Director of public information vs public information officer

The differences between directors of public information 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 information and a public information officer. Additionally, a director of public information has an average salary of $87,066, which is higher than the $56,725 average annual salary of a public information officer.

The top three skills for a director of public information include press releases, external communications and web content. The most important skills for a public information officer are press releases, web content, and community outreach.

Director of public information vs public information officer overview

	Director Of Public Information	Public Information Officer
Yearly salary	$87,066	$56,725
Hourly rate	$41.86	$27.27
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	72,818	129,237
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

Director of public information vs public information officer salary

Directors of public information and public information officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Director Of Public Information	Public Information Officer
Average salary	$87,066	$56,725
Salary range	Between $54,000 And $138,000	Between $38,000 And $83,000
Highest paying City	-	Fairfield, CA
Highest paying state	-	Delaware
Best paying company	-	City of Fairfield
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between director of public information and public information officer education

There are a few differences between a director of public information and a public information officer in terms of educational background:

	Director Of Public Information	Public Information Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Communication	Communication
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Northwestern University

Director of public information vs public information officer demographics

Here are the differences between directors of public information' and public information officers' demographics:

	Director Of Public Information	Public Information Officer
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 46.7% Female, 53.3%	Male, 43.7% Female, 56.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.8% 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%

Differences between director of public information and public information officer duties and responsibilities

Director of public information example responsibilities.

Serve as college spokesperson managing crisis communications.
Increase contact information accuracy; record alumni achievements, publications, philanthropic affiliations; document volunteer and event participation.
Lead a rebranding and revitalization of the intranet by focusing on improving internal communication, search capabilities, and branding elements.

Public information officer example responsibilities.

Manage agency's social media pages (Facebook/Twitter).
Manage multiple websites and associate SEO; direct all brand photography to publicize and promote the resort.
Serve as college spokesperson managing crisis communications.
Lead implementation of a robust membership database to support organization strategy and decision making.
Interview featured alumni, manage copywriting staff and editorial calendar, and coordinate photography.
Create and maintain the college's blackboard intranet site.

Director of public information vs public information officer skills

Common director of public information skills

Press Releases, 28%
External Communications, 11%
Web Content, 9%
Spokesperson, 9%
Press Conferences, 7%
Intranet, 5%

Common public information officer skills

Press Releases, 16%
Web Content, 10%
Community Outreach, 5%
Press Conferences, 4%
Graphic Design, 4%
Emergency Operations, 4%

Director Of Public Information vs. similar jobs

Director Of Public Information related careers

Director Of Public Information related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Executive Management Industry
Director Of Public Information
Director Of Public Information vs Public Information Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse executive management jobs