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The differences between communications directors and directors of public affairs 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 director of public affairs. Additionally, a director of public affairs has an average salary of $114,639, 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 of public affairs are government affairs, public policy, and external stakeholders.
| Communications Director | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Yearly salary | $107,700 | $114,639 |
| Hourly rate | $51.78 | $55.11 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 27,939 | 26,290 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| 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.
Directors of Public Affairs are executives who manage the public relations and communications initiatives of the company. They oversee all external communications that are intended for broadcast. They create guidelines on the proper crafting of communication materials that will be published or broadcasted. They also lead the public affairs department in networking activities and industry events. Directors of Public Affairs must be level-headed, calm, and creative. They should know how to communicate with the public, handle crises, and create successful brands.
Communications directors and directors of public affairs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Communications Director | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Average salary | $107,700 | $114,639 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $188,000 | Between $70,000 And $187,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Las Vegas, NV |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Kaiser Permanente |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a communications director and a director of public affairs in terms of educational background:
| Communications Director | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Communication | Political Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between communications directors' and directors of public affairs' demographics:
| Communications Director | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.2% Female, 59.8% | Male, 57.6% Female, 42.4% |
| 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, 5.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 5.1% White, 75.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |