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What is a public relations and communications director and how to become one
A public relations and communication director is responsible for managing a company or an organization's public relations department. The purpose of public relations is to project a favorable image of an organization or a person to the media, press, and the public. A public relations and communication director manages this process and works with communication providers to publish positive company information while increasing public support.
The primary role of a public relations and communication director is to work with media outlets to publish timely company information, such as press releases, brochures, and other materials, and to ensure that the communication strategy is consistent with the goals of the organization. These professionals manage staff, develop protocols for growing online support base and traffic, collaborate with the marketing department, and develop plans related to advertising, marketing, and promotion.
They also manage the publishing of videos and press releases on an organization's website and blogs and manages events, conferences, and speaking engagements. A public relations and communication director should have excellent communication, organizational, managerial, and marketing skills and also possess a working knowledge of various media and press platforms.
Most of these professionals have a bachelor's degree in communications, advertising, business, or a related field; however, an advanced degree is not necessarily vital if the individual has comparable skills. Most public relations and communication directors can make up to $95,000 per year in the US, and the job field is expected to grow 8% by 2028.
What general advice would you give to a public relations and communications director?
Jamie Shaw
Avg. Salary $123,145
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 8%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.42%
Asian 5.08%
Black or African American 5.81%
Hispanic or Latino 8.99%
Unknown 4.66%
White 75.05%
Genderfemale 62.03%
male 37.97%
Age - 41American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 41Stress level is very high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is poor
6.4 - fair
Public relations and communications director career paths
Key steps to become a public relations and communications director
Explore public relations and communications director education requirements
Start to develop specific public relations and communications director skills
Skills Percentages Press Releases 16.84% Crisis Communications 7.36% External Communications 6.44% Community Relations 5.58% Strategic Communications 5.19% Complete relevant public relations and communications director training and internships
Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New public relations and communications directors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a public relations and communications director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real public relations and communications director resumes.Research public relations and communications director duties and responsibilities
- Maintain strong working relationships across all departments to manage successful on-site opportunities, content and multimedia asset development and spokesperson requests.
- Maintain strong working relationships across all departments to manage successful on-site opportunities, content and multimedia asset development and spokesperson requests.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate CSR strategy, infrastructure and initiatives.
Get public relations and communications director experience
Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a public relations and communications director. The most common roles before becoming a public relations and communications director include public relations director, communications director team lead and account executive.Prepare your public relations and communications director resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your public relations and communications director resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a public relations and communications director resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable public relations and communications director resume templates
Build a professional public relations and communications director resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your public relations and communications director resume.
Apply for public relations and communications director jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a public relations and communications director job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first public relations and communications director job
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Average public relations and communications director salary
The average public relations and communications director salary in the United States is $123,145 per year or $59 per hour. Public relations and communications director salaries range between $70,000 and $213,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do public relations and communications directors rate their job?
Public relations and communications director reviews
People relations Results behavioural change
marketing especially retailing products and or fundraising
Updated January 8, 2025
