What is a Communications Director?

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.

What Does a Communications Director Do

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.

Learn more about what a Communications Director does

How To Become a Communications Director

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.

Learn More About How To Become a Communications Director
Top Communications Director Jobs Near You

Communications Director Career Paths

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.

Communications Director

Average Salary for a Communications Director

Communications Directors in America make an average salary of $107,700 per year or $52 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $188,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $61,000 per year.
Average Communications Director Salary
$107,700 Yearly
$51.78 hourly
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Roles and Types of Communications Director

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:

  • Lead a team of internal, external,
  • Print materials manage creation, production, and dissemination of printed publications for education, development,
  • Create momentum and build awareness surrounding salvation army ministry. Develop, implement,

There are several types of communications director, including:

Director

Role:

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.

  • Average Salary: $113,489
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Communications Manager

Role:

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.

  • Average Salary: $81,304
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Marketing Communications Manager

Role:

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.

  • Average Salary: $84,146
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree
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States With The Most Communications Director Jobs

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.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Communications Director Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California2,524$124,541
2New York1,365$106,145
3Texas1,112$98,203
4Virginia768$113,678
5Illinois768$96,591
6Massachusetts741$122,821
7Florida676$78,993
8Pennsylvania643$112,264
9Iowa631$103,368
10Alabama625$83,708
11Louisiana605$95,558
12New Jersey595$122,995
13Arkansas578$103,010
14Georgia551$104,395
15Oklahoma542$105,065
16Washington526$110,759
17North Carolina526$88,429
18Maryland443$105,104
19Ohio387$115,729
20Mississippi380$80,144
21Michigan374$104,172
22Minnesota351$91,699
23Colorado350$88,690
24Arizona302$105,757
25Oregon299$102,837
26Wisconsin279$83,228
27Indiana270$97,440
28South Dakota257$102,325
29Missouri257$95,592
30Utah237$90,259
31Tennessee235$100,530
32Connecticut229$95,322
33South Carolina173$81,049
34Kentucky165$88,100
35Nevada134$132,015
36Delaware126$122,425
37Kansas121$102,124
38Nebraska119$99,296
39Idaho112$118,127
40New Hampshire103$116,164
41New Mexico97$117,411
42Rhode Island94$103,725
43Maine88$87,437
44Vermont82$111,076
45Montana82$110,389
46West Virginia74$89,000
47Hawaii66$75,719
48North Dakota63$103,276
49Alaska58$95,963
50Wyoming54$83,908

Communications Director Education

Communications Director Majors

Communication
19.1 %
Journalism
12.3 %
Business
12.3 %

Communications Director Degrees

Bachelors

75.5 %

Masters

14.2 %

Associate

6.0 %

Top Colleges for Communications Directors

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

7. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

9. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

Top Skills For a Communications Director

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.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Communications Director Resume templates

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.

Communications Director Resume
Communications Director Resume
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Communications Director diversity

Communications Director Gender Distribution

Female
Female
60%
Male
Male
40%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among communications directors, 59.8% of them are women, while 40.2% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among communications directors is White, which makes up 75.0% of all communications directors.

  • The most common foreign language among communications directors is Spanish at 48.9%.

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Best States For a Communications Director

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

Total Communications Director Jobs: 126
Highest 10% Earn:
$202,000
Location Quotient:
1.39

$122,425

Avg. Salary

View 126 Communications Director Jobs In DE

2. Massachusetts

Total Communications Director Jobs: 741
Highest 10% Earn:
$202,000
Location Quotient:
1.12

$122,821

Avg. Salary

View 741 Communications Director Jobs In MA

3. Nevada

Total Communications Director Jobs: 134
Highest 10% Earn:
$215,000
Location Quotient:
0.89

$132,015

Avg. Salary

View 134 Communications Director Jobs In NV
Full List Of Best States For Communications Directors

How Do Communications Directors Rate Their Jobs?

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Overall Rating*
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Top Communications Director Employers

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

Most Common Employers For Communications Director

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Droga5$174,116$83.7114
2Microsoft$168,474$81.0049
3Salesforce$150,143$72.18135
4CSG$127,595$61.3425
5American Red Cross$107,177$51.5331
6Fidelity Investments$106,536$51.2216
7CBRE Group$100,251$48.2036
8Arizona State University$95,816$46.0716
9American Heart Association$94,606$45.4853
10U.S. House of Representatives$78,495$37.7455
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Communications Director Videos

Explore Careers: Marketing/Communications Manager
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Becoming a Communications Director FAQs

How Much Money Does A Communications Director Make?

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.

What Degree Do I Need To Be A Director Of Communications?

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.

What Skills Do You Need To Be A Communications Director?

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.

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.

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Updated April 6, 2023