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Development director vs media director

The differences between development directors and media 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 development director and a media director. Additionally, a media director has an average salary of $112,564, which is higher than the $107,044 average annual salary of a development director.

The top three skills for a development director include digital marketing, oversight and patients. The most important skills for a media director are digital marketing, video production, and media planning.

Development director vs media director overview

Development DirectorMedia Director
Yearly salary$107,044$112,564
Hourly rate$51.46$54.12
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs63,00822,511
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 72%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age4242
Years of experience44

What does a development director do?

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.

What does a media director do?

A media director spearheads and oversees a company's entire media-related activities, including marketing and advertising campaigns. They are in charge of setting goals and guidelines, liaising and building positive relationships with external parties, conceptualizing plans for projects and campaigns, and developing strategies to optimize operations. It is also their duty to address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently. Furthermore, as a media director, it is essential to monitor the progress of different teams, leading and encouraging them to reach goals while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Development director vs media director salary

Development directors and media directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Development DirectorMedia Director
Average salary$107,044$112,564
Salary rangeBetween $64,000 And $177,000Between $73,000 And $172,000
Highest paying CityJersey City, NJSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew JerseyNevada
Best paying companyCornerstone ResearchGoogle
Best paying industry-Professional

Differences between development director and media director education

There are a few differences between a development director and a media director in terms of educational background:

Development DirectorMedia Director
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 72%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common majorBusinessCommunication
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Development director vs media director demographics

Here are the differences between development directors' and media directors' demographics:

Development DirectorMedia Director
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 50.2% Female, 49.8%Male, 62.0% Female, 38.0%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage16%16%

Differences between development director and media director duties and responsibilities

Development director example responsibilities.

  • Manage CRM program for coordination and partnerships with marketing resources.
  • Manage website re-launch, create communications plan, co-le rebranding taskforce.
  • Manage clients and internal production team to meet budget and scope of contract eLearning solutions.
  • Help manage the CRM system with input and output for the resource development department and the entire organization.
  • Manage analytical method validation and method transfer to QC and CMOs for APIs, excipients, and finish products.
  • Hire, manage and train a team of six sourcing professionals as well as a team of 3 QA managers.
  • Show more

Media director example responsibilities.

  • Manage course creation process from media asset creation to LMS formatting.
  • Manage a team performing mastering and short run duplication of 1000-1500 fully finish DVD products per day.
  • Manage online advertising including multiple search engine sponsor link (PPC) campaigns and display campaigns with different traffic providers/networks.
  • Utilize basic HTML, CSS and advance Photoshop techniques to maintain and update the website.
  • Maintain $2600 pvr while keeping high CSI and SSI.
  • Record video clips and post on YouTube and website.
  • Show more

Development director vs media director skills

Common development director skills
  • Digital Marketing, 8%
  • Oversight, 6%
  • Patients, 6%
  • Lead Generation, 5%
  • ROI, 4%
  • Project Management, 4%
Common media director skills
  • Digital Marketing, 10%
  • Video Production, 9%
  • Media Planning, 6%
  • Client Relationships, 5%
  • Facebook, 4%
  • TV, 4%

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