Media relations director vs development director

The differences between media relations directors and development 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 media relations director and a development director. Additionally, a media relations director has an average salary of $115,268, which is higher than the $107,044 average annual salary of a development director.

The top three skills for a media relations director include web content, spokesperson and crisis communications. The most important skills for a development director are digital marketing, oversight, and patients.

Media relations director vs development director overview

	Media Relations Director	Development Director
Yearly salary	$115,268	$107,044
Hourly rate	$55.42	$51.46
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	32,391	63,008
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 84%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

What does a media relations director do?

A Media Relations Director spearheads and oversees the brand image and overall media relations of an organization. They are responsible for making advertising and marketing decisions, setting goals and guidelines, establishing budgets and timelines, managing and coordinating directors, liaising with internal and external parties, delegating tasks among teams, and developing strategies from planning to execution. A Media Relations Director leads and encourages staff to reach goals while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

What does a development director do?

A development director is an individual who is responsible for securing funds and sponsors for non-profit organizations. Development directors must actively seek new business partners and develop relationships with volunteers and donors. They meet with members of the development team to help advertise and promote brand awareness and funding. Development directors must possess skills and experience in managing human resources, marketing, and budgeting functions. They must also obtain a bachelor's degree in business management, public relations, or related field.

Media relations director vs development director salary

Media relations directors and development directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Media Relations Director	Development Director
Average salary	$115,268	$107,044
Salary range	Between $70,000 And $188,000	Between $64,000 And $177,000
Highest paying City	Philadelphia, PA	Jersey City, NJ
Highest paying state	Nevada	New Jersey
Best paying company	Phoenix Children's	Cornerstone Research
Best paying industry	Professional	-

Differences between media relations director and development director education

There are a few differences between a media relations director and a development director in terms of educational background:

	Media Relations Director	Development Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 84%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common major	Communication	Business
Most common college	Northwestern University	Stanford University

Media relations director vs development director demographics

Here are the differences between media relations directors' and development directors' demographics:

	Media Relations Director	Development Director
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 61.2% Female, 38.8%	Male, 50.2% Female, 49.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between media relations director and development director duties and responsibilities

Media relations director example responsibilities.

Hire, train and manage play-by-play broadcasters guaranteeing a professional and informative listening experience.
Initiate and supervise development of new media technologies including iPhone and iPad apps, Facebook, YouTube and mobile website.
Create daily posts on Facebook and engage with people there.
Develop and implement online SEM efforts optimizing conversion rate for e-commerce.
Direct internal communications tactics including newsletters, Intranet, domestic and international executive meetings, and special events.
Champion agency competency growth in SEO and digital marketing.

Development director example responsibilities.

Manage CRM program for coordination and partnerships with marketing resources.
Manage website re-launch, create communications plan, co-le rebranding taskforce.
Manage clients and internal production team to meet budget and scope of contract eLearning solutions.
Help manage the CRM system with input and output for the resource development department and the entire organization.
Manage analytical method validation and method transfer to QC and CMOs for APIs, excipients, and finish products.
Hire, manage and train a team of six sourcing professionals as well as a team of 3 QA managers.

Media relations director vs development director skills

Common media relations director skills

Web Content, 13%
Spokesperson, 8%
Crisis Communications, 4%
Press Conferences, 4%
Communications Strategies, 4%
Facebook, 4%

Common development director skills

Digital Marketing, 8%
Oversight, 6%
Patients, 6%
Lead Generation, 5%
ROI, 4%
Project Management, 4%

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Media Relations Director
Media Relations Director vs Development Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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