Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between public relations directors and directors of public affairs 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 director and a director of public affairs. Additionally, a director of public affairs has an average salary of $114,639, which is higher than the $94,692 average annual salary of a public relations director.
The top three skills for a public relations director include press releases, web content and pr campaigns. The most important skills for a director of public affairs are government affairs, public policy, and external stakeholders.
| Public Relations Director | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Yearly salary | $94,692 | $114,639 |
| Hourly rate | $45.52 | $55.11 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 31,693 | 26,290 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
Directors of Public Affairs are executives who manage the public relations and communications initiatives of the company. They oversee all external communications that are intended for broadcast. They create guidelines on the proper crafting of communication materials that will be published or broadcasted. They also lead the public affairs department in networking activities and industry events. Directors of Public Affairs must be level-headed, calm, and creative. They should know how to communicate with the public, handle crises, and create successful brands.
Public relations directors and directors of public affairs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Relations Director | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Average salary | $94,692 | $114,639 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $150,000 | Between $70,000 And $187,000 |
| Highest paying City | Napa, CA | Las Vegas, NV |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Exelixis | Kaiser Permanente |
| Best paying industry | Internet | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a public relations director and a director of public affairs in terms of educational background:
| Public Relations Director | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Communication | Political Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between public relations directors' and directors of public affairs' demographics:
| Public Relations Director | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.9% Female, 64.1% | Male, 57.6% Female, 42.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 5.1% White, 75.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |