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The differences between communications officers and public information officers 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 public information officer. Additionally, a public information officer has an average salary of $56,725, 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 public information officer are press releases, web content, and community outreach.
| Communications Officer | Public Information Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $40,161 | $56,725 |
| Hourly rate | $19.31 | $27.27 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 73,260 | 129,237 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| 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.
The primary job of a public information officer involves the promotion of a positive public image on social media. Public information officers offer significant information during a crisis. They collect facts and distribute them to the media and organize special events like awards ceremonies. Typically, they work for large organizations and government agencies. They maintain their online presence that can be part of the duties of public information. Also, they can work for long hours on an irregular schedule, especially when the incidents or situations affect the organization.
Communications officers and public information officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Communications Officer | Public Information Officer | |
| Average salary | $40,161 | $56,725 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $62,000 | Between $38,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Fairfield, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Morgan Stanley | City of Fairfield |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Professional |
There are a few differences between a communications officer and a public information officer in terms of educational background:
| Communications Officer | Public Information Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Communication |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between communications officers' and public information officers' demographics:
| Communications Officer | Public Information Officer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.3% Female, 55.7% | Male, 43.7% Female, 56.3% |
| 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, 5.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 5.1% White, 75.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |