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The differences between communications directors and directors 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 director takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a director has an average salary of $113,489, which is higher than the $107,700 average annual salary of a communications director.
The top three skills for a communications director include web content, press releases and customer service. The most important skills for a director are healthcare, customer service, and oversight.
| Communications Director | Director | |
| Yearly salary | $107,700 | $113,489 |
| Hourly rate | $51.78 | $54.56 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 27,939 | 230,711 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| 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.
Directors work in show business, whether in a film, a television show, or a theatre production. They are responsible for bringing the material to life. They work with the writers to get a clear vision of how the production should look. They lead the production team in planning for the production, identifying filming or rehearsing schedules, casting for roles, and other aspects that need to be decided upon. Directors provide direction to the actors to ensure that the actors understand their role and will be able to effectively convey emotions to the audience. They also manage all other crew members and communicate their expectations clearly so that everyone on the set is working towards one vision.
Communications directors and directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Communications Director | Director | |
| Average salary | $107,700 | $113,489 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $188,000 | Between $66,000 And $192,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | New York |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Mayo Clinic |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Finance |
There are a few differences between a communications director and a director in terms of educational background:
| Communications Director | Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Communication | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between communications directors' and directors' demographics:
| Communications Director | Director | |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.2% Female, 59.8% | Male, 53.2% Female, 46.8% |
| 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, 7.9% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 14% |