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The differences between external relations directors and public relations 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 public relations director. Additionally, an external relations director has an average salary of $130,849, which is higher than the $94,692 average annual salary of a public relations director.
The top three skills for an external relations director include project management, external relations and oversight. The most important skills for a public relations director are press releases, web content, and pr campaigns.
| External Relations Director | Public Relations Director | |
| Yearly salary | $130,849 | $94,692 |
| Hourly rate | $62.91 | $45.52 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 22,848 | 31,693 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| 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 public relations director is an individual who is employed to design and implement marketing strategies that can cultivate the relationship between a company and the media. Public relations directors collaborate with the internal team to boost brand awareness and maximize brand consistency in all advertising efforts. They must arrange interviews and press releases so that they can promote their company and its products or services. They also maintain relationships with the media and should manage sensitive issues to maintain the company's good reputation.
External relations directors and public relations directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| External Relations Director | Public Relations Director | |
| Average salary | $130,849 | $94,692 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $208,000 | Between $59,000 And $150,000 |
| Highest paying City | Davis, CA | Napa, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Phoenix Children's | Exelixis |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Internet |
There are a few differences between an external relations director and a public relations director in terms of educational background:
| External Relations Director | Public Relations Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Business | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between external relations directors' and public relations directors' demographics:
| External Relations Director | Public Relations Director | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.1% Female, 55.9% | Male, 35.9% Female, 64.1% |
| 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, 6.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |