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The differences between external relations directors and vice presidents of public relations 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 vice president of public relations. Additionally, a vice president of public relations has an average salary of $143,172, which is higher than the $130,849 average annual salary of an external relations director.
The top three skills for an external relations director include project management, external relations and oversight. The most important skills for a vice president of public relations are press releases, external communications, and business development.
| External Relations Director | Vice President Of Public Relations | |
| Yearly salary | $130,849 | $143,172 |
| Hourly rate | $62.91 | $68.83 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 22,848 | 55,300 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 84% |
| 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 vice president of public relations oversees the public relations efforts of a company, aiming for brand awareness and public interest. It is their duty to establish timelines and guidelines, develop projects and programs, monitor budgets, liaise and build positive relationships with media partners, and coordinate with public relations experts. There are also instances when they must represent the company at public gatherings or when facilitating press conferences. Moreover, as a vice president, it is essential to enforce the company's policies and regulations, implementing new ones as needed.
External relations directors and vice presidents of public relations have different pay scales, as shown below.
| External Relations Director | Vice President Of Public Relations | |
| Average salary | $130,849 | $143,172 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $208,000 | Between $88,000 And $232,000 |
| Highest paying City | Davis, CA | Las Vegas, NV |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Phoenix Children's | We Communications |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an external relations director and a vice president of public relations in terms of educational background:
| External Relations Director | Vice President Of Public Relations | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 84% |
| Most common major | Business | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between external relations directors' and vice presidents of public relations' demographics:
| External Relations Director | Vice President Of Public Relations | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.1% Female, 55.9% | Male, 38.3% Female, 61.7% |
| 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% |