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The differences between external relations directors and communications directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an external relations director and a communications director. Additionally, an external relations director has an average salary of $130,849, which is higher than the $107,700 average annual salary of a communications director.
The top three skills for an external relations director include project management, external relations and oversight. The most important skills for a communications director are web content, press releases, and customer service.
| External Relations Director | Communications Director | |
| Yearly salary | $130,849 | $107,700 |
| Hourly rate | $62.91 | $51.78 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 22,848 | 27,939 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An external relations director is responsible for helping a company or entity establish good public relations by creating a good market perception. The professional's responsibilities include giving communications counseling to the leadership team and ensuring compliance with appropriate facility conditions and sanitation standards. The job requires good communication, leadership, and organizational skills to accomplish such responsibilities. The job's education requirements include possessing a college degree in business, public relations, marketing, or other related fields.
A communications director is responsible for monitoring and supervising the overall media relations from internal to external communications. A communications director's duties include managing campaigns, providing organizational updates to the employees, supporting social media marketing, developing effective communication strategies to build the organization's reputation, and efficiently leading team members in handling events that represent the business. Communications directors must have strong leadership and communication skills to provide support for the company's daily operations and strategies.
External relations directors and communications directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| External Relations Director | Communications Director | |
| Average salary | $130,849 | $107,700 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $208,000 | Between $61,000 And $188,000 |
| Highest paying City | Davis, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Phoenix Children's | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an external relations director and a communications director in terms of educational background:
| External Relations Director | Communications Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Business | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between external relations directors' and communications directors' demographics:
| External Relations Director | Communications Director | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.1% Female, 55.9% | Male, 40.2% Female, 59.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.5% 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% |