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The differences between major gifts officers 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 a major gifts officer and a public relations director. Additionally, a public relations director has an average salary of $94,692, which is higher than the $84,209 average annual salary of a major gifts officer.
The top three skills for a major gifts officer include moves management, solicitation strategies and donor prospects. The most important skills for a public relations director are press releases, web content, and pr campaigns.
| Major Gifts Officer | Public Relations Director | |
| Yearly salary | $84,209 | $94,692 |
| Hourly rate | $40.49 | $45.52 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 63,570 | 31,693 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A major gifts officer is responsible for coordinating with organizations and sponsors for donation purposes to support an institution's cause and activities for social services. Major gifts officers identify donors by conducting in-depth research, usually those personalities who have a history of donating to organizations. They provide presentations and an objective outline to the potential sponsors, respond to their inquiries and concerns, and manage their presence during the event proper. A major gifts officer must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in writing reports and planning events efficiently.
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.
Major gifts officers and public relations directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Major Gifts Officer | Public Relations Director | |
| Average salary | $84,209 | $94,692 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $132,000 | Between $59,000 And $150,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Napa, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Earthjustice | Exelixis |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Internet |
There are a few differences between a major gifts officer and a public relations director in terms of educational background:
| Major Gifts Officer | Public Relations Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Business | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between major gifts officers' and public relations directors' demographics:
| Major Gifts Officer | Public Relations Director | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.2% Female, 53.8% | Male, 35.9% Female, 64.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.7% 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% |