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The differences between directors of public affairs and public information officers 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 public information officer. Additionally, a director of public affairs has an average salary of $114,639, which is higher than the $56,725 average annual salary of a public information officer.
The top three skills for a director of public affairs include government affairs, public policy and external stakeholders. The most important skills for a public information officer are press releases, web content, and community outreach.
| Director Of Public Affairs | Public Information Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $114,639 | $56,725 |
| Hourly rate | $55.11 | $27.27 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 26,290 | 129,237 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| 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.
The primary job of a public information officer involves the promotion of a positive public image on social media. Public information officers offer significant information during a crisis. They collect facts and distribute them to the media and organize special events like awards ceremonies. Typically, they work for large organizations and government agencies. They maintain their online presence that can be part of the duties of public information. Also, they can work for long hours on an irregular schedule, especially when the incidents or situations affect the organization.
Directors of public affairs and public information officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Director Of Public Affairs | Public Information Officer | |
| Average salary | $114,639 | $56,725 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $187,000 | Between $38,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | Las Vegas, NV | Fairfield, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Kaiser Permanente | City of Fairfield |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Professional |
There are a few differences between a director of public affairs and a public information officer in terms of educational background:
| Director Of Public Affairs | Public Information Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Political Science | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between directors of public affairs' and public information officers' demographics:
| Director Of Public Affairs | Public Information Officer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.6% Female, 42.4% | Male, 43.7% Female, 56.3% |
| 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, 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% |