1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
Communications directors are key to many businesses. Not only do they support a more organized system within the organization, but they also help present a more united public image.
Communication is one of the traits every business struggles with. It's one of the contributing factors for why people leave their jobs. By hiring a communication director, many organizations are able to communicate more effectively making employees much happier. In a way, communication directors are the glue that holds everyone together.
There are certain skills that many communications directors have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed leadership skills, problem-solving skills and speaking skills.
If you're interested in becoming a communications director, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 75.5% of communications directors have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 14.2% of communications directors have master's degrees. Even though most communications directors have a college degree, it's impossible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of director you might progress to a role such as development director eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title development director.
What Am I Worth?
The role of a communications director includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general communications director responsibilities:
There are several types of communications director, including:
Directors report to board members regarding what's going on with the company as a whole. Then together, they work to develop new marketing and business strategies to help the company grow and expand.
Typically, directors have the ultimate, hands-down decision making capability, which is a lot of responsibility for one person, especially considering the type of decisions you'll be making. Any top-level decisions will come to you. You may also be responsible for approving a final budget and making sure company policies are being followed.
Some directors have long work hours, it depends on your employer and industry. Some directors will work longer than the typical 40-hour work week and many have erratic schedules that are determined by meetings, which are usually held after normal business hours.
Public relations, to most, have been thought of as the underrated element in the success of an organization. For those of us who believe in the power of branding and identity, we beg to differ. In 1957, a young public relations Al-Golin gave Ray Kroc a cold call to discuss a potential in marketing for his/her fast-food chain, McDonald's. With a $500 monthly retainer, he/she ran the initiative in encouraging positive newspaper write-ups, contributing to trust banks, and pioneering the hamburger university for employee training. The regal yet humble image McDonald's restaurants carry today is a result of the unwavering vision Al-Golin saw 63 years ago.
The primary role of a communications manager is centered around managing a company's public relations. This involves tasks such as developing marketing materials, executing communications strategies, and producing media reports. Besides that, they oversee publication projects and lead the marketing team.
Employers require a communications manager to have a bachelor's degree that relates to business or communications. At least two years of work experience need to be demonstrated. This role earns, on average, $29 per hour and suits individuals who are passionate about public liaison activities.
Marketing communications managers or MarCom earn a whooping $90,000 a year, and breaking it down makes that roughly $45.00 an hour. They are talented people and are professionals to the core. They perform thorough research of the market and have in-depth knowledge of the business.
Handling a company's sales is a tricky business, but a marketing communications manager makes it look so easy. They keep themselves updated and find cost-effective ways to promote goods and services. Their communication skills are top-notch, and they have an admirably high emotional intelligence as well. One would definitely need the latter if one were to venture into the field.
They major in Marketing with Business following closely and the most common degree level is, unsurprisingly, a bachelor's degree. A master's degree is also highly recommended as a marketing communications manager job is a highly sought after career, and having a higher degree might help in the long run.
Mouse over a state to see the number of active communications director jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where communications directors earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
---|---|---|---|
1 | California | 2,524 | $124,541 |
2 | New York | 1,365 | $106,145 |
3 | Texas | 1,112 | $98,203 |
4 | Virginia | 768 | $113,678 |
5 | Illinois | 768 | $96,591 |
6 | Massachusetts | 741 | $122,821 |
7 | Florida | 676 | $78,993 |
8 | Pennsylvania | 643 | $112,264 |
9 | Iowa | 631 | $103,368 |
10 | Alabama | 625 | $83,708 |
11 | Louisiana | 605 | $95,558 |
12 | New Jersey | 595 | $122,995 |
13 | Arkansas | 578 | $103,010 |
14 | Georgia | 551 | $104,395 |
15 | Oklahoma | 542 | $105,065 |
16 | Washington | 526 | $110,759 |
17 | North Carolina | 526 | $88,429 |
18 | Maryland | 443 | $105,104 |
19 | Ohio | 387 | $115,729 |
20 | Mississippi | 380 | $80,144 |
21 | Michigan | 374 | $104,172 |
22 | Minnesota | 351 | $91,699 |
23 | Colorado | 350 | $88,690 |
24 | Arizona | 302 | $105,757 |
25 | Oregon | 299 | $102,837 |
26 | Wisconsin | 279 | $83,228 |
27 | Indiana | 270 | $97,440 |
28 | South Dakota | 257 | $102,325 |
29 | Missouri | 257 | $95,592 |
30 | Utah | 237 | $90,259 |
31 | Tennessee | 235 | $100,530 |
32 | Connecticut | 229 | $95,322 |
33 | South Carolina | 173 | $81,049 |
34 | Kentucky | 165 | $88,100 |
35 | Nevada | 134 | $132,015 |
36 | Delaware | 126 | $122,425 |
37 | Kansas | 121 | $102,124 |
38 | Nebraska | 119 | $99,296 |
39 | Idaho | 112 | $118,127 |
40 | New Hampshire | 103 | $116,164 |
41 | New Mexico | 97 | $117,411 |
42 | Rhode Island | 94 | $103,725 |
43 | Maine | 88 | $87,437 |
44 | Vermont | 82 | $111,076 |
45 | Montana | 82 | $110,389 |
46 | West Virginia | 74 | $89,000 |
47 | Hawaii | 66 | $75,719 |
48 | North Dakota | 63 | $103,276 |
49 | Alaska | 58 | $95,963 |
50 | Wyoming | 54 | $83,908 |
Stanford, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
Evanston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
Villanova, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
San Diego, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
Waltham, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$49,880
Enrollment
4,177
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,306
Enrollment
9,394
Boston, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 8.4% of communications directors listed web content on their resume, but soft skills such as leadership skills and problem-solving skills are important as well.
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Communications Director templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Communications Director resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
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Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a communications director. The best states for people in this position are Nevada, California, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Communications directors make the most in Nevada with an average salary of $132,015. Whereas in California and New Jersey, they would average $124,541 and $122,995, respectively. While communications directors would only make an average of $122,821 in Massachusetts, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. Delaware
$122,425
Avg. Salary
2. Massachusetts
$122,821
Avg. Salary
3. Nevada
$132,015
Avg. Salary
We've made finding a great employer to work for easy by doing the hard work for you. We looked into employers that employ communications directors and discovered their number of communications director opportunities and average salary. Through our research, we concluded that March of Dimes was the best, especially with an average salary of $77,882. FPI Management follows up with an average salary of $56,678, and then comes Salesforce with an average of $150,143. In addition, we know most people would rather work from home. So instead of having to change careers, we identified the best employers for remote work as a communications director. The employers include Cigna, Edwards Lifesciences, and Coty
Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Droga5 | $174,116 | $83.71 | 14 |
2 | Microsoft | $168,474 | $81.00 | 49 |
3 | Salesforce | $150,143 | $72.18 | 135 |
4 | CSG | $127,595 | $61.34 | 25 |
5 | American Red Cross | $107,177 | $51.53 | 31 |
6 | Fidelity Investments | $106,536 | $51.22 | 16 |
7 | CBRE Group | $100,251 | $48.20 | 36 |
8 | Arizona State University | $95,816 | $46.07 | 16 |
9 | American Heart Association | $94,606 | $45.48 | 53 |
10 | U.S. House of Representatives | $78,495 | $37.74 | 55 |
A communications director makes around $90,000 a year on average. However, this can vary significantly, with the bottom percentile earning only around $85,000 a year, while top earners can make over $130,000 as a communications director.
To be a director of communications, a person needs at least a bachelor's degree in order to be considered for the role. This degree is typically held in communications. English, marketing, or public relations.
The most important skills for a communications director are excellent verbal and written communications skills and a deep understanding of communication strategies. Unsurprisingly, it is critical that a communications director be an expert communicator, not just for the work they do but also to run their team well.