Chief marketing officer vs chief communications officer

The differences between chief marketing officers and chief communications officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 8-10 years to become a chief marketing officer, becoming a chief communications officer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a chief marketing officer has an average salary of $135,198, which is higher than the $115,086 average annual salary of a chief communications officer.

The top three skills for a chief marketing officer include CMO, patients and digital marketing. The most important skills for a chief communications officer are crisis communications, external communications, and CCO.

Chief marketing officer vs chief communications officer overview

	Chief Marketing Officer	Chief Communications Officer
Yearly salary	$135,198	$115,086
Hourly rate	$65.00	$55.33
Growth rate	10%	8%
Number of jobs	139,565	80,711
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age	39	42
Years of experience	10	4

What does a chief marketing officer do?

A Chief Marketing Officer defines marketing strategies and oversees all marketing operations of a company. They are responsible for building a highly efficient team of marketing professionals.

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.

Chief marketing officer vs chief communications officer salary

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

	Chief Marketing Officer	Chief Communications Officer
Average salary	$135,198	$115,086
Salary range	Between $72,000 And $253,000	Between $63,000 And $208,000
Highest paying City	Hamilton, NJ	-
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	-
Best paying company	Shearman & Sterling	-
Best paying industry	Media	-

Differences between chief marketing officer and chief communications officer education

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

	Chief Marketing Officer	Chief Communications Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common major	Business	Communication
Most common college	University of Georgia	Stanford University

Chief marketing officer vs chief communications officer demographics

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

	Chief Marketing Officer	Chief Communications Officer
Average age	39	42
Gender ratio	Male, 68.0% Female, 32.0%	Male, 59.5% Female, 40.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	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%
LGBT Percentage	10%	16%

Differences between chief marketing officer and chief communications officer duties and responsibilities

Chief marketing officer example responsibilities.

Manage professional staff and liaise with U.S. dairy co-op, trade promotion groups, and government oversight and advertising agencies.
Lead global marketing planning efforts and serve as internal media subject matter expert for portfolio, brands and loyalty marketing initiatives.
Manage agency and provide direction and day-to-day oversight.
Develop and manage marketing programs and partner integration for industry marketing in government, healthcare and education markets.
Create website landing pages and social media campaigns on Facebook and Instagram to test price points and validate consumer need.
Coordinate international new product portfolio and product development

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.

Chief marketing officer vs chief communications officer skills

Common chief marketing officer skills

CMO, 14%
Patients, 7%
Digital Marketing, 7%
Sales Strategy, 5%
Market Research, 4%
Marketing Campaigns, 3%

Common chief communications officer skills

Crisis Communications, 9%
External Communications, 8%
CCO, 6%
Press Releases, 6%
Community Relations, 5%
Strategic Communications Plan, 3%

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Chief Marketing Officer vs Chief Communications Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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