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The differences between directors of economic development and communications 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 director of economic development and a communications director. Additionally, a communications director has an average salary of $107,700, which is higher than the $107,578 average annual salary of a director of economic development.
The top three skills for a director of economic development include business development, project management and real estate. The most important skills for a communications director are web content, press releases, and customer service.
| Director Of Economic Development | Communications Director | |
| Yearly salary | $107,578 | $107,700 |
| Hourly rate | $51.72 | $51.78 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 55,938 | 27,939 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An economic development director develops and spearheads the implementation of economic development programs in a city. They usually work for the city government, although there are some who work for private companies. It is their responsibility to perform market research and analysis, developing strategies to help the city in building positive relationships with businesses and potential economic partners. Moreover, as an economic development director, they are also responsible for managing and directing staff, encouraging them to reach project goals while implementing policies and standards.
A communications director is responsible for monitoring and supervising the overall media relations from internal to external communications. A communications director's duties include managing campaigns, providing organizational updates to the employees, supporting social media marketing, developing effective communication strategies to build the organization's reputation, and efficiently leading team members in handling events that represent the business. Communications directors must have strong leadership and communication skills to provide support for the company's daily operations and strategies.
Directors of economic development and communications directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Director Of Economic Development | Communications Director | |
| Average salary | $107,578 | $107,700 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $180,000 | Between $61,000 And $188,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Nevada |
| Best paying company | AstraZeneca | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a director of economic development and a communications director in terms of educational background:
| Director Of Economic Development | Communications Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Business | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between directors of economic development' and communications directors' demographics:
| Director Of Economic Development | Communications Director | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 64.1% Female, 35.9% | Male, 40.2% Female, 59.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |