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The differences between communications directors and community relations directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a communications director and a community relations director. Additionally, a communications director has an average salary of $107,700, which is higher than the $96,788 average annual salary of a community relations director.
The top three skills for a communications director include web content, press releases and customer service. The most important skills for a community relations director are community relations, community events, and memory care.
| Communications Director | Community Relations Director | |
| Yearly salary | $107,700 | $96,788 |
| Hourly rate | $51.78 | $46.53 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 27,939 | 33,569 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A community relations director is an individual who is responsible for managing positive relationships with community members, nonprofit organizations, and fellow employees surrounding an organization. Community relations directors must plan, organize, and manage activities to help the organization achieve its public relations goal. They need to interface with vital community groups so that they can ensure the organization is producing effective results. Community relations managers must also assist in preparing a variety of publicity materials such as speeches and media content.
Communications directors and community relations directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Communications Director | Community Relations Director | |
| Average salary | $107,700 | $96,788 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $188,000 | Between $61,000 And $152,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | New York |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Zoho |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a communications director and a community relations director in terms of educational background:
| Communications Director | Community Relations Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Communication | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between communications directors' and community relations directors' demographics:
| Communications Director | Community Relations Director | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.2% Female, 59.8% | Male, 25.8% Female, 74.2% |
| 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, 6.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |