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The differences between directors of public affairs and communications 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 director of public affairs and a communications manager. Additionally, a director of public affairs has an average salary of $114,639, which is higher than the $81,304 average annual salary of a communications manager.
The top three skills for a director of public affairs include government affairs, public policy and external stakeholders. The most important skills for a communications manager are customer service, property management, and yardi.
| Director Of Public Affairs | Communications Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $114,639 | $81,304 |
| Hourly rate | $55.11 | $39.09 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 26,290 | 26,350 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Directors of Public Affairs are executives who manage the public relations and communications initiatives of the company. They oversee all external communications that are intended for broadcast. They create guidelines on the proper crafting of communication materials that will be published or broadcasted. They also lead the public affairs department in networking activities and industry events. Directors of Public Affairs must be level-headed, calm, and creative. They should know how to communicate with the public, handle crises, and create successful brands.
A communications manager is responsible for overseeing a company or organization's public relations by devising various strategies and finding new opportunities. They must craft and produce marketing materials such as campaigns, advertisements, newsletters, social media engagements, and press releases to shape and improve a brand or company. Furthermore, a communications manager must accomplish administrative tasks such as preparing reports and necessary documentation, reaching out to advertisers, leading communication letters, and coordinating with marketing personnel from other departments.
Directors of public affairs and communications managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Director Of Public Affairs | Communications Manager | |
| Average salary | $114,639 | $81,304 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $187,000 | Between $53,000 And $122,000 |
| Highest paying City | Las Vegas, NV | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | California |
| Best paying company | Kaiser Permanente | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | - |
There are a few differences between a director of public affairs and a communications manager in terms of educational background:
| Director Of Public Affairs | Communications Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Political Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between directors of public affairs' and communications managers' demographics:
| Director Of Public Affairs | Communications Manager | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.6% Female, 42.4% | Male, 34.9% Female, 65.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 5.1% White, 75.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |