The primary duty of a communications officer is to support both internal and external communications strategies. He/She writes and distributes content to promote an organization's brand, activities, services, or products. He/She serves as a liaison between the organization, the public, and the media to maintain the organization's image. Generally, he/she creates content, including publications, press releases, website content, annual reports, and other marketing materials. Furthermore, he/she responds to media inquiries and arranges interviews. Also, he/she keeps records of media coverage and compiles analytics and metrics.

Most communications officers hold a bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, or a related field. However, most employers prefer two to five years of experience in a similar role. Candidates must possess interpersonal, time management, analytical, communication, computer, and organization skills. You must be familiar with content management systems and social media platforms. The annual salary ranges between $32,000 and $106,000, with an average of $58,184

What Does a Communications Officer Do

There are certain skills that many communications officers have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed leadership skills, speaking skills and writing skills.

Learn more about what a Communications Officer does

How To Become a Communications Officer

If you're interested in becoming a communications officer, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 60.2% of communications officers have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 10.9% of communications officers have master's degrees. Even though most communications officers have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Learn More About How To Become a Communications Officer

Communications Officer Career Paths

Average Salary for a Communications Officer

Communications Officers in America make an average salary of $40,161 per year or $19 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $62,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $25,000 per year.
Average Communications Officer Salary
$40,161 Yearly
$19.31 hourly

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Roles and Types of Communications Officer

The role of a communications officer includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general communications officer responsibilities:

  • Receiving incoming calls/messages and connecting them with appropriate personnel or offices. Entering records of calls/messages for service
  • Develop, execute and oversee written communications of moderate complexity, including presentations, speeches, news stories, web
  • The following duties are normal for this job. These are not to be construed as exclusive or all-inclusive. Other duties may be required

There are several types of communications officer, including:

Police Dispatcher

Role:

A police dispatcher responds to distress phone calls. They coordinate and direct emergency personnel to areas where their services are needed. Also, they review burglar and fire alarms as well as monitor video surveillance.

A police dispatcher alerts law enforcement officers, paramedics, or firefighters as the case may be. Not just this, but they also provide drivers' licenses and warrant information to other police officers. You have to put in data, update and recover data from computer systems. The minimum education requirement for this role is a high school diploma.

Excellent customer service and communication skills are key skills needed for this role. It is also essential that you understand police techniques and procedures. In addition to this, you should have comprehensive knowledge about radio dispatch controls and protocols. You may be required to write and pass a civil service examination to qualify. Averagely, a police dispatcher earns an annual salary of $49,660.
  • Average Salary: $37,402
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Communications Operator

Role:

It often goes without saying that communication is very important. It affects how we do our work. To some people, their work is all about communications - coordinating with other people, managing schedules, and creating communication plans.

To others, their role is all about ensuring that communications will never fail. This may involve fixing communication line problems or ensuring that the calls they receive will be properly relayed to concerned individuals or teams. Communications operators usually work on radio or frequency-related communication lines.

They are often involved in emergency dispatching organizations. They receive calls through a central system and communicates the needs of the callers to responders on site. They also log these calls and ensure proper documentation. This implies that communications operators should be organized and should also be calm in the face of challenging situations. This role may be daunting, and it is, without question, a crucial role. As such, if you want to pursue this career, you should be able to exhibit grace under pressure and quick decision-making skills.
  • Average Salary: $31,491
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Public Safety Dispatcher

Role:

Public safety dispatchers are responsible for responding to emergency and non-emergency calls for law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services, as well as city/county animal control, utilities, and county/state road department service and procedures to ensure the safety of all public safety responders and the public.

To perform this job successfully, applicants must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. They should have the mobility to work in a typical office setting and use standard office equipment and hearing and speech to communicate in person, over the telephone, and the radio.

Applicants can be eligible for this position with a high school diploma/GED and two to three years of administrative support experience or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

In general, public safety dispatchers make a national average salary of $18.48 per hour. This average can vary by state as well as by experience level. Generally, public safety dispatchers with a significant amount of work experience earn higher incomes.
  • Average Salary: $35,063
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

States With The Most Communications Officer Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active communications officer jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where communications officers earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Communications Officer Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California5,753$50,895
2Texas2,585$29,453
3New York2,427$62,200
4Illinois1,752$40,203
5Pennsylvania1,713$51,734
6Massachusetts1,602$56,756
7Georgia1,478$30,635
8North Carolina1,437$35,121
9New Jersey1,348$54,108
10Ohio1,196$44,985
11Minnesota1,191$43,081
12Maryland1,107$55,631
13Washington1,099$47,066
14Michigan1,008$55,367
15Arizona975$37,298
16Colorado932$42,840
17Indiana844$38,741
18Tennessee826$39,168
19Missouri754$41,654
20Wisconsin741$44,422
21Alabama590$30,520
22South Carolina571$28,692
23Oregon540$49,173
24Virginia537$41,530
25Iowa509$48,884
26Connecticut441$49,703
27Oklahoma436$30,303
28Florida429$29,353
29Kentucky422$36,388
30Louisiana421$28,493
31Nevada417$49,396
32Idaho397$50,253
33Mississippi364$28,756
34Kansas349$44,005
35Arkansas340$40,043
36Nebraska334$46,721
37New Mexico303$42,115
38New Hampshire259$51,636
39Rhode Island234$48,831
40Maine219$36,964
41West Virginia207$39,329
42North Dakota185$50,383
43South Dakota179$49,237
44Utah152$38,584
45Vermont142$48,746
46Delaware112$61,766
47Montana61$39,933
48Hawaii59$34,714
49Alaska54$44,741
50Wyoming52$37,541

Communications Officer Education

Communications Officer Majors

15.7 %

Communications Officer Degrees

Bachelors

60.2 %

Associate

14.1 %

Masters

10.9 %

Top Colleges for Communications Officers

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Education
Psychology
Criminal Justice
Sociology

2. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Accounting
Psychology
Computer Science
Business
Political Science

3. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Psychology
Criminal Justice
Communication
Computer Science

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Liberal Arts
Criminal Justice
Biology
Nursing

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Communication
Computer Science
Psychology
Criminal Justice

6. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-State Tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Political Science
Psychology
Business
Marketing
Criminal Justice

7. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Psychology
Communication
Accounting
Sociology

8. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-State Tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Marketing
Criminal Justice
Psychology
Accounting

9. SUNY College at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,369

Enrollment

5,229

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Criminal Justice
Psychology
Accounting
Marketing

10. SUNY College at Oswego

Oswego, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,440

Enrollment

7,039

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Psychology
Accounting
Criminal Justice
Marketing

Top Skills For a Communications Officer

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 15.1% of communications officers listed affordable housing on their resume, but soft skills such as leadership skills and speaking skills are important as well.

  • Affordable Housing, 15.1%
  • Non-Emergency Telephone Calls, 10.6%
  • Customer Service, 7.2%
  • Computer Aided Dispatch, 6.2%
  • Public Safety Agencies, 5.4%
  • Other Skills, 55.5%

Choose From 10+ Customizable Communications Officer Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Communications Officer templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Communications Officer resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

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Communications Officer Demographics

Communications Officer Gender Distribution

Female
Female
56%
Male
Male
44%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among communications officers, 55.7% of them are women, while 44.3% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among communications officers is White, which makes up 74.5% of all communications officers.

  • The most common foreign language among communications officers is Spanish at 47.3%.

Online Courses For Communications Officer That You May Like

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1. Communicating During Global Emergencies

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In collaboration with the Rollins School of Public Health and the CDC's Division of Global Health Protection, Emergency Response, and Recovery Branch, this course introduces basic concepts and principles of communicating during a global crisis or emergency. It explores why communication during an emergency is different and the importance of adapting emergency messages to the needs of affected populations. Through sample scenarios, you will get the opportunity to identify information needs and...

See More on Coursera

2. Disaster, Crisis, and Emergency Preparedness Communication

coursera

This course will introduce you to basic concepts of emergency management, planning, and crisis risk communication. You will understand the definitions of and operational challenges associated with disasters and public health emergencies. You will identify important components of risk communication, and you will identify and evaluate the ways social characteristics shape vulnerabilities to crises and health outcomes. In completing this course, you will begin to learn about the nature of...

See More on Coursera

3. Wireless Communications for Everybody

coursera

This course will provide an introduction and history of cellular communication systems that have changed our lives during the recent four decades and will become an essential and inseparable part of human life. The principles of wireless communication theory are covered with emphasis on the essential concept delivery to non-major learners in the easiest way. Then, it will be covered how such principles are realized and how multimedia services can be delivered in practical LTE cellular systems...

See More on Coursera
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Best States For a Communications Officer

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a communications officer. The best states for people in this position are New York, Delaware, Massachusetts, and Maryland. Communications officers make the most in New York with an average salary of $62,200. Whereas in Delaware and Massachusetts, they would average $61,766 and $56,756, respectively. While communications officers would only make an average of $55,631 in Maryland, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. New York

Total Communications Officer Jobs: 2,427
Highest 10% Earn:
$104,000
Location Quotient:
1.34

2. Massachusetts

Total Communications Officer Jobs: 1,602
Highest 10% Earn:
$91,000
Location Quotient:
1.24

3. North Dakota

Total Communications Officer Jobs: 185
Highest 10% Earn:
$70,000
Location Quotient:
1.41
Full List Of Best States For Communications Officers

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Top Communications Officer Employers

Most Common Employers For Communications Officer

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Bank of America$60,882$29.2715
2Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation$58,923$28.3312
3City of Jacksonville$50,275$24.1712
4World Bank$45,025$21.6515
5City$44,442$21.3712
6Fulton County Government Center$41,044$19.7312
7Court Services$39,956$19.2120
8USAF Police Alumni Association$38,608$18.5653
9United States Marine Corps$38,460$18.49141
10US Air Conditioning Distributors$37,856$18.2066

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