Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between communications leads and senior communications specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a communications lead, becoming a senior communications specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a communications lead has an average salary of $96,988, which is higher than the $78,948 average annual salary of a senior communications specialist.
The top three skills for a communications lead include project management, strategic communications and HR. The most important skills for a senior communications specialist are project management, powerpoint, and strategic communications.
| Communications Lead | Senior Communications Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $96,988 | $78,948 |
| Hourly rate | $46.63 | $37.96 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 20,413 | 18,973 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
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.
A senior communications specialist is primarily in charge of developing communication strategies in the company. Their responsibilities revolve around ensuring the smooth flow of internal and external communications, coordinating various departments, managing campaigns and event schedules, devising social media strategies, and supervising media relations. A senior communications specialist must also address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly. Furthermore, as a senior specialist, it is essential to lead and assist the junior specialists, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Communications leads and senior communications specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Communications Lead | Senior Communications Specialist | |
| Average salary | $96,988 | $78,948 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $139,000 | Between $56,000 And $111,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Oakland, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Meta | Analysis Group |
| Best paying industry | Internet | Technology |
There are a few differences between a communications lead and a senior communications specialist in terms of educational background:
| Communications Lead | Senior Communications Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Communication |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between communications leads' and senior communications specialists' demographics:
| Communications Lead | Senior Communications Specialist | |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.4% Female, 58.6% | Male, 35.7% Female, 64.3% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 5.3% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 14% | 12% |