication between front of house and back of house.
Collaborate with catering to create BEO s and assist clients with menu selection for meetings and events.

Campaign director vs director of special events skills

Common campaign director skills

Digital Marketing, 10%
Strategic Plan, 9%
Event Planning, 9%
Flyers, 7%
Volunteer Recruitment, 7%
Project Management, 6%

Common director of special events skills

Event Planning, 13%
Alumni, 11%
Event Management, 7%
Event Logistics, 6%
Audio Visual, 4%
Press Releases, 3%

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Campaign Director
Campaign Director vs Director Of Special Events

Updated January 8, 2025

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