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The differences between directors strategic communications and directors of public affairs 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 strategic communications and a director of public affairs. Additionally, a director of public affairs has an average salary of $114,639, which is higher than the $105,320 average annual salary of a director strategic communications.
The top three skills for a director strategic communications include project management, business development and professional development. The most important skills for a director of public affairs are government affairs, public policy, and external stakeholders.
| Director Strategic Communications | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Yearly salary | $105,320 | $114,639 |
| Hourly rate | $50.63 | $55.11 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 30,746 | 26,290 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A director of strategic communications is responsible for monitoring the strategic communications of an organization, relating to the media relations and dissemination of information across the company and public platforms to promote brand image and close deals with business partners. Directors of strategic communications identify efficient marketing techniques and opportunities to gain more resources for revenue by analyzing the current trends to develop new services and improve existing ones. A director of strategic communications must be highly communicative and organizational, especially on coordinating with project teams to support business functions.
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.
Directors strategic communications and directors of public affairs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Director Strategic Communications | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Average salary | $105,320 | $114,639 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $167,000 | Between $70,000 And $187,000 |
| Highest paying City | Carson City, NV | Las Vegas, NV |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | The Hatcher Group | Kaiser Permanente |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a director strategic communications and a director of public affairs in terms of educational background:
| Director Strategic Communications | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Business | Political Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between directors strategic communications' and directors of public affairs' demographics:
| Director Strategic Communications | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.7% Female, 38.3% | Male, 57.6% Female, 42.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |