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The differences between directors of special events and directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a director of special events, becoming a director takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a director has an average salary of $113,489, which is higher than the $63,671 average annual salary of a director of special events.
The top three skills for a director of special events include event planning, alumni and event management. The most important skills for a director are healthcare, customer service, and oversight.
| Director Of Special Events | Director | |
| Yearly salary | $63,671 | $113,489 |
| Hourly rate | $30.61 | $54.56 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 23,252 | 230,711 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A director of special events spearheads and oversees the planning and execution of various events, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently. They typically set goals and guidelines, manage schedules and timelines, outline plans and strategies, coordinate managers and different departments, and liaise with vendors and suppliers, building positive business relationships in the process. Moreover, as a director, it is essential to lead and encourage staff to reach goals while implementing and promoting the company's policies and regulations, including its vision and mission.
Directors work in show business, whether in a film, a television show, or a theatre production. They are responsible for bringing the material to life. They work with the writers to get a clear vision of how the production should look. They lead the production team in planning for the production, identifying filming or rehearsing schedules, casting for roles, and other aspects that need to be decided upon. Directors provide direction to the actors to ensure that the actors understand their role and will be able to effectively convey emotions to the audience. They also manage all other crew members and communicate their expectations clearly so that everyone on the set is working towards one vision.
Directors of special events and directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Director Of Special Events | Director | |
| Average salary | $63,671 | $113,489 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $113,000 | Between $66,000 And $192,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | NRDC | Mayo Clinic |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Finance |
There are a few differences between a director of special events and a director in terms of educational background:
| Director Of Special Events | Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between directors of special events' and directors' demographics:
| Director Of Special Events | Director | |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.1% Female, 74.9% | Male, 53.2% Female, 46.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 5.1% White, 75.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 14% |