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The differences between communications directors 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 director, becoming a communications lead takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a communications director has an average salary of $107,700, which is higher than the $96,988 average annual salary of a communications lead.
The top three skills for a communications director include web content, press releases and customer service. The most important skills for a communications lead are project management, strategic communications, and HR.
| Communications Director | Communications Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $107,700 | $96,988 |
| Hourly rate | $51.78 | $46.63 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 27,939 | 20,413 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A communications director is responsible for monitoring and supervising the overall media relations from internal to external communications. A communications director's duties include managing campaigns, providing organizational updates to the employees, supporting social media marketing, developing effective communication strategies to build the organization's reputation, and efficiently leading team members in handling events that represent the business. Communications directors must have strong leadership and communication skills to provide support for the company's daily operations and strategies.
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 directors and communications leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Communications Director | Communications Lead | |
| Average salary | $107,700 | $96,988 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $188,000 | Between $67,000 And $139,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | California |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Internet |
There are a few differences between a communications director and a communications lead in terms of educational background:
| Communications Director | Communications Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Communication | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between communications directors' and communications leads' demographics:
| Communications Director | Communications Lead | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.2% Female, 59.8% | Male, 41.4% Female, 58.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 5.1% White, 75.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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 | 16% | 14% |