Public information officer vs communications manager

The differences between public information officers and communications managers 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 manager. Additionally, a communications manager has an average salary of $81,304, 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 manager are customer service, property management, and yardi.

Public information officer vs communications manager overview

	Public Information Officer	Communications Manager
Yearly salary	$56,725	$81,304
Hourly rate	$27.27	$39.09
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	129,237	26,350
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

What does a public information officer do?

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.

What does a communications manager do?

A communications manager is responsible for overseeing a company or organization's public relations by devising various strategies and finding new opportunities. They must craft and produce marketing materials such as campaigns, advertisements, newsletters, social media engagements, and press releases to shape and improve a brand or company. Furthermore, a communications manager must accomplish administrative tasks such as preparing reports and necessary documentation, reaching out to advertisers, leading communication letters, and coordinating with marketing personnel from other departments.

Public information officer vs communications manager salary

Public information officers and communications managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Public Information Officer	Communications Manager
Average salary	$56,725	$81,304
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $83,000	Between $53,000 And $122,000
Highest paying City	Fairfield, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Delaware	California
Best paying company	City of Fairfield	McKinsey & Company Inc
Best paying industry	Professional	-

Differences between public information officer and communications manager education

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

	Public Information Officer	Communications Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Communication	Business
Most common college	Northwestern University	University of Southern California

Public information officer vs communications manager demographics

Here are the differences between public information officers' and communications managers' demographics:

	Public Information Officer	Communications Manager
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 43.7% Female, 56.3%	Male, 34.9% Female, 65.1%
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, 6.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between public information officer and communications manager duties and responsibilities

Public information officer example responsibilities.

Manage agency's social media pages (Facebook/Twitter).
Manage multiple websites and associate SEO; direct all brand photography to publicize and promote the resort.
Serve as college spokesperson managing crisis communications.
Lead implementation of a robust membership database to support organization strategy and decision making.
Interview featured alumni, manage copywriting staff and editorial calendar, and coordinate photography.
Create and maintain the college's blackboard intranet site.

Communications manager example responsibilities.

Co-administered sales campaigns in Salesforce, CRM to efficiently manage sales productivity of communication and leads.
Lead and manage marketing department's copywriting and editing team and develop many aspects of corporate communication.
Manage creative agency relationships and lead execution of commercial excellence awards program, Americas mid-year growth summit and kick-off meetings.
Manage all Medicaid paperwork, manage staff payroll, client attendance.
Manage all facets of community programs and recruitment for HIV prevention clinical trials.
Train in YARDI to complete daily transitions, manage resident ledgers and prepare weekly/monthly reports.

Public information officer vs communications manager skills

Common public information officer skills

Press Releases, 16%
Web Content, 10%
Community Outreach, 5%
Press Conferences, 4%
Graphic Design, 4%
Emergency Operations, 4%

Common communications manager skills

Customer Service, 16%
Property Management, 9%
Yardi, 5%
Project Management, 5%
Press Releases, 4%
Web Content, 4%

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Public Information Officer
Public Information Officer vs Communications Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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