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The differences between chief communications officers and media directors 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 media director. Additionally, a chief communications officer has an average salary of $115,086, which is higher than the $112,564 average annual salary of a media director.
The top three skills for a chief communications officer include crisis communications, external communications and CCO. The most important skills for a media director are digital marketing, video production, and media planning.
| Chief Communications Officer | Media Director | |
| Yearly salary | $115,086 | $112,564 |
| Hourly rate | $55.33 | $54.12 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 80,711 | 22,511 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A media director spearheads and oversees a company's entire media-related activities, including marketing and advertising campaigns. They are in charge of setting goals and guidelines, liaising and building positive relationships with external parties, conceptualizing plans for projects and campaigns, and developing strategies to optimize operations. It is also their duty to address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently. Furthermore, as a media director, it is essential to monitor the progress of different teams, leading and encouraging them to reach goals while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Chief communications officers and media directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chief Communications Officer | Media Director | |
| Average salary | $115,086 | $112,564 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $208,000 | Between $73,000 And $172,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Nevada |
| Best paying company | - | |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a chief communications officer and a media director in terms of educational background:
| Chief Communications Officer | Media Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between chief communications officers' and media directors' demographics:
| Chief Communications Officer | Media Director | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.5% Female, 40.5% | Male, 62.0% Female, 38.0% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 9.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |