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External relations director vs publication director

The differences between external relations directors and publication 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 publication director. Additionally, an external relations director has an average salary of $130,849, which is higher than the $87,824 average annual salary of a publication director.

The top three skills for an external relations director include project management, external relations and oversight. The most important skills for a publication director are website content, press releases, and government agencies.

External relations director vs publication director overview

External Relations DirectorPublication Director
Yearly salary$130,849$87,824
Hourly rate$62.91$42.22
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs22,84814,660
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age4242
Years of experience44

What does an external relations director do?

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.

What does a publication director do?

A publication director spearheads and oversees the operations of publishing establishments, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. They have the authority to make publication decisions, set goals, establish guidelines and timelines, delegate tasks and resources among teams, and develop strategies to optimize operations. They also monitor the workflow and the performance of the workforce, addressing issues and concerns if any arise. Moreover, a publication director leads and encourages staff to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations, developing new ones as needed.

External relations director vs publication director salary

External relations directors and publication directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

External Relations DirectorPublication Director
Average salary$130,849$87,824
Salary rangeBetween $82,000 And $208,000Between $49,000 And $154,000
Highest paying CityDavis, CACarson City, NV
Highest paying stateNevadaDelaware
Best paying companyPhoenix Children'sBiogen
Best paying industryEnergyMedia

Differences between external relations director and publication director education

There are a few differences between an external relations director and a publication director in terms of educational background:

External Relations DirectorPublication Director
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common majorBusinessCommunication
Most common collegeStanford UniversityMassachusetts Institute of Technology

External relations director vs publication director demographics

Here are the differences between external relations directors' and publication directors' demographics:

External Relations DirectorPublication Director
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 44.1% Female, 55.9%Male, 44.8% Female, 55.2%
Race ratioBlack 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, 5.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 5.0% White, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage16%16%

Differences between external relations director and publication director duties and responsibilities

External relations director example responsibilities.

  • Program development includes managing and building strong relationships with corporate and affinity partners to secure sponsorship and career enhancement for alumni
  • Ensure target ROI with feasibility studies on potential acquisitions, identifying optimum projects requiring rezoning and entitlement approvals for development.
  • Develop and implement company-wide QA and delivery procedures.

Publication director example responsibilities.

  • Manage media relations, announcements, editorial placement, and speaking opportunities the organizations.
  • Promote expansion of Medicaid coverage at the federal and state level.
  • Create & maintain SEAPOWER Facebook page, where all online articles are place, driving page views back to the website.
  • Serve as representative to senior management team during community events and company spokesperson for division, including to nonprofit sector clients.
  • Draft pleadings and serve subpoenas.
  • Complete all investigative reports including incident reports, subpoenas, arrest warrants, and witness statements.
  • Show more

External relations director vs publication director skills

Common external relations director skills
  • Project Management, 13%
  • External Relations, 11%
  • Oversight, 10%
  • Press Releases, 9%
  • GAAP, 8%
  • Financial Statements, 7%
Common publication director skills
  • Website Content, 12%
  • Press Releases, 11%
  • Government Agencies, 9%
  • Public Policy Issues, 6%
  • Government Relations, 5%
  • Pr Campaigns, 4%

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