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The differences between communications department heads and communications leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a communications department head, becoming a communications lead takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a communications lead has an average salary of $96,988, which is higher than the $95,503 average annual salary of a communications department head.
The top three skills for a communications department head include communications strategy, external communications and external stakeholders. The most important skills for a communications lead are project management, strategic communications, and HR.
| Communications Department Head | Communications Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $95,503 | $96,988 |
| Hourly rate | $45.91 | $46.63 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 51,594 | 20,413 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A communications department head is in charge of overseeing the internal and external communication operations of a company. They manage the communications department staff, set goals and guidelines, establish budgets and timelines, liaise with key partners, coordinate with different teams to conceptualize and execute plans, and resolve issues promptly. They must also spearhead the development of media and marketing materials, monitoring the workflow and the workforce to ensure efficiency. Moreover, as the communications department head, they must lead and encourage teams to reach goals, all while implementing and promoting the company's policies and regulations.
The global senior program manager acts as a coordinator for the organization's projects and performs various tasks including supervision, account management, daily staff assignments, budget planning, cost control, and tracking program expenses by collaborating with various global departments to enhance all global programs. He/she should have excellent analytical, decision-making, leadership, and organization skills and knowledge about project management to be able to oversee and organize activities to ensure its compliance with the organization's goals.
Communications department heads and communications leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Communications Department Head | Communications Lead | |
| Average salary | $95,503 | $96,988 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $168,000 | Between $67,000 And $139,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Credit Agricole CIB | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Internet |
There are a few differences between a communications department head and a communications lead in terms of educational background:
| Communications Department Head | Communications Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between communications department heads' and communications leads' demographics:
| Communications Department Head | Communications Lead | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.9% Female, 48.1% | Male, 41.4% Female, 58.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 5.3% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 5.1% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 14% |