Media relations director vs director of client relations

The differences between media relations directors and directors of client relations 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 director of client relations. Additionally, a director of client relations has an average salary of $116,480, which is higher than the $115,268 average annual salary of a media relations director.

The top three skills for a media relations director include web content, spokesperson and crisis communications. The most important skills for a director of client relations are project management, client issues, and healthcare.

Media relations director vs director of client relations overview

	Media Relations Director	Director Of Client Relations
Yearly salary	$115,268	$116,480
Hourly rate	$55.42	$56.00
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	32,391	63,226
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 84%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
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 director of client relations do?

A director of client relations is responsible for maintaining healthy business partnerships with clients, offering the company's quality services to boost brand awareness for the target audience on various market platforms. Directors of client relations identify the clients' needs, as well as their long-term goals, to strategize business techniques and project management procedures that would help the clients reach their maximum objectives. They also handle budget allocation for different teams, ensuring that each department receives adequate resources for operations.

Media relations director vs director of client relations salary

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

	Media Relations Director	Director Of Client Relations
Average salary	$115,268	$116,480
Salary range	Between $70,000 And $188,000	Between $82,000 And $163,000
Highest paying City	Philadelphia, PA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Nevada	Washington
Best paying company	Phoenix Children's	Cambridge Associates
Best paying industry	Professional	Technology

Differences between media relations director and director of client relations education

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

	Media Relations Director	Director Of Client Relations
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 84%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common major	Communication	Business
Most common college	Northwestern University	Stanford University

Media relations director vs director of client relations demographics

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

	Media Relations Director	Director Of Client Relations
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 61.2% Female, 38.8%	Male, 45.2% Female, 54.8%
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, 5.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 5.1% White, 75.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between media relations director and director of client relations 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.

Director of client relations example responsibilities.

Manage social media such as Facebook and LinkedIn to network and gain more exposure to the firm.
Develop RFP responses, participate in sales presentations, and manage major existing accounts such as Wal-Mart and Exxon-Mobil.
Manage projects for extensive keyword research and develop a comprehensive SEO strategy.
Join sales team to help with SaaS transformation.
Design and implement sales and marketing strategies that introduce the organization into the national group Medicare market.
Develop KPI standards for collectors and sales team base upon clients needs to promote efficiency and collection results.

Media relations director vs director of client relations skills

Common media relations director skills

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

Common director of client relations skills

Project Management, 9%
Client Issues, 7%
Healthcare, 6%
Account Management, 5%
Business Development, 5%
Client Relations, 4%

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Media Relations Director
Media Relations Director vs Director Of Client Relations

Updated January 8, 2025

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