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The differences between communications officers and development 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 officer and a development director. Additionally, a development director has an average salary of $107,044, which is higher than the $40,161 average annual salary of a communications officer.
The top three skills for a communications officer include affordable housing, non-emergency telephone calls and customer service. The most important skills for a development director are digital marketing, oversight, and patients.
| Communications Officer | Development Director | |
| Yearly salary | $40,161 | $107,044 |
| Hourly rate | $19.31 | $51.46 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 73,260 | 63,008 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A communications officer is responsible for maintaining the brand image of an organization through monitoring marketing campaigns and public relations techniques. Communications officers handle press releases, social media management, media outreach, reviewing digital contents, and disseminating public communications within the company's premises and appropriate audience. They often coordinate with the senior management to develop strategic procedures to improve brand awareness, attracting potential partnerships that would generate more revenues and increase the company's profitability. A communications officer must have excellent leadership skills to monitor the performance of the communications staff and ensure maximum productivity.
A development director is an individual who is responsible for securing funds and sponsors for non-profit organizations. Development directors must actively seek new business partners and develop relationships with volunteers and donors. They meet with members of the development team to help advertise and promote brand awareness and funding. Development directors must possess skills and experience in managing human resources, marketing, and budgeting functions. They must also obtain a bachelor's degree in business management, public relations, or related field.
Communications officers and development directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Communications Officer | Development Director | |
| Average salary | $40,161 | $107,044 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $62,000 | Between $64,000 And $177,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New York | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Morgan Stanley | Cornerstone Research |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | - |
There are a few differences between a communications officer and a development director in terms of educational background:
| Communications Officer | Development Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Business |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between communications officers' and development directors' demographics:
| Communications Officer | Development Director | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.3% Female, 55.7% | Male, 50.2% Female, 49.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |