Post job

Public affairs officer vs communications coordinator

The differences between public affairs officers and communications coordinators 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 officer and a communications coordinator. Additionally, a public affairs officer has an average salary of $66,001, which is higher than the $47,075 average annual salary of a communications coordinator.

The top three skills for a public affairs officer include press releases, public affairs guidance and crisis communications. The most important skills for a communications coordinator are customer service, web content, and event planning.

Public affairs officer vs communications coordinator overview

Public Affairs OfficerCommunications Coordinator
Yearly salary$66,001$47,075
Hourly rate$31.73$22.63
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs66,19539,790
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age4242
Years of experience44

Public affairs officer vs communications coordinator salary

Public affairs officers and communications coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.

Public Affairs OfficerCommunications Coordinator
Average salary$66,001$47,075
Salary rangeBetween $39,000 And $109,000Between $34,000 And $63,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCWashington, DC
Highest paying stateNew YorkNew Jersey
Best paying companyEarthjusticeMicrosoft
Best paying industryGovernmentGovernment

Differences between public affairs officer and communications coordinator education

There are a few differences between a public affairs officer and a communications coordinator in terms of educational background:

Public Affairs OfficerCommunications Coordinator
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common majorCommunicationCommunication
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Public affairs officer vs communications coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between public affairs officers' and communications coordinators' demographics:

Public Affairs OfficerCommunications Coordinator
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 59.2% Female, 40.8%Male, 29.4% Female, 70.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 5.3% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage12%12%

Differences between public affairs officer and communications coordinator duties and responsibilities

Public affairs officer example responsibilities.

  • Manage social-networking updates for Facebook and command website.
  • Respond to media queries, write news releases and manage media engagements while acting as spokesperson for several multifacete organizations.
  • Use writing/graphic skills to create PowerPoint presentations for boating safety classes and training seminars.
  • Collaborate with marketing department to generate publicity through social media including Facebook to promote brand awareness.
  • Coordinate media interviews, prepare congressional and senior level briefings using PowerPoint, PageMaker, and PhotoShop.
  • Respond to media queries, write news releases and manage media engagements while acting as spokesperson for several multifacete organizations.
  • Show more

Communications coordinator example responsibilities.

  • Launch and manage the corporate Instagram account @ xcelenergy.
  • Manage and maintain the admission website by using basic knowledge of HTML and web editing templates.
  • Co-developed regional, national and international trade show strategy including logistics, management, qualifying leads, communications and ROI tracking.
  • Contribute brand appropriate content for: blog, instagram, and twitter.
  • General administrative and marketing duties including sending e-marketing campaigns, updating intranet and SharePoint sites, and publishing public relations newsletters.
  • Monitor the daily work of the travel agency booking agents.
  • Show more

Public affairs officer vs communications coordinator skills

Common public affairs officer skills
  • Press Releases, 14%
  • Public Affairs Guidance, 12%
  • Crisis Communications, 5%
  • Strategic Communications, 4%
  • Community Relations Programs, 4%
  • Press Conferences, 4%
Common communications coordinator skills
  • Customer Service, 7%
  • Web Content, 7%
  • Event Planning, 6%
  • Press Releases, 5%
  • Patients, 5%
  • Community Events, 5%

Browse arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs