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Director of public affairs vs publication director

The differences between directors of public affairs and publication 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 public affairs and a publication director. Additionally, a director of public affairs has an average salary of $114,639, which is higher than the $87,824 average annual salary of a publication director.

The top three skills for a director of public affairs include government affairs, public policy and external stakeholders. The most important skills for a publication director are website content, press releases, and government agencies.

Director of public affairs vs publication director overview

Director Of Public AffairsPublication Director
Yearly salary$114,639$87,824
Hourly rate$55.11$42.22
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs26,29014,660
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age4242
Years of experience44

What does a director of public affairs do?

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.

What does a publication director do?

A publication director spearheads and oversees the operations of publishing establishments, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. They have the authority to make publication decisions, set goals, establish guidelines and timelines, delegate tasks and resources among teams, and develop strategies to optimize operations. They also monitor the workflow and the performance of the workforce, addressing issues and concerns if any arise. Moreover, a publication director leads and encourages staff to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations, developing new ones as needed.

Director of public affairs vs publication director salary

Directors of public affairs and publication directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Director Of Public AffairsPublication Director
Average salary$114,639$87,824
Salary rangeBetween $70,000 And $187,000Between $49,000 And $154,000
Highest paying CityLas Vegas, NVCarson City, NV
Highest paying stateNevadaDelaware
Best paying companyKaiser PermanenteBiogen
Best paying industryPharmaceuticalMedia

Differences between director of public affairs and publication director education

There are a few differences between a director of public affairs and a publication director in terms of educational background:

Director Of Public AffairsPublication Director
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common majorPolitical ScienceCommunication
Most common collegeStanford UniversityMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Director of public affairs vs publication director demographics

Here are the differences between directors of public affairs' and publication directors' demographics:

Director Of Public AffairsPublication Director
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 57.6% Female, 42.4%Male, 44.8% Female, 55.2%
Race ratioBlack 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, 5.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 5.0% White, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage16%16%

Differences between director of public affairs and publication director duties and responsibilities

Director of public affairs example responsibilities.

  • Manage crisis communications, securing any media articles and editorials in support of the company.
  • Manage communications with students, alumni and faculty, including distribution of all social media
  • Prepare testimonies for city and state oversight hearings.
  • Revise and place opinion editorials on behalf of the museum's executive director.
  • Produce, edit, and publish issue orient videos for YouTube and internet.
  • Execute Marketing/PR campaigns, events/exhibits, copywriting, and print, broadcast and outdoor advertising.
  • Show more

Publication director example responsibilities.

  • Manage media relations, announcements, editorial placement, and speaking opportunities the organizations.
  • Promote expansion of Medicaid coverage at the federal and state level.
  • Create & maintain SEAPOWER Facebook page, where all online articles are place, driving page views back to the website.
  • Serve as representative to senior management team during community events and company spokesperson for division, including to nonprofit sector clients.
  • Draft pleadings and serve subpoenas.
  • Complete all investigative reports including incident reports, subpoenas, arrest warrants, and witness statements.
  • Show more

Director of public affairs vs publication director skills

Common director of public affairs skills
  • Government Affairs, 12%
  • Public Policy, 11%
  • External Stakeholders, 7%
  • Policy Issues, 6%
  • Government Relations, 5%
  • Press Releases, 4%
Common publication director skills
  • Website Content, 12%
  • Press Releases, 11%
  • Government Agencies, 9%
  • Public Policy Issues, 6%
  • Government Relations, 5%
  • Pr Campaigns, 4%

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