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Chief communications officer vs communications manager

The differences between chief communications officers and communications managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a chief communications officer and a communications manager. Additionally, a chief communications officer has an average salary of $115,086, which is higher than the $81,304 average annual salary of a communications manager.

The top three skills for a chief communications officer include crisis communications, external communications and CCO. The most important skills for a communications manager are customer service, property management, and yardi.

Chief communications officer vs communications manager overview

Chief Communications OfficerCommunications Manager
Yearly salary$115,086$81,304
Hourly rate$55.33$39.09
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs80,71126,350
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age4242
Years of experience44

What does a chief communications officer do?

A chief communications officer oversees internal relations and researches public employees. Most of the chief communications officers spend a massive amount of time interacting with the chief marketing officers of their organization. They are responsible for management issues and may offer risk management in industries that are prone to hazard, risk, and product failure. They provide wise counsel to the senior team whenever major decisions are debated. They act in many ways as representatives of many publics who are not in the room when these decisions are made. These officers also help the organization translate strategy to action.

What does a communications manager do?

A communications manager is responsible for overseeing a company or organization's public relations by devising various strategies and finding new opportunities. They must craft and produce marketing materials such as campaigns, advertisements, newsletters, social media engagements, and press releases to shape and improve a brand or company. Furthermore, a communications manager must accomplish administrative tasks such as preparing reports and necessary documentation, reaching out to advertisers, leading communication letters, and coordinating with marketing personnel from other departments.

Chief communications officer vs communications manager salary

Chief communications officers and communications managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Chief Communications OfficerCommunications Manager
Average salary$115,086$81,304
Salary rangeBetween $63,000 And $208,000Between $53,000 And $122,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-McKinsey & Company Inc
Best paying industry--

Differences between chief communications officer and communications manager education

There are a few differences between a chief communications officer and a communications manager in terms of educational background:

Chief Communications OfficerCommunications Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common majorCommunicationBusiness
Most common collegeStanford UniversityUniversity of Southern California

Chief communications officer vs communications manager demographics

Here are the differences between chief communications officers' and communications managers' demographics:

Chief Communications OfficerCommunications Manager
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 59.5% Female, 40.5%Male, 34.9% Female, 65.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage16%16%

Differences between chief communications officer and communications manager duties and responsibilities

Chief communications officer example responsibilities.

  • Develop editorial content, seek concept and content clearance, and manage editorial calendar for an e-publication research by a subcontractor.
  • Create original content resulting in extensive media coverage and several million views through native Facebook video and YouTube.
  • Serve as representative to senior management team during community events and company spokesperson for division, including to nonprofit sector clients.
  • Direct internal communications tactics including newsletters, Intranet, domestic and international executive meetings, and special events.

Communications manager example responsibilities.

  • Co-administered sales campaigns in Salesforce, CRM to efficiently manage sales productivity of communication and leads.
  • Lead and manage marketing department's copywriting and editing team and develop many aspects of corporate communication.
  • Manage creative agency relationships and lead execution of commercial excellence awards program, Americas mid-year growth summit and kick-off meetings.
  • Manage all Medicaid paperwork, manage staff payroll, client attendance.
  • Manage all facets of community programs and recruitment for HIV prevention clinical trials.
  • Train in YARDI to complete daily transitions, manage resident ledgers and prepare weekly/monthly reports.
  • Show more

Chief communications officer vs communications manager skills

Common chief communications officer skills
  • Crisis Communications, 9%
  • External Communications, 8%
  • CCO, 6%
  • Press Releases, 6%
  • Community Relations, 5%
  • Strategic Communications Plan, 3%
Common communications manager skills
  • Customer Service, 16%
  • Property Management, 9%
  • Yardi, 5%
  • Project Management, 5%
  • Press Releases, 4%
  • Web Content, 4%

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