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The differences between communications department heads and marketing communications specialists 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 marketing communications specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a communications department head has an average salary of $95,503, which is higher than the $53,993 average annual salary of a marketing communications specialist.
The top three skills for a communications department head include communications strategy, external communications and external stakeholders. The most important skills for a marketing communications specialist are digital marketing, project management, and graphic design.
| Communications Department Head | Marketing Communications Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $95,503 | $53,993 |
| Hourly rate | $45.91 | $25.96 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 51,594 | 95,444 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 42 | 37 |
| 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.
A marketing communications specialist is an individual who is responsible for creating all the marketing materials that are distributed to customers to increase brand awareness for the company's products or services. To create these materials, marketing communications specialists must collaborate with graphic design teams. They are required to track their marketing performance so that they can identify ways to improve their marketing strategies. Marketing communications specialists must also set up interviews and press conferences as part of their marketing campaign.
Communications department heads and marketing communications specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Communications Department Head | Marketing Communications Specialist | |
| Average salary | $95,503 | $53,993 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $168,000 | Between $36,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Credit Agricole CIB | Apple |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a communications department head and a marketing communications specialist in terms of educational background:
| Communications Department Head | Marketing Communications Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Business | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between communications department heads' and marketing communications specialists' demographics:
| Communications Department Head | Marketing Communications Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.9% Female, 48.1% | Male, 28.0% Female, 72.0% |
| 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, 5.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 9.6% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 10% |