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The differences between communications officers and public relations managers 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 relations manager. Additionally, a public relations manager has an average salary of $91,426, 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 relations manager are press releases, web content, and pr campaigns.
| Communications Officer | Public Relations Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $40,161 | $91,426 |
| Hourly rate | $19.31 | $43.95 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 73,260 | 35,273 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| 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 public relations manager is responsible for monitoring the public relations department to boost its brand image and attract potential clients through press releases and media coverage. They work closely with the marketing team, developing marketing campaigns and promotional strategies for creating brand awareness. Public relations managers maintain the company's presence on various social media platforms, responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns regarding the company's goods and services. A public relations manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially in identifying business opportunities to increase revenues and profitability.
Communications officers and public relations managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Communications Officer | Public Relations Manager | |
| Average salary | $40,161 | $91,426 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $62,000 | Between $64,000 And $128,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Las Vegas, NV |
| Highest paying state | New York | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Morgan Stanley | |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Technology |
There are a few differences between a communications officer and a public relations manager in terms of educational background:
| Communications Officer | Public Relations Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Communication |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between communications officers' and public relations managers' demographics:
| Communications Officer | Public Relations Manager | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.3% Female, 55.7% | Male, 34.5% Female, 65.5% |
| 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, 5.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |