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The differences between public information officers 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 information officer and a communications director. Additionally, a communications director has an average salary of $107,700, which is higher than the $56,725 average annual salary of a public information officer.
The top three skills for a public information officer include press releases, web content and community outreach. The most important skills for a communications director are web content, press releases, and customer service.
| Public Information Officer | Communications Director | |
| Yearly salary | $56,725 | $107,700 |
| Hourly rate | $27.27 | $51.78 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 129,237 | 27,939 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
The primary job of a public information officer involves the promotion of a positive public image on social media. Public information officers offer significant information during a crisis. They collect facts and distribute them to the media and organize special events like awards ceremonies. Typically, they work for large organizations and government agencies. They maintain their online presence that can be part of the duties of public information. Also, they can work for long hours on an irregular schedule, especially when the incidents or situations affect the organization.
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 information officers and communications directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Information Officer | Communications Director | |
| Average salary | $56,725 | $107,700 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $83,000 | Between $61,000 And $188,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fairfield, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Nevada |
| Best paying company | City of Fairfield | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a public information officer and a communications director in terms of educational background:
| Public Information Officer | Communications Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between public information officers' and communications directors' demographics:
| Public Information Officer | Communications Director | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.7% Female, 56.3% | Male, 40.2% Female, 59.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |