Development director vs public relations director

The differences between development directors and public relations 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 public relations director. Additionally, a development director has an average salary of $107,044, which is higher than the $94,692 average annual salary of a public relations director.

The top three skills for a development director include digital marketing, oversight and patients. The most important skills for a public relations director are press releases, web content, and pr campaigns.

Development director vs public relations director overview

	Development Director	Public Relations Director
Yearly salary	$107,044	$94,692
Hourly rate	$51.46	$45.52
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	63,008	31,693
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

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 public relations director do?

A public relations director is an individual who is employed to design and implement marketing strategies that can cultivate the relationship between a company and the media. Public relations directors collaborate with the internal team to boost brand awareness and maximize brand consistency in all advertising efforts. They must arrange interviews and press releases so that they can promote their company and its products or services. They also maintain relationships with the media and should manage sensitive issues to maintain the company's good reputation.

Development director vs public relations director salary

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

	Development Director	Public Relations Director
Average salary	$107,044	$94,692
Salary range	Between $64,000 And $177,000	Between $59,000 And $150,000
Highest paying City	Jersey City, NJ	Napa, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Nevada
Best paying company	Cornerstone Research	Exelixis
Best paying industry	-	Internet

Differences between development director and public relations director education

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

	Development Director	Public Relations Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Most common major	Business	Communication
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Development director vs public relations director demographics

Here are the differences between development directors' and public relations directors' demographics:

	Development Director	Public Relations Director
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 50.2% Female, 49.8%	Male, 35.9% Female, 64.1%
Race ratio	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%	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 Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between development director and public relations 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.

Public relations director example responsibilities.

Manage internal agency public relations, blog content and twitter account.
Hire, train and manage play-by-play broadcasters guaranteeing a professional and informative listening experience.
Maintain strong working relationships across all departments to manage successful on-site opportunities, content and multimedia asset development and spokesperson requests.
Assist in development-relate alumni campaigns and event planning.
Keep running list and archive information regarding NCAA commitments.
Compile statistics and update game notes, player biographies, player and team statistics.

Development director vs public relations director skills

Common development director skills

Digital Marketing, 8%
Oversight, 6%
Patients, 6%
Lead Generation, 5%
ROI, 4%
Project Management, 4%

Common public relations director skills

Press Releases, 19%
Web Content, 9%
Pr Campaigns, 5%
Facebook, 4%
Crisis Communications, 4%
Twitter, 3%

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Development Director
Development Director vs Public Relations Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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