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The differences between communications directors and public 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 public relations director. Additionally, a communications director has an average salary of $107,700, which is higher than the $94,692 average annual salary of a public relations director.
The top three skills for a communications director include web content, press releases and customer service. The most important skills for a public relations director are press releases, web content, and pr campaigns.
| Communications Director | Public Relations Director | |
| Yearly salary | $107,700 | $94,692 |
| Hourly rate | $51.78 | $45.52 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 27,939 | 31,693 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| 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 public relations director is an individual who is employed to design and implement marketing strategies that can cultivate the relationship between a company and the media. Public relations directors collaborate with the internal team to boost brand awareness and maximize brand consistency in all advertising efforts. They must arrange interviews and press releases so that they can promote their company and its products or services. They also maintain relationships with the media and should manage sensitive issues to maintain the company's good reputation.
Communications directors and public relations directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Communications Director | Public Relations Director | |
| Average salary | $107,700 | $94,692 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $188,000 | Between $59,000 And $150,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Napa, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Exelixis |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Internet |
There are a few differences between a communications director and a public relations director in terms of educational background:
| Communications Director | Public Relations Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between communications directors' and public relations directors' demographics:
| Communications Director | Public Relations Director | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.2% Female, 59.8% | Male, 35.9% Female, 64.1% |
| 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% |