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The differences between public affairs managers and communications 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 public affairs manager and a communications director. Additionally, a communications director has an average salary of $107,700, which is higher than the $84,758 average annual salary of a public affairs manager.
The top three skills for a public affairs manager include external stakeholders, press releases and government relations. The most important skills for a communications director are web content, press releases, and customer service.
| Public Affairs Manager | Communications Director | |
| Yearly salary | $84,758 | $107,700 |
| Hourly rate | $40.75 | $51.78 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 24,984 | 27,939 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Psychology associates are entry-level professionals who assist psychologists with assessing, diagnosing, and treating individuals with mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. These associates are required to provide psychological services for children and adults who are under the supervision of a licensed psychologist. They must conduct assessments on individuals to identify psychological, emotional, and behavioral issues after they are discharged from hospitals. Psychology associates must also design and facilitate individual and group therapy programs specifically for adolescents who are involved in substance abuse.
A communications director is responsible for monitoring and supervising the overall media relations from internal to external communications. A communications director's duties include managing campaigns, providing organizational updates to the employees, supporting social media marketing, developing effective communication strategies to build the organization's reputation, and efficiently leading team members in handling events that represent the business. Communications directors must have strong leadership and communication skills to provide support for the company's daily operations and strategies.
Public affairs managers and communications directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Affairs Manager | Communications Director | |
| Average salary | $84,758 | $107,700 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $129,000 | Between $61,000 And $188,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Meta | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a public affairs manager and a communications director in terms of educational background:
| Public Affairs Manager | Communications Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between public affairs managers' and communications directors' demographics:
| Public Affairs Manager | Communications Director | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.8% Female, 51.2% | Male, 40.2% Female, 59.8% |
| 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% |