Public relations account executive vs public relations director

The differences between public relations account executives and public relations 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 relations account executive and a public relations director. Additionally, a public relations director has an average salary of $94,692, which is higher than the $53,485 average annual salary of a public relations account executive.

The top three skills for a public relations account executive include press releases, digital marketing and fact sheets. The most important skills for a public relations director are press releases, web content, and pr campaigns.

Public relations account executive vs public relations director overview

	Public Relations Account Executive	Public Relations Director
Yearly salary	$53,485	$94,692
Hourly rate	$25.71	$45.52
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	121,389	31,693
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 86%	Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

What does a public relations account executive do?

A Public Relations Account Associate is responsible for managing the brand's media relations and strategizing promotional campaigns for client accounts. They coordinate with the clients for their specifications and requirements, including their budget limitations, target audience, and timetables. They also work closely with the sales team to identify the sales performance and adjust project management plans as needed. A Public Relations Account Associate handles brand communication to various media platforms and ensure that the methods lead to client success and satisfaction.

What does a public relations director do?

A public relations director is an individual who is employed to design and implement marketing strategies that can cultivate the relationship between a company and the media. Public relations directors collaborate with the internal team to boost brand awareness and maximize brand consistency in all advertising efforts. They must arrange interviews and press releases so that they can promote their company and its products or services. They also maintain relationships with the media and should manage sensitive issues to maintain the company's good reputation.

Public relations account executive vs public relations director salary

Public relations account executives and public relations directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Public Relations Account Executive	Public Relations Director
Average salary	$53,485	$94,692
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $79,000	Between $59,000 And $150,000
Highest paying City	McLean, VA	Napa, CA
Highest paying state	Virginia	Nevada
Best paying company	Edelman Financial Engines	Exelixis
Best paying industry	Media	Internet

Differences between public relations account executive and public relations director education

There are a few differences between a public relations account executive and a public relations director in terms of educational background:

	Public Relations Account Executive	Public Relations Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 86%	Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Most common major	Communication	Communication
Most common college	Northwestern University	Stanford University

Public relations account executive vs public relations director demographics

Here are the differences between public relations account executives' and public relations directors' demographics:

	Public Relations Account Executive	Public Relations Director
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7%	Male, 35.9% Female, 64.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 5.3% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	12%	16%

Differences between public relations account executive and public relations director duties and responsibilities

Public relations account executive example responsibilities.

Manage LinkedIn communications with former PRSSA members.
Create and effectively manage department and store/corporate events, which includes conceptual design and ROI.
Manage Facebook account promoting events to students across campus
Manage public affairs and media efforts including writing and placing op-eds and mobilizing editorial campaigns.
Experience with social media and blogging.
Handle casting, blogging and all social media.

Public relations director example responsibilities.

Manage internal agency public relations, blog content and twitter account.
Hire, train and manage play-by-play broadcasters guaranteeing a professional and informative listening experience.
Maintain strong working relationships across all departments to manage successful on-site opportunities, content and multimedia asset development and spokesperson requests.
Assist in development-relate alumni campaigns and event planning.
Keep running list and archive information regarding NCAA commitments.
Compile statistics and update game notes, player biographies, player and team statistics.

Public relations account executive vs public relations director skills

Common public relations account executive skills

Press Releases, 18%
Digital Marketing, 7%
Fact Sheets, 5%
Biographies, 5%
Client Accounts, 4%
Wine, 3%

Common public relations director skills

Press Releases, 19%
Web Content, 9%
Pr Campaigns, 5%
Facebook, 4%
Crisis Communications, 4%
Twitter, 3%

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Public Relations Account Executive
Public Relations Account Executive vs Public Relations Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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